Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society

I'm excited to share that 2008 has been a very good year for the bunnies in Minnesota and 2009 promises to be even better! In 2008, we hired our first employee -- a part-time Adoption Director -- one result of which is an increase in the number of rabbits MCRS is able to help. In fact, adoptions were up a stunning 70% from the previous year!! We are closing out the year with 159 rabbits adopted out on MCRS contracts and another 38 rabbits adopted directly from shelters with MCRS assistance -- a total of almost 200 rabbits helped to find homes. Amazing!

2009 brings with it an equally big change for MCRS - our own space! For the first time in our seven years of existence, we will have a "home" for our events, classes, and equipment. We have rented a commercial suite in South St Paul. This space will NOT be a shelter -- rabbits will not be kept there. Rather, it will be more of an "event center," where rabbits visit from time to time, but just for the planned event. The plan is that all adoption events in 2009 will be held in this new space, rather than in PETCO stores as in the past. Our events have grown to the point that traveling around the metro is extremely cumbersome and we are also causing some disruption to customers trying to shop at some PETCO stores. We are not discontinuing our relationship with PETCO -- we'll still have rabbits in residence seeking adoption and we plan to start doing smaller events in the stores by mid-year that will help promote our mission of education & adoption. These events, because they are much smaller, will likely be able to happen in each store more than once every six to nine months as currently occurs.

This space will serve several other purposes as well. Many important activities have gone by the wayside simply because we have struggled to find suitable space to conduct them. By having our own space, we will be able to restart Member Meetings (plan to see them every other month starting on Saturday, January 24), volunteer orientation/training, as well as some of the classes we've only been able to offer infrequently such as Bunny Boot Camp and Bunny Massage.

The new space will also be a supply sales location! For everyone in the east and southeast metro, you'll now be able to purchase supplies for your rabbits from MCRS, where all the proceeds go directly to helping more bunnies.

We are just now moving equipment into the new space and out of our storage units, and getting organized. When the space is ready to start supply sales, we'll be back with more information.

2009 promises to be another exciting year for MCRS and the bunnies!

Joanna
MCRS President

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	On Sunday December 14 at 1:00 PM the parking lot at the Animal Humane Society looked like a concert -- cars were in a line waiting to park. Walking into the building were droves of people all with carriers. They were here for the party -- Ho Ho Hoppy Hour and photos with Santa! Forty nine bunnies played together on the mats while over one hundred people visited and talked about all things rabbit. Santa and his elf, Sassy, next to their carrot-covered tree, were all ready to hear every bun's Christmas wishes.
	With less than a week's planning we made $145.00 for MCRS, unleashed total chaos on AHS, and brought and smiles of delight to many faces. Our thanks to Santa and his elf, Sassy for volunteering their time to make this a smashing success. Next year we will plan more, advertise more, and who knows what will happen ... maybe we'll need to move to the Target Center!