By Kathleen Wilsbach
I WAS GOING to graduate school in Los Angeles. I heard one of my neighbors, also a student, didn’t want their rabbit, a stray some kids had found. I had no idea how Clover would change my life. I saw an LA HRS ad for adoptable rabbits. I knew instantly that Clover needed a friend. I left Holly O’Meara a message and didn’t want to leave the house in case she called back. Holly introduced Clover to Adam (aka Bramble). I learned about spaying and that I was feeding Clover the wrong food, using the wrong litter and going to the wrong vet. At least I now knew someone who agreed with me about feeding her fresh food like carrot tops. That and keeping her inside were the two things I was doing right.
I started volunteering to clean litterpans. I read everything Holly gave me voraciously, including the House Rabbit Handbook and every back issue of the House Rabbit Journal. I started helping with education at events and over the phone. There was a big Pasadena rescue, and I took Luke, my first foster rabbit. I moved to Baltimore in 1994. I named one of my first Maryland foster rabbits, Phoebe, to honor our connection with Marinell and the past of HRS. Holly’s example was an inspiration to me. Because of her wonderful mentoring and with the help of a lot of wonderful volunteers, we built the Maryland/ DC/Northern VA HRS.
©Copyright Kathleen Wilsbach. All Rights Reserved. Republished with the permission of the author.
Stepping Into the Rescuer's Shoes: Mentored Rescuer was originally published in House Rabbit Journal Winter 2008: Volume V, Number 3
