Yesterday was a tragic day in Rabbitats’ world. We had two bunnies at the vet, a challenged feral guy with an abscess under his chin, and our beloved Blaze in for a dental. We were expecting the bad news for the little grey feral, but when the phone rang, it was the vet saying that Blaze had a mouthful of tooth root infection and that he hadn’t responded well to the anesthetic. On the vet’s advice, we opted to not wake him up. Blaze was probably the most important bunny in Rabbitats history. He was ‘the hotdog bun’, the beat up little dwarf dumped at the Auto Mall years before we arrived there. He hung out by the hotdog stand and guarded his corner with gusto. At least from the guys. He was quite the ladies man. Once we started trapping the Auto Mall rabbits — all 300 of them — we realized that the majority of them were really small and had short ears and blazes. We ended up not being able to send them to the designated sanctuary in Washington State because of their small size, and they can thank Blaze for that. Most of all, we can thank Blaze for Deanna. Deanna, our shelter manager and an indispensable member of Rabbitats, wasn’t a rabbit person when she started helping out, she was a friend who stepped in to lend a hand. Blaze made her the stellar, dedicated bunny fan she is today. We can never thank him enough for that. He was her couch bunny and her shoulder bunny. They were pretty inseparable, at least until he met Buttercup, an owly diva lop girl. Deanna took her in as well because Blaze loved her. Blaze was at least nine. He was on the corner for four years and inside with us for another five. He will be mourned by all, especially Deanna. So sorry. RIP little guy.
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IMMEDIATE SUPPORT NEEDED
We need to raise $8,000, with 300 rabbits in urgent need of vaccinations this month.
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus has just been confirmed in Saskatchewan; it’s currently surging in multiple states, and the only protection against this virus is vaccination.
The spread is inevitable, and vaccination is more important than ever. But we have a problem.
Ceva Animal Health recently discontinued the Filavac bulk vaccine packs.
Our rabbit community relies on us to provide cost-effective vaccine clinics and free or subsidized vaccines to low-income families. And our rabbits rely on us for their lives. Our expenses have increased tenfold, overnight.
This price increase is not sustainable, and could put our large-scale rescue projects to a halt. We need your help to protect our rabbits from this deadly, fast-spreading virus.
How Can I Help?
1. Donate here, or to our Pet Fundr fundraiser - petfundr.com/RHDVaccine
2. Sponsor a shelter rabbit vaccine: sl1nk.com/m89p1s4
3. Spread the word! Share our fundraiser with friends, family, and beyond. Together, we can protect at-risk rabbits from this deadly virus.
4. Vaccinate your rabbits: Rabbitats.org/vaccine - This virus can survive for long periods in the environment and is easily spread. Vaccination is the only real prevention.
And even more incoming ‼️ These three babies were found in the middle of a hot asphalt parking lot, nowhere near grass or much else, which means they very likely fell out of the undercarriage of a car that their mom had given birth in. One was badly injured with cuts and a necrotic crushed foot. We were expecting euthanasia, but Dr. Rana did some very delicate surgery and the baby is still with us. 😮 They will be recovering with baby foster Jenn. Fingers, paws, toes and whiskers crossed for a full recovery! 🤞
First ever rabbit hemorrhagic disease confirmation in Saskatchewan was announced today. This is why we hold community RHD vaccine clinics because this disease can pop up anytime, anywhere. The best protection is to vaccinate/boost your rabbits annually to help maintain immunity.
Also worth mentioning are today’s RHD confirmations in feral rabbits in Billings, Montana and in neighbouring Big Horn County, Montana.In July 2026, veterinarians confirmed Saskatchewan's first case of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2). RHDV2 is a highly contagious and often fatal disease of domestic rabbits, feral rabbits, wild rabbits and hares. It doesn't cause disease in humans or other animal species.
🐇 If you own rabbits, please take these important steps:
• contact your local veterinarian to have rabbits annually vaccinated for RHDV2
• keep rabbits housed indoors since the disease can be spread by contact or through food
• prevent contact with wild rabbits, hares or feral rabbits
Visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website for more information about RHDV2: inspection.canada.ca/en/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/immediately-notifiable/rabbit-...