Animals seem to show up in our lives at just the right time. A year ago, a skinny, tan bunny with helicopter ears arrived at our house. We’d recently lost our pet rabbit and I’d signed up to foster for a local rescue organization. We were also grieving the loss of a beloved family member at the time. The rescue asked if we could foster one of a group of sibling bunnies who’d been dumped as babies on a rural property. Domestic breeds of rabbits are not suited for the wild, but they are turned loose with shocking frequency. This was the last of the siblings caught and he’d been on his own into the winter as, one by one, his siblings had been rescued. Our job would be litter-training, transporting to the vet for neutering, and socializing. We named him Finn and got to work.
Whether it's rabbits, dogs, or cats, fostering saves lives. Most rescues rely on foster homes to supplement their kennel space and increase their capacity. Some rescues are solely foster-based. Fostered animals eventually become loved members of families. Here are some books about rescued animals:
- “The Dogs Were Rescued (and so was I)” by Teresa J. Rhyne. This memoir proves that sometimes we rescue dogs and often they rescue us in return.
- “Love at First Bark: How Saving a Dog can Sometimes Help you Save Yourself” by Julie Klam. Klam shares wild and sometimes hilarious rescue adventures.
- “Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life With 600 Rescue Animals” by Laurie Zaleski. Laurie never planned to run an animal rescue, but she made her mother’s dream come true.
- “Finding a Forever Home: True Animal Rescue Stories” by Mark Feldstein. The author spent years collecting rescue stories from shelters and sanctuaries across the country.
- “Craig & Fred: A Marine, a Stray Dog, and how They Rescued Each Other” by Craig Grossi. The true story of a marine and the stray dog he met on an Afghan battlefield.
And these books are specific to rescued rabbits:
- “Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale of Fostering Rabbits” by Cynthia Lord. This is for younger readers, but also enjoyable for the photographs.
- “Peacebunny Island: The Extraordinary Journey of a Boy and his Comfort Rabbits, and how They're Teaching us About Hope & Kindness” by Caleb Smith.
If you are interested in fostering or adopting a rescued animal, here are some organizations you can contact:
- Humane Society for Southwest Washington, 360-693-4746
- West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, 360-835-3464
- Rabbit Advocates, 503-617-1625
Finn is now a permanent member of our family, having come to us just when we needed him. We’ve continued to foster bunnies who’ve been resilient after tough situations and found wonderful forever homes. Whether fostering is for you or not, I hope you enjoy these books about rescue animals and their humans.
Library tip of the month: Are you working on your family tree? We’ve added Newspapers.com to our list of genealogy resources. Learn more at here or at your library.
Janet Alder is marketing and communications coordinator for Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries, which has 15 locations in Clark, Skamania, Klickitat, and Cowlitz Counties. Call 360-906-5000 or visit the library district website for more information.
A version of this column first appeared in The Messenger, January 2023.
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