Brier Patch is slightly shy with strangers, but Bunny Mack bounds right up, ready for attention.
Even though the rabbits may share differences in personalities and penchants, both have responded with gusto to their new lives with adoptive mom Jean-lives that wouldn’t have been possible had they not been rescued from indifference and neglect and brought to Farm Sanctuary’s New York Shelter.
Though found at different times by different people, Bunny Mack and Brier Patch were both abandoned by the side of busy roads in New York.
In July 2004, Bunny Mack and 13 other rabbits were discovered huddled in cardboard boxes on the shoulder of a state freeway, terrified and in real danger of being killed by a passing vehicle. The abandoned bunnies were picked up by a concerned driver, who immediately called Farm Sanctuary for help.
Bunny Mack and Brier Patch met for the first time at the New York Shelter, where Brier Patch already resided after a similar experience of being abandoned on the side of a road in Brooklyn. Brier Patch and Thistle, another New York Shelter resident, were rescued by a concerned passerby in early 2003. Due to both animals’ shy personalities, they were difficult to place locally and made the trip upstate to live at the sanctuary.
After years at the shelter, both bunnies found a permanent home last fall. When they’re not chomping on a midday salad or chewing carrot slices, the two rabbits are busy exploring their surroundings, but in very different ways.with a Farm Sanctuary volunteer-and they’re taking full advantage of every minute. The duo has formed a tight bond, and it’s not uncommon for Jean to see them grooming each other and dozing side by side.
Brier Patch is all about possibility. She takes nothing at face value, preferring instead to plumb the depths of her environment, squeezing her way into tight spaces behind and under furniture, or tearing through the house on a top-speed expedition. Bunny Mack, on the other hand, has a more aesthetic sense of purpose. He enjoys manipulating his environment, deliberately moving toys and furniture to suit his tastes. If Jean alters his designs, Bunny Mack wastes no time in correcting her. He even adjusts an accordion screen in the house, moving it just so to catch the light. It is here that he and Brier Patch take their afternoon naps.
These days, Bunny Mack and Brier Patch are relaxed and confident-but it wasn’t always that way. When Jean first adopted the duo, Bunny Mack was friendly, but Brier Patch was very timid. Whenever Jean held out her hand to the shy rabbit, she backed away. But Bunny Mack’s courage fostered that of Brier Patch, and it didn’t take long for her to come out of her shell, licking Jean’s face and letting her stroke her soft fur. Bunny Mack and Brier Patch have come a long way from their abandonment by the side of a road. And now that the rabbits have found a permanent home, they can look forward to a lifetime of giving the glow of their love to Jean and to each other. If you are interested in taking in a rescued duck or any other any other farm animal friend, please consider joining our Farm Animal Adoption Network!
