About 50 people took part in a Bunny Yoga event sponsored by the Friends of Rabbits at the Veterinary Holistic Center of Northern Virginia located in Springfield. Photo by Steve Hibbard.
About 50 people attended a Bunny Yoga event sponsored by the Friends of Rabbits at the Veterinary Holistic Center of Northern Virginia in Springfield. Instructors Shannon and Colt Meraw of Fairfax taught a yoga class as 20 or so bunnies mingled among the “down dog” and “crescent moon” poses. The event was a fundraiser for Friends of Rabbits, an animal rescue in the metropolitan area. Dr. Jordan Kocen of Fairfax Station donated the use of his facility.
“About half the class are rabbit people and the other half are regular yoga students who thought this would be something different and a lot of fun, especially right now before Easter, which is a big time when people buy rabbits,” said Mara Hurwitt of Fairfax Station, a Board Member with Friends of Rabbits.
“We’re raising funds for our foster rabbits and we’re also educating the public, and we’re having fun while we’re doing it,” she said. The event raised about $1,000, which will be used to pay for the rabbits’ veterinary bills. The Friends of Rabbits also pulls rabbits from shelters throughout Virginia and Maryland and takes them off death row; it just rescued six rabbits from Las Vegas.
Hurwitt added: “Rabbits are a lot of fun. They are great pets if you know how to properly care for them. And if anyone is interested in ever having a rabbit for a pet, there are so many available for adoption from us or the local shelters. But do your research before you get a rabbit so you know what you’re getting into. They’re not starter pets for small children but they can be great family pets.”
Yoga instructor Shannon Meraw of Fairfax added: “Basically, around Easter time, a lot of people buy rabbits for their children or for their families and they don’t realize that rabbits live for up to 15 years, and so, they’re a life-long commitment and these poor rabbits end up abandoned, and so these wonderful people come in and they foster them and that requires money.
“We’re doing something that’s great for the body, mind, and spirit and good for the bunnies as well. So, we’re going to teach some yoga and it’s going to be a lot of fun. In the end, we’re going to help out some beautiful little furry souls,” she said.
For more information on Friends of Rabbits, visit www.friendsofrabbits.org.