Carlise Williams is a bunny person. She had two of her own bunnies – both rescue, of course! at home in California, but something about Tumbleweed the bunny at Best Friends caught her eye. She was following Tumblweeds story on the Best Friends Network for some time, and was anxious to meet him when she came to the Sanctuary. She came out to volunteer at Best Friends last fall, and on her first day was introduced to Tumbleweed and to one of his roommates, Chaz.

Instant Bunny Love! Carlise didn’t want to break up the two friends, so she decided to adopt both of them. The second day that she was here, she went to visit them, and one of the bunny caregivers very innocently, very casually commented that it was wonderful that she was adopting the two, but kind of sad that she was breaking up a family of five! Carlise learned the story of how the bunnies were dumped alongside the highway, and had been nicknamed the ‘Rasta’ bunnies due to the fact that their very long fur was almost in dreadlocks from matting.

Well, if she couldn’t break up a pair, she certainly couldn’t break up a family so Carlise decided to take everyone home! Monte, Hayden & Bonzai now had furever homes as well as Tumbleweed and Chaz. Her heart was ready for the new bunny additions, but her house wasn’t quite. On her way back to California, Carlise phoned the contractors working on her home to let them know there was a slight change of plans. First thing on the agenda now, was to remodel a 9 x 15 shed into a luxurious bunny resort!

She got home and told her two longtime bunnies, Peanut & Louise, to expect company in a couple of months, and her Rottweiler (a rescue as well – go Carlise!) was very excited at the idea of more bunnies – he loves having the bunnies climb, crawl & jump on him when he’s laying down.

In October Carlise was back at the Sanctuary, bunny resort back home at the ready, to take her 5 new bunny companions home.

Story by Bill Leary & Jennifer Johnson
Photo by Bill Leary

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