Pets Stroll Fest 2002
14 Dec 2002, Ngee Ann City

The HRSS crew.	Our merchandise; everything good and healthy for bunnies
The adoption booth.	The crowd.
Cara taking a little break from all the attention.	Smoky grooming a little to look his best.
A passerby giving Curio a little pet on the back.	2 of our dedicated volunteers.

In an effort to draw public awareness to the plight of abused, homeless and abandoned animals, one of the largest animal carnivals ever to be organized in Singapore was held on 14 December 2002. The animal welfare circles were represented by the SPCA, Action for Singapore Dogs, Cat Welfare Society and the House Rabbit Society of Singapore who all turned out booths well decked with information banners, armed with flyers and teaming with enthusiastic volunteers. The public responded with many dog owners traipsing down to the Civic Plaza Ngee Ann City to join in the Pet Stroll even while the rain poured down heavily driving pets and people under the close confines of the marques. Some bunnies even showed up for a grooming /makeover session at the HRSS booth, the proceeds of which were generously donated to the HRSS.

The HRSS was well placed near the stage and enjoyed the benefits of a busy thoroughfare bringing many well wishers and bunny shoppers into our path who were quickly talked by our very enthusiastic and encouraging volunteers into parting with their cash for delicious bunny cookies homebaked by our very own volunteers, yummy bunny chewy bits like apple twigs and grass mats and of course, more healthy alternatives for a bun's staple diet such as orchard hay, and even fashionable t-shirts (for people not bunnies). The HRSS presence was also made to be felt in the rest of the carnival by the the tireless efforts of the HRSS mascot milling his way through the crowds with his trusty volunteer sidekick armed with a polaroid ready for anyone who wanted a photo.

Also present at the HRSS stand as with those of the other societies, were our adoptees. These little ones endured the attention of many a curious eye and once in a while, a cuddle, under the supervision of their fosterers who were more than happy to talk to members of the public and potential adopters about their wards or really, just to any one who would listen, so pleased were each of them with their own foster-bun. Not one of the fosterers had a foster-bun they were not proud to hand to a good and healthy home. Many people asked about the bunnies up for adoption and some even questions about their bunnies at home, about how to litter-train them, to handle them and so forth. Our foster-buns not only attracted attention to themselves by how well they behaved, but generally speaking, to all the possibilities and wonders of owning a bunny. In particular, Cara and Mellie were superb examples of buns with exemplary litter habits and were a wonder to many. It is no wonder then that each adoptee received attention from more than one eager applicant, all of whom were stringently interviewed by the HRSS president Mr Kapil Sharma and re-homing officer Lanny Purnama. By the end of the event, every bun had a potential home.

All in all, the event was hugely successful for the HRSS not only in terms of the support it received in its efforts to raise funds.It was not only a good opportunity for the HRSS to educate people in general about bunnies but also turned out to be an opportunity to educate people who already owned bunnies about bunnies. An opportunity which the HRSS proved willing and able in turning to their advantage. Teaching a person who has never owned a rabbit to care for a rabbit properly can sometimes be easier than re-educating the person who thinks he knows how to care for his bunnies. The HRSS certainly made more than one person go home that Saturday and re-think the way he keeps his bunnies. A laudable achievement indeed.

by Jacqueline Chim, HRSS Volunteer