Five Questions With: Pamela Hood

PAMELA HOOD is the founder Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue in Foster. / COURTESY PAMELA HOOD
PAMELA HOOD is the founder Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue in Foster. / COURTESY PAMELA HOOD

Pamela Hood founded Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue in Foster in 2002, where she serves as president of the organization. She was an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 1998, later working for Southwest Airlines as a ground operations supervisor, which brought her to the Ocean State from Tennessee. She has a lifelong passion for animals, and in addition to running Sweet Binks, cares for a private farm sanctuary. Hood serves as chapter manager for the Rhode Island chapter of the House Rabbit Society and was awarded the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal’s Best Friend Award in 2006. She is currently planning a future assisting with wildlife in Belize.
PBN: What led you to founding the nonprofit?
HOOD:
I started doing private rescue in 2000 when I did everything we are opposed to now. I bought a bunny at a pet store, right before Easter. I researched all I could about caring for her and realized how many abandoned, neglected domesticated “pet” rabbits there are, even in little Rhode Island.
I started slowly taking in some unwanted/abandoned rabbits and word started to get around to contact me about abandoned rabbits so I decided early in 2002 that I had to do something else, something bigger to help all these wonderful but unwanted domestic rabbits. I could not possibly take in and keep all the unwanted rabbits I was getting calls about.
So, I started Sweet Binks, incorporated and filed for 501c(3) nonprofit status, built a shelter, applied for a shelter license and started up. I did not know if it would be successful but I had to try to do something. We are now approaching our 3,000th rescued rabbit.
PBN: What is your biggest fund-raising challenge?
HOOD:
We do very well fundraising with our own events and we have very dedicated, longtime supporters. The people that care about rabbits and support what we are doing are very loyal, dedicated supporters and know that 100 percent of donations to Sweet Binks go directly to the care of the rabbits entrusted into our care.
A drawback for us is that we are located in rural Foster and have to hold events elsewhere due to space limitations, parking and such. We would love to assist or develop a rabbit spay/neuter assistance fund in Rhode Island but the cost is just not something we are able to come up with as rabbit surgery and anesthesia by a skilled veterinarian is not something we can afford on publicly-owned rabbits. We just spay and neuter rabbits that come into Sweet Binks via other shelters, animal control officers and strays. Being able to afford public spay/neuter assistance may save quite a few homes and prevent overbreeding situations that shelters just can’t deal with.
PBN: You assist shelters with as many as 200 abandoned rabbits a year. Why are so many of these pets abandoned and how do you advance education about their plight?
HOOD:
As long as pet shops sell them, they will be abandoned. Rabbits being the very hormonal creatures they are, it is imperative that they are spayed or neutered to be good companion animals. Many people either do not know this or will not or not able to spend the money to alter a rabbit to prevent unwanted or troublesome hormonal behaviors. So, that hormonal rabbit is often abandoned in parks, yards and wooded areas, which is usually a death sentence for a domesticated rabbit.
There is also a cultural aspect and the fact that rabbits are a multi-purpose animal. No other “pet” is so widely used for food, fashion or trinkets.
We mainly assist in cruelty and neglect cases and assist local shelters, pounds and rescues in Rhode Island. We have vast knowledge on how to rehabilitate injured domestic rabbits, assisting in neglect/cruelty cases involving rabbits, screening and adoptions and all thing related to rabbit adoption. We conduct free “rabbit education seminars” to educate rabbit owners on proper care and more to try to reduce abandonment and we also teach in New England Institute of Technology’s veterinary technician course on rabbits. We work with the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association’s Pets and Vets afterschool program and assist with training with veterinary offices and other shelters about domestic rabbit care, behavior and health issues. We are also the Rhode Island chapter of the international group House Rabbit Society, which campaigns worldwide on the proper care, commitment and well-being of domestic rabbits.
PBN: How does the Adopt-A-Bunny program work and who typically will adopt these animals?
HOOD:
We promote adoption versus buying commercial pet shop, auction house or purposely-bred rabbits. Sweet Binks-rescued rabbits are vetted, spayed/neutered, litterbox trained and socialized. Adopters get the best information, tools and care guidelines right from the start to ensure a successful adoption.
Plus, we give these intelligent companions a second chance. Adopters need to accept our adoption policies and the long-term commitment of adopting a pet rabbit. We do not do adoptions to children and actually believe rabbits make much better companions for adult homes. Adults are always responsible for an animal’s life and livelihood.
PBN: What is the most important way you educate others about animal cruelty and how prevalent a problem is this with rabbits?
HOOD:
Social media and our website are very powerful tools. Also, we educate adopters, those in the animal welfare field in general, teachers, animal control officers, police and anyone who will listen as they all can educate someone else or often help in a situation with advice or more. We are big believers in quality information and stepping up when animals are in need of assistance.

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