Volume
3, Issue
4 -
November
2003
Meet
the
Officers:
The
Colorado
HRS
Board
of Directors
As
we have
often
said,
it takes
many
volunteers
with
diverse
backgrounds
and
talents
to keep
the
Colorado
House
Rabbit
Society
functioning.
In this
issue,
you
will
meet
the
Board
of Directors:
Nancy
LaRoche,
Carol
Thielen,
Dr.
Jerry
LaBonde,
Bea
Van
Horn,
Beverly
Endsley,
Kay
Fritzsche,
and
Nicki
Kravcism.
In subsequent
issues,
you
will
be introduced
to other
members
of the
Colorado
HRS
team.
We hope
in this
way,
you
will
be able
to “put
a name
with
a face”
and
also
learn
what
our
volunteers
do when
they
are
not
caring
for
rabbits.
Nancy
LaRoche
I'm
a native
Coloradoan.
My passion
is rabbits.
I also
enjoy
needlework,
gardening,
teaching,
writing,
looking
at the
mountains,
and
science
programs--especially
those
pertaining
to biology.
I don't remember when I got my first rabbits. They were two angora females, and they died of pneumonia a year later. I swore I would never have rabbits again until I knew more about them. So I read and "talked rabbit" for some years, volunteered as the "rabbit lady" at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, and started the Colorado chapter of the House Rabbit Society in 1991. Did I mention that my passion is rabbits?
I earned a BS in Mathematics from the University of New Mexico before there was anything called "computer science." My "career" began with Bell Labs, where I created operating systems and assembly languages. After the company went through many reorganizations and name changes, I retired in 1997 from Lucent Technologies, where I mostly did systems testing. By then, my work with the HRS had long been a second full-time job, and since rabbits are my passion, I was delighted to leave a paid job for an unpaid one, working with them.
Earl is my "family," although we aren't married. His two sons have four children between them and another on the way, so I'm "Nana Nancy" to some delightful youngsters. By the way, if I forgot to mention it . . . My passion is rabbits.
There aren't too many people I know who get to spend full time on something they really love, so I feel incredibly blessed that I have been doing just that for the past twelve years, and as far as I can see, will be able to continue doing so for as long as I remain vertical. I am also incredibly blessed by all the wonderful people I have met, those with whom I work, and those with whom I have placed rabbits.
My deep appreciation to each and every one of you who has given a rabbit a home or done anything to help a rabbit in need.
Oh,
in case
you
didn't
know
. .
. Rabbits
are
my passion!
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Carol
Thielen
I
have
been
involved
with
the
House
Rabbit
Society
since
1992.
Even
though
I moved
to Arizona,
I still
continue
to serve
on the
Board
and
participate
in events,
mainly
the
holiday
Bunny
Boutique
and
Open
House.
I also
work
with
the
Rabbit
Rescue
group
in the
Phoenix
area,
where
I now
live.
My husband, Robert Patton, and I have two house rabbits and four cats of our own and are currently fostering two rescued rabbits until there is space available with the Phoenix Rabbit Rescue group.
In my other life (A.K.A. my day job), I work in a sales and marketing position for a company that makes chemical analysis and detection equipment. Because I travel quite a bit, I can often arrange sales trips to Denver and while there/here stop in to visit Nancy and all the Colorado foster bunnies. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and dabbling in real estate and other investments.
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Dr.
Jerry
LaBonde,
DVM
I'm
a 4th
generation
Coloradoan
and
can't
imagine
living
elsewhere.
I received
my Doctor
of Veterinary
Medicine
degree
in 1986,
and
have
been
at Homestead
Animal
Hospital
since
1992.
While
I see
all
types
of animals,
exotics
are
my specialty,
and
I enjoy
my rabbit
patients
immensely.
I'm
also
an absolute
turtle
freak.
My wife
Susie
and
I have
two
children,
Charlie
who
is eight
and
Susie
who
is six.
Our
household
includes
two
dogs
and
two
birds.
In the
future,
when
our
older
dogs
are
gone,
I'm
looking
forward
to having
a pair
of house
rabbits,
and
spending
time
with
them
instead
of just
caring
for
them
at the
animal
hospital.
My family
is my
first
passion.
When
I have
time
off,
I truly
enjoy
spending
it with
them.
Along
with
my passion
for
veterinary
science,
I also
harbor
one
for
old
books.
Bea
Van
Horn
I have
been
in love
with
rabbits
since
I received
my first
one,
an Easter
gift,
when
I was
two
years
old.
The
memory
of that
rabbit,
a big
white
bunny
with
red
eyes,
being
sold
at auction
when
my family
moved
across
country
when
I was
eight
is what
drives
me to
live
my own
"Starfish
Story."
No matter
how
many
we can't
save,
it always
will
make
a difference
to the
"one"
that
we can
save.
I live
with
my husband
Don
in Lakewood.
I'm
a mom
to Amy,
and
grandma
to Caleb
and
Lyle.
I work
full-time
in addition
to being
a Co-
Manager
of Colorado
HRS.
My role
model
is my
Auntie.
I enjoy
quilting
when
I have
the
time
and
love
to visit
Auntie
and
go to
the
beach.
My passion? Big Bunnies. Oh, I simply adore them! I mean BIG. My other passion? Watching a bunny come from a bad place to a good place, and discovering who they are. I am very proud of the work Nancy has done through the years, and thrilled to be a part of HRS.
Beverly
Endsley
Kerry
and
I have
a large
family
consisting
of our
three
grown
children
and
their
spouses,
four
grandchildren
and
six
rabbits.
I have
been
a licensed
interior
designer
for
over
twenty
years,
specializing
in model
home
merchandising
for
home
and
apartment
builders.
At this
point,
I am
phasing
out
of interior
design
to pursue
my love
of painting.
I paint
in oils
and
watercolor
and
concentrate
mostly
on still
lives,
portraits
and
animals.
My life with bunnies started at a young age. As a six-year-old on crutches, my mom gave me a beautiful white bunny, Snowflake. After school everyday, Snowflake would sit in my lap and listen intently to all of my childhood fears and dreams and let me know that everything would be all right. In my late teens, I had a beautiful black bunny, Blackie. (Name originality was not my strong suit.) It was not until years later when Kerry and I lived in Santa Fe, that he found me outside constantly visiting with the wild buns. Kerry knew my love for bunnies and brought home two beautiful Holland lops. Babbs and Zeke were destined to a life of illness due to hereditary problems. They taught us about strength, the will to live, and the joy of living in the moment. We knew then that we needed to help more bunnies!
Kerry found Trooper in a barn in Texas, and we adopted Tabitha, our first Colorado HRS bunny in 1999. Since then, we have added rescued and foster bunnies from the Coloardo HRS and Evergreen Animal Protective League, bringing us to our present group of six! While we both feel that proper bunny care can take a lot of time and attention, we would not want to imagine our lives without them.
Kay
Fritzsche
I
was
born
in Cleveland,
Ohio
but
spent
most
of my
early
years
in Colorado
Springs.
I graduated
from
Colorado
State
University
with
a BS
Degree
in Home
Economics/Fashion
Merchandising.
After
college,
I moved
to Kansas
City
where
I bought
children’s
clothing
and
accessories
for
seven
department
stores.
After
two
years
there,
I moved
back
to Denver.
I have
worked
off
and
on for
the
same
mortgage
company
for
the
last
20 years.
In 1996-1997
my husband,
ten-year-old
daughter
and
I traveled
for
15 months
around
the
United
States
in an
RV.
It was
truly
an unforgettable
experience.
If you read “Lobo & Blueberry and the Little Brown Rabbit” in the last newsletter, you learned how I came to have rabbits in my life.
My husband and I have four children (three “his” and one “ours”). We also have four grandchildren. We share our home with three rabbits and two cats. Any time that we can get away, we pack everyone up and head to our second home in Golden Gate Canyon.
My hobbies are knitting, scrap booking and reading. In my spare time, I like to design and make toys and treats for the bunnies. I feel honored to be a volunteer at the Colorado HRS and enjoy working with so many dedicated, bunny-loving people.
Nicki
Kravcisin
If
I don’t
look
familiar
it could
be that
I had
my hair
cut
for
summer.
My bunnies
have
convinced
me to
go for
a Rex
look.
I first
became
acquainted
with
house
rabbits
in 1998
when
a neighbor
gave
me a
baby
bunny.
Shortly
thereafter,
I attended
a tune-up
class
given
by the
Colorado
HRS
and
have
been
a bunny-lover
ever
since.
I find rabbit behavior both fascinating and endearing. I have four Mini-Rexes of my own – Jack and Jill, and Ferrari and Fiona (a special needs bunny with head-tilt). I recently adopted Riley as a companion for my two permanent fosters – Cookie and Candy (also a special needs bunny).
My daytime job is at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where I am database manager for the State of Colorado’s Child Immunization Registry. Except for a two-year venture into the private sector of software development and marketing databases, I have been in public health research for more than fifteen years. I live in Westminster, just down the street (120th) from the Broomfield shelter.
In
next
issue
of the
newsletter:
Meet
the
Educators!
