Volume
4, Issue
1 -
February
2004
Meet
the
Educators
In the November 2003 newsletter, we introduced the members of the Colorado HRS Board of Directors. In this issue, we would like you to meet the Educators. Bea VanHorn, Nancy LaRoche, Beverly Endsley and Kay Fritzsche are both Board members and educators and will not be profiled again. The two other Colorado HRS certified Educators who are not Satellite Directors are Kim Schulte and Debby Schmidt. The Sanctuary and Satellite Managers will be profiled in the Summer 2004 newsletter.
Kim
Schulte
Our
house
is pretty
full
this
winter.
The
humans,
TJ and
I, are
badly
outnumbered
and
losing
ground.
Of course,
we wouldn't
have
it any
other
way.
Nine years ago we adopted our first rabbit, Bun-bun. Within the next three months, Bun-bun went visiting in Nebraska, camping in the Tetons, and vacationing in Oregon. At the time, we didn't know much about keeping a rabbit. After a call to the HRS to learn more about rabbits, we soon had two rabbits, and never looked back.
We still have those first two rabbits, and sixteen more we've adopted or rescued from various people. Since I began working at Homestead Animal Hospital last year, we've added a hamster and two birds. I love my job there because I get to work with such a variety of wild and domestic animals, and I work with the best rabbit doctor around. I'm even learning to like iguanas and bearded dragons.
TJ
and
I try
to help
as many
animals
as we
can,
and
someday
would
like
to have
a large
sanctuary
far
away
from
the
city.
Years
ago
we chose
to stop
eating
animals,
and
living
vegan
is an
important
part
of our
lives.
Explaining
all
this
to my
four
grown
kids
isn't
so easy.
They
think
their
mom
went
a little
too
far
in the
deep
end
of the
pool,
but
my seven
grandchildren,
ages
6 months
to 6
years,
are
a little
easier
on me.
They
love
coming
to my
house
to see
my animals,
particularly
the
bunnies,
even
if they
don't
get
to eat
at McDonalds
when
they
come.
Now
if I
can
just
get
them
to stop
sampling
the
raisins
off
the
floor!
[Return
to Top]
Debby
Schmidt
I
fulfilled
a childhood
dream
by moving
to Colorado
from
Memphis
in 1984.
Here
I met
Karl
and
we have
a blended
family
of four
grown
kids,
two
his
and
two
mine.
We live
in Greeley
now,
but
we are
in the
process
of building
a home
that
we designed
in the
foothills
between
Loveland
and
Fort
Collins.
I am
a Registered
Dietitian
with
a M.
S. in
Human
Nutrition
and
a minor
in Psychology,
however
at this
time,
I do
not
work
in the
human
nutrition
field.
All
the
work
I do
is for
the
rabbits
for
which
I am
richly
paid
in lots
of fuzzy
bunny
love.
I am very thankful that the Colorado House Rabbit Society allows me to fulfill the need to work with animals. Until I found them, I was frustrated by allergies to animals, except for dogs and rabbits. My allergies prevented me from working in the veterinary field.
My love for animals was inherited from my father. Grandmother shared lots of funny stories about Dad bringing an assortment of animals home. It was just natural for my family to always have dogs and rabbits. At present, we have four house rabbits plus two permanent fosters and two special needs foster bunnies. Our two dogs, a Bedlington terrier and Pomeranian, help me care for all the bunns.
At the shelter, grooming rabbits is one of my favorite activities. I also enjoy making structures for my bunnies to play on and in and working with animal behavior issues in dogs and rabbits. Recently I have been working with one of my bunnies to train him to ring a bell for treats. Also, I have worked with aggressive bunnies to curb their antisocial behaviors, biting in particular.
Besides animals, another interest I inherited from Dad was art. I fulfill that interest by working on the computer doing graphics as well as layout and design. I have my own web page that my sister, a graphic artist, helped me create. You can visit all my bunnies and dogs at our Bunny Garden.
In
next
issue
of the
newsletter:
Meet
the
Sanctuary/Satellite
Directors!
