By Ginny Greninger, NMHRS member, volunteer, and Santa Fe Animal Shelter volunteer
A very fun afternoon for bunnies (and volunteers) was had in Santa Fe on February 23 2019!
Through a request to NMHRS, Tellington TTouch® (TTouch) instructor and bunny whisperer, Lauren McCall, asked if two Santa Fe shelter bunnies might be brought to the international TTouch conference held in Santa Fe at the Drury Hotel and Suites. This was for the purpose of her demonstration of TTouch for bunnies.
Tellington TTouch® Training is a specialized approach to the care and training of our companion animals, horses and exotic animals, as well as for the physical and emotional well-being of humans. With TTouch, even the most difficult problems and behavioral challenges are often eliminated, enhancing the quality of an animal’s life.
The Santa Fe Animal Shelter gave permission for us to take two bunnies to participate in the conference. Bonnie Giacchetti, NMHRS member, volunteer, and Santa Fe Animal Shelter volunteer, and I transported two shelter bunnies, Pebble and Shadow, to the Drury Hotel complete with all of their paraphernalia! They boys got to ride on a luggage cart and an elevator!
For 45 minutes Lauren demonstrated different TTouch methods on the boys. The two bunnies really seemed to lean into and enjoy the touch and were perfectly behaved. Using Shadow she also showed how to properly pick up and put back down a bunny. The audience members were TTouch instructors, veterinarians and other individuals working in animal care professions.
We thought that during the Oscars the next evening we might see Pebble receive an award. After his TTouch demonstration Bonnie gave him some cilantro and he munched away in front of the 50-60 people in the room, and then as if to say, “Yes, I’m all that” he began grooming himself. He is quite the performer.
It was a very rewarding day for the conference participants, bunnies and volunteers. (March Update: both Pebble and Shadow have been adopted!)
Lauren McCall is a celebrated animal communicator, TTouch instructor and author. Her two books, The Eternal Gift: Coping with the Loss of a Beloved Animal, and Animal Wisdom Word Search are available on smile.amazon.com When using Amazon Smile and selecting NMHRS as your charity, Amazon donates to NMHRS at no extra cost to you.