What is something people don’t know about you?
I was a published writer and photographer and had many changes in my working life before ending up working in a charitable capacity with our rescue.
What has been your most memorable moment?
Returning to study as a mature age; it was challenging but lead to achieving a Masters Degree and a PhD which seemed unreachable. When the thesis was passed and the goal achieved it was a personal and memorable milestone.
What would your final meal be?
My final meal would probably be a picnic with fresh and natural produce, and a cool refreshing dessert.
What event, past or present or future would you like to witness?
I would like to witness progress in animal law to include the pet rabbit. This would include restricting the sale of pets in pet shops, which in turn would stem the flow of breeding in backyards and dumping of unwanted pets. I would like to see the pet rabbit categorised as a restricted pet. This action would enforce the education of businesses to understand the nature, care and welfare of the animals they are selling, so that this is passed onto the buyer. As rabbits are also considered feral pests, I cannot understand why this has not happened already.
What is your favourite book?
I seem to enjoy reading books associated with the topics I am interested in at the time. For example during my research, I delved into the relationship people had with the natural world throughout history and enjoyed all the relevant authors.
What six guests, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party?
I would invite Aileen and Mark, my parents who have since passed. Aileen was a researcher of our family history. I would also invite four of my ancestors, which would include Grace O’Malley, from our Irish heritage, who was also known as the Pirate Queen.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on our 2018 fundraising trivia night themed Rabbit Runaway Orphanage “In a Winter Wonderland”. This fundraiser is crucial to raising funds for the vet care of our health challenged rabbits. I am also preparing our 2019 calendar, which will celebrate our 10 years as a charity.
What is it that attracted you to rabbits?
I was never attracted to rabbits, I had not had them as pets, I had not even considered them as a pet. We did not have pets and knew nothing about rabbits. One day, two stray rabbits wandered into our property. We did not set out to rescue or re-home this unique pet. They literally wandered into our lives. After the fourth one arrived on our property, we took some of these animals to another rescue where they were killed. This was not acceptable to me and I found this so distressing that my husband and I set out to do something about it. Our lives were lead on a different path from that day forward. The Orphanage evolved from this encounter and forged its own path, taking us with it.
