Humans in Vancouver
The Bunny Olympians
And the humans that love them
At 3033 Granville Highway, in the far corner of a Tisol pet store, on a Sunday afternoon, you’ll find a unique group of people.
From all walks of life, they share almost zero demographics, and yet they are brought together by their love of one thing: their rabbits.
The Vancouver Rabbit Agility Club might sound silly to some, but those in the know take it very seriously. Created eight years ago as a sister club to the original in Calgary, it was started by a group of rabbit lovers who saw a need for more rabbit exercise, a community to call their own and a space to share knowledge and support.
Many of the four-legged hoppers began as rescues from the Vancouver Rabbit Rescue but as the group grew in size and popularity, club members began bringing their own fluffy friends. Now, they meet every two weeks on Sundays to encourage their pets to run an obstacle course, exercising their muscles and practicing for shows, like the PNE Fair or the Delta Community Animal Expo in August 2022.
Cindy Pechlaner with rabbit Alice Pooper
Cindy Pechlaner with rabbit Alice Pooper
Cindy Pechlaner has been a member for years. It’s provided her with a social circle, helped to launch her side business, a bunny hotel called The Hop Right On Inn, and given her a sounding board and a shoulder to cry on when her arthritic special needs bunny, Sophie, needed surgery.
When her previous rabbit, Kerwin, stopped jumping suddenly, it was another member, Mel Goulet, who pointed out that something might be wrong.
“So, I took him to the vet, and he had thyroid cancer. He couldn’t breathe anymore.”
Though the news was sombre, she’s thankful for her community of shared knowledge.
“We keep everyone informed here with the right information, because we share it and that’s what makes this club so special. I’ve known Mel for so many years, I wouldn’t hesitate to phone her for something.”
Pictured with her is Alice Pooper. The star of the Agility Club, it’s not uncommon to see her soaring over four rails or high jumping over nine rails. At the latest shows, she was the headliner.
Additionally, other club members have transcended the four walls of the Tisol to become Pechlaner's friends.
"We have had a couple of people over the years that have moved away, and we still keep in touch. It’s a community that sticks together forever."
She wouldn’t give up the club for the world, she says, “it’s my social life!”
Bunnies in Vancouver might already be a familiar sight.
A colony of the four-legged creatures have been hopping around wild at Jericho Beach for the past two decades, a result of owners leaving their domestic pets behind in the early 2000s.
And more recently, a rebellious University of British Columbia prankster released twenty bunnies on campus in October 2022. Their number has now reached an estimated 100.
However, according to Agriculture Canada, bunnies and other small mammals, guinea pigs and rodents, are not nearly as popular as dogs or cats. In 2020, Canadians owned 1.22 million small mammals, compared to 8.2 million cats and 7.3 million dogs.
But like other pet parents, Mel Goulet finds it difficult to sieve through all the online information.
“There’s tons of stuff online, but what’s right and what’s good information versus bad information?” asks Mel Goulet.
She says, the club is incredibly useful to decipher the useful tips from the harmful.
“As well as a fun activity on Sundays, it’s a social group and it’s also a really important community."
Catherine Reed with rabbit Jelly Bean.
Catherine Reed with rabbit Jelly Bean.
Despite the abundance of adorable creatures, the club is particular about the rules. The rabbits are never forced to jump and there is no commitment or requirement to do any events.
"It's important to make sure the rabbits aren’t stressed. Rabbit safety is always first,” says Mel Goulet.
Ability at events is not the most important thing. “When rabbits mess up, people like it, it’s funny and cute – and it provides variety."
Goulet is hopeful to gain new members for events but ultimately teaching a new generation of rabbit lovers how to care for their pet, give the rabbits proper exercise and their owners a community to rely on is the most important thing.
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