Emily came across a desperate post in a local rabbit rescue Facebook group, begging someone to take a beautiful rabbit who was scheduled to be euthanized the next day for aggression. She instantly responded to take the case pro bono and would work with anyone who took on this bunny. Shortly after, Emily received a friend request from the person who was dropping everything to pick up Luna, and they immediately got to work. As Emily watched Luna throw herself, growling and snarling, at the fence separating them, she wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew! Luna's aggression is more severe than any case Emily had experienced in her career working with rabbits. Luna's triggers ranged from everything to the sound of a person approaching to the appearance of food falling into her pen. Anything associated with human interaction was met with a flying leap, a growl, and a fierce bite. While Luna's clear stress and discomfort were a main focus of their efforts, Emily was equally concerned with giving Luna's humans the tools to manage her safely, without (any more) bloodshed! Carefully managing Luna's triggers, mindful counterconditioning, and enrichment were the tools we used to gradually build trust. Luna began to relax, and so could everyone around her! Luna's story is not just her own, but the story of many rabbits who are euthanized in shelters for behavior issues. Rabbits whose issues are often created by the environment. This presentation will be useful to anyone who cares for rabbits in any capacity. Learning Objectives The importance of stress management in aggression cases Minimizing triggers in an environment where everything seems to be a trigger Developing safe ways to interact with and care for an extremely over-threshold animal Direct juxtaposition of force-free strategies and force-based common methods in handling rabbit aggression Managing learned aggression in bunnies

Sponsor:Pet Professional Guild
Speaker(s):Emily Cassell

Contact: Sharon Nettles
 Email: events@petprofessionalguild.com
 Phone: 184-446-26473
 Web: https://petprofessionalguild.com/event-4955745