Rabbit group raises money for spay/neuter assistance fund

Susan Wong shows off a family-size rabbit. JOHN BISHOP

Seven tanks of gas. One month’s pricey electric bill. A top of the line MP3 player. That’s about what $282 will get you. Or, if you live in Virginia, you could find yourself using that money to get your rabbit spayed. According to Susan Wong’s research, the average bunny spay surgery in Maryland costs $174 compared to Virginia’s $282, while neuter surgeries will set you back $143 in Maryland and $210 in Virginia. Veterinarians who charge more than $300 aren’t included in Wong’s figures; she’s found that some vets charge up to $400.

Wong is the president of Friends of Rabbits/ House Rabbit Sanctuary, an all-volunteer rabbit group in the Washington, D.C., area that recently raised $14,000—including $7,000 in matching funds from an anonymous donor—to create a spay/neuter fund that helps local low-income residents get their bunnies sterilized. The organization solicited donations and sold ribbon magnets (designed by vice president Patti Henningsen) that bore the group’s name and a spay/neuter message.

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