Most pet owners will reminisce about their favorite pet, one that deeply touched their heart, was a bonafide family member and by which each future pet is compared. Lindsey Provost took that sentiment to extremes after falling in love with her first pet bunny, Ember, in 2015. When Ember passed away in 2019, Provost started the nonprofit Ember’s Wildflower, dedicated to rescuing abandoned bunnies. The rescue only takes in domesticated rabbits, not wild ones.
“He [Ember] showed me how special bunnies are,” Provost told the Source. “I just learned a lot through him and learned how often they’re abandoned and how misunderstood they are. They’re actually the third most abandoned pet after cats and dogs.”
Ember’s Wildflower, located in Redmond, currently has 40 bunnies available for adoption. Provost says they’re in need of volunteers and foster homes. Volunteers are needed each day of the week for a 10am or 3:45pm shift.
“We have volunteers come, ideally twice a day, to feed the bunnies, clean out their pens, spend time with them. Sometimes volunteers help with washing the towels and blankets they use,” Provost explains.
Volunteers can sign up for the shifts they’re available and Provost says parents can volunteer with their children. Her biggest need is for consistent volunteers and people who can foster bunnies.
Provost says hay is the most important part of a pet rabbit’s diet. They also eat pellets which are also hay-based and certain vegetables. Most bunnies live eight to 12 years, although some can live up to 16 years of age. They’re intelligent, social animals but don’t generally like being picked up. Provost says they are happiest in pairs. All of the rabbits at Ember’s are neutered or spayed. They can be litterbox trained, although it should be filled with pellets or paper instead of cat litter. The ideal pen 36” tall with a smooth bottom, not wire, with chew toys for stimulation. Those interested in adopting should be prepared to spend about $200 for set-up supplies and $40 per month per bunny for food and litter pellets. Vet visits can cost $75+. Provost says it’s generally a 10-year commitment.
As of September, Ember’s Wildflower has taken in 383 rabbits and adopted out 291.
“It is very rewarding to gain a prey animal’s trust… When they’re comfortable, they can be really affectionate. They can be very playful. They have their own unique personalities just like any pet and I think people don’t realize that they do have a lot of similarities to cats and dogs. They’re a lot more intelligent and interactive than most people give them credit for,” Provost says.
Ember’s Wildflower
Volunteers needed 7 days a week 10am & 3:45pm
South Redmond
emberswildflower.org/volunteer-2/
This article appears in Source Weekly November 27, 2025.
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