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(This page updated 6/24/08)

Jason's Hollands Testimonials

Hello again friends,

Many of you have been sharing some very cool, interesting stories with me in regard to exciting things that have been happening that involve a Jason's Hollands bunny. I cannot tell you all how flattered, happy and thrilled I am to hear that together we are all making quite a difference in people's lives with bunnies. With that said, I have created a brand new testimonial page that will allow me to have an outlet to share your stories with anyone who wants to take a few moments to read through them.

Fondly,

Jason

Jason holding Heion

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It is only fair to the general public that "Jason's Hollands" website be accompanied by a WARNING: DO NOT VISIT THIS WEBSITE UNLESS YOU ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO LOVING AND ADOPTING ONE OF THESE GORGEOUS CREATURES!! THEY ARE FAR TOO ADORABLE TO BE LOOKED AT AND DISMISSED.
I had been considering a pet for my kindergarten classroom and was smitten after visiting Jason's website. After sharing the site with my youngest daughter, Meg, I knew we would be bringing one to our home. (My classroom plan got vetoed by the principal who has an aversion to "fur and feces")
Once inquiriing about one of Jason's bunnies, we were e-mailed a wealth of information about the nature and care of his bunnies; this was so very helpful as we are newbies to the bunny scene.
Jason is a knowledgeable, caring breeder who truly wants the best for each one of his Lops. When we entered Jason's home I could never have anticipated that there was a room full of bunnies in it. The cages were clean and well-kept; Jason referred to it affectionately as "the kid's room". It was well-equipped with everything these kids could possibly need, want, or desire. After some deliberation, Meg chose "Thumper", an adorable white/tan/gray buck who has effortlessly won his way into the hearts of our family and visitors to our home. Thumper is a wonderful pet! I know that the expertise and knowledge that Jason shared with us before and while we were at his home made becoming an adoptive parent to one of his kids an extremely positive and rewarding experience.

Kristen & Meg McDermott

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Jessica's testimonial:

My daughter wanted a bunny for her birthday. She's 3. We weren't sure how sincere she was, but after 3 months had gone by, and she kept asking "When is it my birthday? My bunny is coming, right?", we supposed she was pretty serious. My daughter (Amelie)'s babysitter had recommended Jason, as they had gotten their bunny from him. They spoke so highly of him and the care he gave each and every one of his little bunnies that my husband and I thought this would be the perfect place to start. After answering so many of my questions, I made arrangements to come down to Jason's home and see the bunnies he had up for sale. First of all, when you walk into Jason's home, you would never know there were so many bunnies living there. Their living arrangements were immaculate and all were happy in their clean, cool environment. I met two little babies first, both were beautiful, but I was waiting for that "This is it!" moment, that I didn't really get with them. Next, I met Thaddeus. This little spitfire was beautiful...all black, except for a brown ring around his neck and a white belly, this rabbit was gorgeous. Immediately, my heart went out for him. Jason showed us a little brown bunny next, but my heart was already taken.

When I asked for Thad to be brought out again, Jason said "Really?"...and I said "Yes...he's beautiful." When he was placed in front of me again, he hopped right over to me and gave me a bunny kiss. He's an absolute doll.

Needless to say, Thaddeus Rex Sunshine Othello has found a forever home. When I brought him home to meet Amelie, she fell in love with him, just as I had. He's a spitfire, that's for sure, but so am I, and our personalities are perfect for each other. He greets me every morning and sits patiently when my daughter brushes him every night. We've had him now for a week, but I feel like he's always been a part of our home. He's so clean and has such a personality, it's amazing. If you have ever thought about owning a bunny, Jason is the perfect place to start. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable about rabbits, he raises the most beautiful little creatures you've ever seen and takes an honest and heartfelt interest in how his babies are thriving in their new homes.

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Francine's testimonial:
We got a sable point Holland Lop Doe from Jason that we named Rosie.
I had been looking all over for one. I met Jason at a
rabbit show in Storrs, Ct and fell in love with
his little doe. She is a beautiful creamy color
with nice dark points and markings. She is very well typed,
AND she has the best personality. I couldn't be more
pleased with her and Jason. Jason has very nice quality
Hollands. His love and dedication to the breed is
Undeniable! Jason goes above and beyond making his customers
happy!
Francine Sampey
Cowardly Lionheads and Holland lops in MA.

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Testimonial written by Sarah - 8 years old - to Jason..........

My name is Sarah and in November I found out I have Tourettes Syndrome. In December we got a blue tort boy Holland Lop from Jason and it has helped me with my problems. Having Sonny makes me feel that animals love me. When I am holding and hugging Sonny it makes me think more about him than my tics. Having a bunny makes me feel special. Sunny is smart because he knows all about my problems and when he sees me have tics he comes over to me. He licks my face and it makes me feel the lick more than my tics. Then I forget I have Tourettes in the first place. This makes me very happy. I never want him to grow up because he really helps me. He is my best friend. Thank you for giving us Sunny and thank you for all the things you have done for us.

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Testimonial written by Janet, Sarah's mom:

Ever think that a bunny can strengthen the love in a family and give a child with a disability hope? You probably never thought about that and who would? We hear stories of dogs, cats and a few other animals who have helped people but a rabbit? Probably not! Rabbits are the unsung heroes who end up in shelters two to three months after Easter. Even vets don’t know much about the species Lagomorphs. If you find a rabbit savvy vet then you are lucky. Query; What is the little creature that can come into someone’s life and transform it? Did I hear “rabbit” ? My answer is in the affirmative. Why a rabbit? What is it they do? So many questions and possibly a puzzled look too. Please read on and maybe my story might inspire you to look at rabbits differently.

We have a very close family. My husband and I have been married for 15 years and we have been blessed with three beautiful children. In November 2007 we found out our middle daughter Sarah has Tourette’s Syndrome. Finally the Neurologist gave us an answer to our question of “what is wrong with our precious daughter”?

We began to look at life differently and having a child with a disability became our new normal. They say finding out you have a child with a disability is like excitedly planning a trip to Italy. You learn all you can with the assistance of Italian guidebooks and maybe even a pick up few Italian phrases. You excitedly board a plane headed for Italy. When the plane lands the captain announces “Welcome to Holland.” Wait stop! Did he just say “Holland’? Oh yes he did. Don’t misunderstand me there is nothing wrong with Holland it’s just my trip was planned for ltaly and so I exclaim “Non capisco Olandese!”

I wasn’t ready for Holland and although Holland is a lovely place it’s just different from Italy. I disembarked the plane and quickly obtain a Holland guidebook. I even learn how to speak Dutch. After the initial shock you do catch your breath and look around. You begin to see just how beautiful Holland is. Holland has breathtaking tulips, windmills and Holland Lops! Excuse me. Did you just say “Holland Lops”? Yes, my trip came complete with a Holland Lop!

Our family loves animals and we have a cage full of ratties (they are very social and friendly but that is a whole other story) and have had two pet rabbits before. Both were mini lops and wonderful pets. The passing of those rabbits was difficult and we took time before getting a new rabbit. Sarah especially has a close connection with animals. We needed to find the right rabbit because of our daughter’s disability. This new rabbit had to be sweet, hand raised, gentle and comfortable around children. I did some research on rabbits and found many websites singing the praises of the Holland Lop. After my research I began to look for a breeder.

I interviewed a few breeders and then I found Jason’s Hollands. What a blessing this was. Jason told me he hand raises his bunnies. This piece of information is most important because hand raised animals are comfortable with people and are very friendly. Jason also breeds for personality, good health and body type. He really impressed me with his care package (I did thoroughly read it) and his passion toward his animals. He has a true love of this breed. I asked him many questions and he asked me quite a few also. We went through a courtship of constant questions and interviews. During this time I decided that I would work with no other breeder but Jason. He had a litter that he said would be ready in a ”couple of weeks” and I was willing to wait. I had seen a picture of this litter on his website and grew fond of one little bunny. He was hesitant to sell him because he and Paul were very attached to this baby and after discussing it with Paul they decided to sell us this bunny. Jason intuitively knew this bunny would fit in great with my family and I trusted him implicitly. This really showed us what kind, generous, and giving people they are. I am so grateful everyday that they sold us this bunny whom we have named Sunny. He is the sunshine in our life.

The first time I held Sunny he licked my hand. In that moment I knew this was the rabbit we were meant to have. He fits into our family like a puzzle piece. He enjoys being around people and loves us unconditionally. He jumps to the front of the cage when we come home and when we open his cage door he greets us with a kiss. He loves to be with all of us and especially likes the children. All of the kids share a special relationship with him. Rebecca plays a game with sunny where she lies on the floor and Sunny pulls on the laces on her hooded shirts and then licks her face. She cracks up laughing. Noah our youngest gets down on the floor and rolls balls to Sunny. It almost looks like Sunny tries to roll them back! It is so funny to watch.

Sarah and Sunny have formed a unique relationship. We see the healing power of this bunny in her life everyday. She will lie down on the couch and Sunny will hop into her lap. When she cuddles with Sunny her tics slow down and she becomes centered. Sunny also helps her focus. She carries his picture with her to school so when she is having a difficult day with her Tourette’s she can pull out the picture see him. She also has a picture of sunny taped on her desk at school so she feels he is next to her. She said it makes her feel good inside and encourages her to work harder. It must be successful because she is in a higher level reading and math group and recently got all A’s with two B’s on her report card.

When Sarah saw the doctor a month ago I told him about this rabbit helping her. He had heard of dogs and other animals helping people but never a rabbit. He wants me to list when the rabbit helps her and at what times. He is interested in researching this topic and documenting it. One of Jason’s Hollands could make it into a medical book!

Sunny also seems to know when my husband or I are down. He will jump into our lap and lick our face or hand. There is nothing more comforting than laying on the couch watching TV with a warm soft bunny on you. He is very laid back and sweet. He also loves to play and is very curious. He enjoys wearing his harness and going for a walk outside too. When we go to feed the rats he follows us and plays with the rat cage. The rats run to the front to greet him. He has even made friends with the ratties. He has brought us so much joy and happiness. The love of this rabbit has helped our family during a difficult transition and has brought us closer together. In our family photo you will see two parents, three children and Sunny the bunny. We are truly one big happy family!

Jason and Paul have also become personal friends of ours. These two men are the most compassionate, wonderful people we know and it is an honor to call them friends.

A note to Jason and Paul…….Jason and Paul we can’t ever thank you enough for the loving gift of Sunny. It’s as if you hand raised him for us. Your generosity can never be repaid. Just saying “Thank You” seems so small in comparison to all you have done for our family. God bless you and God bless Jason’s Hollands! May Jason’s Hollands continue to prosper and bring others the same joy Sunny has brought to us. We love you both.

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I was looking to purchase a bunny for my 2 year old daughter. I did a lot of research online before I found Jason's Hollands. I could feel the knowledge and warmth just by looking at Jason's website. Once he emailed me he let me know he had 2 bunnies available that would be good for my daughter. We picked Zorro and he has been the perfect friend to Olivia. She smothers him with, what I think is love all the time and he seems to enjoy it! She is learning at a young age to take care of a pet and I think that will help he when she gets older. Jason has answered all of our questions and has been so helpful..even when I email more than once a day:) Thanks you for all your help and patience and thank you for Zorro!
Sherry
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(Although the below story is not related to a Jason's Hollands bunny.....it brings several points home that we all can learn from- Thanks to Billie for sharing it)

We took Fluffy into Boston to Angell Memorial Hospital, which is one of the best in the country. She wasn't eating and she didn't jump up to greet us when we went over to her cage so we knew something was wrong.

We took her in there and they ran tests. She was in Renal Failure and they discovered she had a tumor in her Uterus and one in a Mammary Gland. She DEFIED all the Bunny Logic and pulled out of the Renal Failure and then got strong enough so that they thought she could survive the surgery, which she did and we brought her home. Chemo does not work with rabbits the way it does with dogs or cats and they usually die from the side effects - not the disease. Although they did say that if we wanted, they could give her one treatment but we just did not want to risk it as she had pulled through everything when, technically, she should have died from the Renal Failure. I knew she would pull through because we loved her and she loved us back - she was more like a child than a rabbit.

The reason she got cancer was because she had not had a litter and had not been spayed. My husband was too afraid something would happen to her. He now regrets that he interferred with what I knew we should have done and kept harping at him about. She was just so precious that he was afraid something would go wrong - well, unfortunately, it did. He learned a very hard lesson! Especially since I had had one American Standard Bunny spayed and she was fine!

The hospital and Oncologist there told us to give her Timothy Pellets-sparingly and to start to introduce Romaine Lettuce, carrots, parslay and other vegetables (we got a list) into her diet. The reason for the lettuce was not only that they (rabbits) should have it as part of their diet, (Romaine ONLY) but also because it would help to keep her Kidney Values normal. The Pellets are not that good for them especially any kind that has Alfalfa in it which is almost all of them!

That was in September and she was doing fine. We were supposed to go Florida for the winter so they had us bring her in to get checked before we left. We left her there for the day and when we went back to pick her up, they told us that the cancer had spread. We cancelled going to Florida for the winter, did not even celebrate Christmas and, since we own our own business, I was able to take care of Fluffy, give her meds, etc. I found a lot of Holistic products in a book called "Beyond Chemotherapy" and I ordered one in particular that had been proven to reduce, eradicate and/or put tumors in the lungs into remission. Fluffy had small tumors throughout her body when they did the xrays and Ultrasound in December. The Holistic capsules that I ordered did help and also, I found a wonderful Holistic Vet in North Carolina who sent me different Holistic liquid medicine that had to be alternated every other day and also Cell Salts which she got every morning and night along with whatever medicine she was on that day. I have to say that it not only prolonged her life but, up until the day before she died, she had a very good quality of life. She was still hopping around a little bit and she had been sleeping with us not in her cage for several weeks.

So now, all our Bunnies get small leafs of Romaine Lettuce, carrots, Parsley and their Timothy Pellets and Hay that Fluffy and the rest of them had been getting regularly.

If you or anyone you know has a rabbit that gets really ill, if you don't have a highly "cutting edge" Animal Hospital, I would suggest that they bring they bunny up here to Angell Memorial.

Also, if you or anyone else you know wants to go the way of Holistic Medicine, I can help them out and/or give them the name of the Vet in North Carolina. I actually went to a Holistic Vet a few towns away from us and got their input which, to me, was a little to overwhelming for Fluffy and me - all pills and/or capsules three times a day. I then had a consultation over the phone with the Holistic Vet in N.C. and after I told him about Fluffy, he sent me liquid medicines that I just had to put 6 drops in and add two tablespoons of bottled water (that is all our rabbits have ever had) and give her 2CC morning and night with a syringe orally. The Cell Salts were like a powder and she got 1/8 teaspoon with water or it could be mixed with Cream or Half and Half. BELIEVE ME, IF I HAD NOT GOTTEN FLUFFY ON HOLISTIC MEDICINE, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE LIVED AS LONG AS SHE DID BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HER QUALITY OF LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DOWN HILL SLIDE FROM DAY ONE.

Billie

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Two years ago, I met Jesse, my boyfriend. When I told him that I have three house rabbits, he looked at me like I was completely crazy. He’d never met someone that kept rabbits in their house and told me it was cruel that they weren’t living outside ‘where rabbits should be.’ For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why I’d have rabbits.

After a year and a half of him getting to know my rabbits, his love for them grew more than he ever expected. He started saying things like, “I had no idea they have such strong personalities, they’d be so much fun, that they really don’t have to live outside to be happy.”

In September of 2007, a friend of mine from Texas (Cols) came up to visit me and I took her to my favorite rabbit show in Goshen, CT. The night before we left to go to the show, I was talking to Jesse and I said, “The hardest part for me going to this rabbit show is not bringing one home.” Jesse promptly turned to me and said, “Get me one!” I went back and forth with him to make sure that he was serious. The last thing I wanted was to get a rabbit for someone only to see it neglected when the excitement of having a baby wore off. Jesse swore up-and-down that he had been wanting a pet for quite some time and a dog is too high maintenance, he’s not particularly fond of cats, but after what he’s learned about living with rabbits, he felt that a rabbit would be a perfect pet for him.
Our next discussion was a breed which would be a good fit for him. I showed him some rabbit magazines and every rabbit he pointed at and said, “Aww!” about happened to be a lop. Jesse said he trusted my decision wholeheartedly as to what breed he should have, he just wanted me to follow two rules: #1 He wanted a Buck – not a Doe, and #2 He would prefer a young rabbit because he knows the lifespan and felt that he wanted as much time with his rabbit as he could get. As the discussion went on, he had it all figured out, his male rabbit would be named The General.

The next day, Cols and I were getting ready to leave for the rabbit show early in the morning. Jesse called and said, “Don’t forget to bring my rabbit home! Don’t come home without The General or I’ll be really ticked.” Cols and I loaded the car with a cage for The General and off we went. What a wonderful day this was going to be!!

When we first walked into the show, my blood was just pumping with excitement. I said to Cols, “Let’s go find The General! He’s here somewhere!” In my mind, I was thinking of getting Jesse a Dutch. As we walked into the barn, the first rabbits Cols and I saw were five of the most beautiful little baby Holland Lops. We walked right up to them, and I said, “Oh Cols!! Look at these Baaayyybees!” She smiled and commented on how adorable they really were. As I was cooing over them, totally forgetting where I was, I heard a gentleman’s voice say, “Would you like to hold one?” I looked up and saw one of the most gentle smiles on a man I’ve ever seen. Unknown to me at the time, that smile was Jason’s. I said, “May I???” He said, “Absolutely!” Two bunnies out of the five hopped to the door to greet me. It melted my heart. I held one, and then held the other. I’ve always picked my animals out by who gives the best hug. It was the second one that snuggled into my neck and my heart completely left me and went right into that rabbit. I asked if the rabbit was a male and he said, “No. I don’t have any males for sale. I only had one male from this litter and I’m keeping him.” Dogarnit!! I then realized, I can’t do this. Not the first rabbits I see. I have to look around – after all, there were hundreds of rabbits for me to pick from. I gave back the little one in my arms and thanked him for letting me hold her. He introduced me to Heion, Darla’s father. It was so obvious at that point that Jason had a special way with rabbits because Heion looked at him like there was no one else in the world other than him. I couldn’t believe how laid back and comfortable Heion was with being handled. I thanked him again, impressed to see the way this gentle man, this very Gentle Man, was with his rabbits. If ever there was a day that I could see love, it would’ve been at that moment.

Cols and I continued on our way to find The General. We saw many beautiful rabbits that day and met their breeders, but none as beautiful as Jason’s Hollands, and no breeders as kind, concerned and loving with their babies than Jason was. It was clear that Jason had put a lot of time into nurturing the babies after seeing the way other rabbits – young and old – acted with their breeders. In no time, we found ourselves back at Jason’s Holland’s area. I thought to myself, ‘Maybe it was just a fluke how relaxed those two were with me. I should go take another look.’ Cols agreed with me that Jason had the best looking rabbits in the whole show.
Upon our return to see Jason’s babies, Jason gave me the warmest “Hello!” I knew that this was a special man and why his rabbits loved him so much. He was very easy to be around. His calm and loving nature illuminated the area. Once again, I knelt down to take one out of the cage as Jason opened it, and this time, one hopped over to me with a leap and a bound. I took the little one out, she took to me holding her as natural as I had ever seen. I made up my mind. “I’ll take this one!” Jason smiled and said, “Okay! She’s yours! I’ll put her aside for you and when you’re ready to pick her up, just come back.”

Thrilled and knowing that I had just picked out the best rabbit from the best breeder in the show, I could hardly contain my excitement. A very close friend of mine that was also showing her rabbits there was as excited as I was to hear that I found ‘The Rabbit!’ I did want her to take a look at the rabbit that I had chosen just in case she saw something that I wouldn’t know about in the way of body type, etc. I introduced her to Jason and asked Jason if she could take a look at the one I picked. Without hesitation, he said “Absolutely!” and handed the baby over to my friend. She squatted down next to one of his milk crates, looked around, saw a bunch of fresh, clean towels folded near Jason’s chair, picked one up and said, “May I?” He said, “Please!”
That girl looked over that rabbit just as an ARBA Judge did. She had her on her back, made sure she was a girl (as she says that often happens that they’re not properly sexed) did her examination and didn’t say a word the whole time. When she was done, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “This rabbit is a Winner. If I was into Holland Lops, I’d definitely take this rabbit home. The body type is great, hips are where they should be, teeth are perfect, fur is beautiful. You picked really well. I can’t find a thing wrong with this rabbit. Great choice!” She then apologized to Jason for being so forward with his rabbit, to which he replied, “No! Please don’t be sorry! I enjoyed watching you. It is clear you know what to look for.”

That was That. I brought the cage in for the rabbit and had a small bowl in the cage for water. I didn’t have an extra water bottle. When I told Jason that, he generously gave me a water bottle from his own stock – free of charge. The only thing he made me promise was to keep in touch with him in case I had any questions or things didn’t work out. We exchanged names and numbers and off we went to introduce Jesse to his first pet.

As I drove up our driveway, I honked my horn and Jesse came running downstairs. A neighbor saw that I had this precious little baby bunny and he was asking me about the rabbit. Jesse heard me say, “It’s a girl.” Jesse said “A GIRL???!” I explained to him that there were no boys available, and that I truly felt in my heart that this was the best rabbit at the show. He said, “Well that changes everything! If it was a The General, then he could be a Man and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about him. Now that it’s a Girl, I have to take extra special care of her.”

We went in my apartment and the rest of the day was spent looking at this little baby binky and trying to pick out a name. Jesse finally said, “How about Darla?” Cols and I both agreed that we liked the name Darla very much. He said, “I was thinking that she’s my little Darling, and because I love your rabbit Fauna so much, I want her to have a connection to the name too.” There we had it, Darla – which has turned into Darla-Boo and Boo Bear.
Jesse’s life was changed that day. When I asked him the other day how he would describe having her, he said the following:
-“She’s a doll, she’s a Princess, She’s a Queen.”
-“Whenever I have a bad day, I think of her or look at her and I forget all the bad. I just can’t get over how cute she is.”
-“She’s got ‘tude, but I love that about her.” (He means that she likes things certain ways and she won’t budge if you try to convince her differently.) She plays tag with him all the time. He’s always “It” and she can run up to him, crawl all over him, but when he goes to pet her, she’s off running like a bolt of lightening.

-“She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me besides you.”
-“I sleep on the couch all the time now just to be next to my baby.”
-“I sing to her, play my guitar for her, and she sits there and loves me for it.”
-“She’s a daughter to me.”
-“I didn’t know it was going to be this touching. She wants to connect with me.”
-“I just love her so much. She’s my baby.”
-“She’s my mascot. She’s my Everything.”

Since adopting Darla, Jason and I started exchanging emails. He now has turned into so much more than Darla’s first dad to us both. We adore him, listen to his words of wisdom, and never feel that we’re a bother when we have to ask him a question about Darla. Although we haven’t met Paul yet, we very much look forward to it as we know that he and Jason are cut from the same cloth. We could not be more blessed and every day, we find at least one new reason to fall deeper in love with Darla than the day before.
I thank you, Jason, for changing our lives for the better. We love Darla and you more than words could ever express.
Love Always,
Carolyn

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