Top 10 posts of 2016

Every year in late December,  I like to share what has happened with my blog during the past year. The date is especially significant because December 31st is my seventh blogoversary!

Bunny's Blog began as an extension of my activities on Twitter in 2009. At that time I belonged to a group called the Anipals. This group gathered on a monthly basis to raise money for animal charities all over the world by hosting 24 hour Twitter parties.

As I became more involved with this group, I became aware of something called blogging. A new group called BlogPaws was forming, so I joined to learn more about blogging and how it could help.

I attended the first BlogPaws conference in 2010 and jumped into blogging with both feet. My professional experience was fundraising for various nonprofit organizations, so focusing my blog on animal-related causes just made sense to me.

I blogged like a fiend for the first few years, but by July 2014 I hit the wall. I took a three month hiatus and then came back in October 2014. What I learned during my time off was, as much as I loved blogging, I needed to establish some firm boundaries for myself.

I set up some new guidelines for myself regarding subject matter, frequency of posts, etc. Using these guidelines has helped greatly, and I feel like I've gotten my groove back. I generally post on a weekly basis, although I can take time off without feeling guilty. I'm free to focus on the causes I love, and I don't feel the need to chase every blogging opportunity that comes along.

This past year has been quietly productive. I continue to blog on a regular basis focusing on animal-related causes. I have a small core group of readers, and I appreciate everyone who shares my posts. I am thankful for everyone who has followed Bunny's Blog for the past seven years, and I look forward to another great year in 2017.

So without further ado, the top 10 posts for 2016 are:

1. ASPCA assists in largest-ever farm animal cruelty case in Northeast 
2. ASPCA places remaining animals in Mass. animal cruelty case across 13 states
3. ASPCA places nearly 230 animals from Westport, Mass. animal cruelty case
4. Lil Bub's Big Fund distributes over $200,000 to organizations nationwide
5. American Humane announces new Humane Conservation program
6. Courageous canine wins top title at 2016 American Hero Dog Awards
7. Maddie's Fund offers grants to participate in National Shelter Animals Count
8. ASPCA assists in seizure of nearly 600 animals from unlicensed animal rescue
9. ASPCA documentary "Second Chance Dogs" now available on Netflix
10. New national resource helps active duty military, veterans, families & military animals

One interesting thing you may notice is that the top three posts for 2016 are all related to the same story as it unfolded over a period of several months.

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!