Rabbits Everywhere…
Many rescue centres have reported a surge in unwanted animals
as the country comes out of Covid restrictions.
Rabbits are no exception, and many centres are full to bursting. One large rehoming charity has over 200 rabbits on its waiting list, and has seen adoptions down 60% compared to the previous year. Costs are also rising strongly, and we hear of many small centres closing. We turn down many more requests than we can fulfil, and with low adoptions the situation is made worse.
How you can help 1:
We always need fosterers.
We are lucky to have a great team of fosterers here at HAWS, as rabbits need a good sized hutch and a secure outside space to run in for exercise. We keep all our rabbits outdoors, as they can cope with the British weather, though the recent heavy rains would have been frustrating for carers and rabbits. We would never have enough fosterers to meet demand, but a few extra fosterers is always useful, as it give us flexibility in covering holidays and emergencies. Given the current low level of adoptions, it can be a long term commitment.
We prefer to rehome rabbits in bonded pairs, as they are social animals and will be much happier with a mate. We recently were able to bond our sole single rabbit with an adopter’s own rabbit, both having recently lost their partners. Bonding is challenging, and is not something we can routinely offer.
HAWS can help get you set up for fostering, so if you’re interested, drop us a line and we can talk through what’s required.
How you can help 2:
Adopt!
If you have the space and the time, rabbits make charming pets, but do have their challenges, so if you’ve not had rabbits before, you should research what is required. A great site for all bunny related information is rabbitwelfare.co.uk.
We follow their 5 rabbit welfare needs: be able to display their natural behaviours; have the companionship of at least one other rabbit; have a natural diet; live in the right accommodation; be healthy rabbits – i.e., neutered and vaccinated.
Here’s two of our bunny pairs looking for homes:
Bert and Ernie are 4 year old brothers – a lively and adventurous pair! Both are friendly, and love head rubs.
Acer and Oak are brothers, still under a year old. They arrived with their mum and litter mates after being rescued from an overcrowded house. Both are gentle and friendly. They love being out and about in their run. They will happily interact with you and are easy to handle.
If you can help, or have any questions, please contact: