Sponsor a Rescue
The RWAF is an educational organisation; rescuing and re-homing rabbits is not part of our charitable remit agreed with the Charities Commission. However, we recognise the plight faced by many rescue centres who do fantastic work to look after so many rabbits who are abandoned, neglected or the victims of cruelty. To help them, we run the Sponsor a Rescue Scheme.
Why sponsor a rescue?
Every year, thousands of rabbits end up abandoned in rescue centres which constantly struggle to find the resources to keep them running. The funds raised by the sponsor a rabbit scheme will go directly to rescue centres. Your support means that those rescue centres will be able to rescue and rehome more rabbits who desperately need your help and give them all the the love and care they need. Most of the rabbits cared for are found loving new homes, but some of them - because they are old, or have health problems - aren't able to be rehomed. The rescue centres look after rabbits like these for the rest of their lives. Many rescues are run on a shoe-string, so every penny we can raise really helps to give the animals a better life.
The purpose of the Sponsor a Rescue scheme is to allow RWAF members to support a chosen rescue with a small monthly donation, which can be as little as £1, or more if you wish, which will help the rescue to do what it does best; help rabbits! Sponsors will receive a welcome letter which will include pictures and information and about the rescue, and of course about some of the rabbits that have passed through its doors or live there permanently. The sponsor will also receive updates to let them know about the good work their donations are supporting. The best thing you'll get out of it if you do choose to become a sponsor, is the knowledge that you are doing something to help those rabbits who would otherwise be suffering.
Why Rescue Centres need your help
Four more rabbit rescue centres have been chosen to benefit from the generous donations members make to the Sponsor a Rescue scheme. Last year almost £3,500 was raised.
Please help by sponsoring the new rescues centres. They are: Buddies Bunny Rescue, Edinburgh: Pawz For Thought, Sunderland: Maria's Animal Shelter, Cornwall and Little Angels Rabbit Rescue, Essex
Many rescue centres face an uphill task every day just to provide food, fresh hay and medical care for unwanted bunnies. When new rabbits are taken in by a rescue, most will need to be neutered, vaccinated and have any medical problems treated. Some rabbits have too many health problems to allow them to be rehomed., so they need to be cared for in the rescue permanently.
Your regular donations, whether large or small, will make an immense difference to the rescue centres, which all face a constant battle to raise funds to care for the growing numbers of unwanted and abandoned rabbits. If you feel you'd like to sponsor one then please print out the standing order form and post it to the address shown. If you aren't able to donate financially then please look at the other ways to help below. On behalf of all the bunnies being looked after at these rescues... thank you!
Buddies Bunny Rescue, Edinburgh Buddies Bunny Rescue was started in June 2011 by 2 friends Emma Boyd & Natalie Constance.
They met while working together at the SSPCA where they saw first hand the rabbit situation in the area.
Natalie had run "Buddys" by herself while working with the SSPCA but was finding it hard going on her own
and with little funding. It was after leaving the SSPCA that the girls decided this was the time
to start afresh with Buddies Bunny Rescue and go for charity status. The day to day running of the
shelter is Natalie's job as the rabbits are in her home, Emma deals with all the paperwork,
emails, and treasury side of things and Louise their vet nurse advisor helps with the fundraising. |
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Rufus - Resident at Buddies Bunny Rescue Rufus has found himself in rescue at the age of 7, he really should be spending his days in a wonderful home with a wife - not cooped up in rescue. He was brought in as the family developed allergies to him and he is a very loving friendly boy. He hadnt been neutered or vaccinated as the previous vet had said as he lived alone and indoors there wasnt a need!! He has now had this done and has recovered very well - he is a picture of health for his age. He is indoors at the moment so will need to stay this way until Springtime and he so desperately would like a pal to cuddle up with! |
Pawz for Thought Pawz for Thought is a charity in the North East, first set up 15 years ago with the idea of simply
raising money to support other animal charities, with the establishment of a charity shop. |
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 Snowflake - Resident at Paws Snowflake is a little rescue rabbit that has come to Pawz very frightened. We are not sure of her past, but now that she has been placed in a foster home, we hope she will feel more at ease. It will take a caring and patient owner to build up this sweet little girl's confidence. She has been spayed, so a male husbunny might help lift her spirits too. She does have long hair so will need regular grooming to keep it tangle free and snowy white. |
Maria's Animal Shelter There seems to have been a big problem this year in Cornwall with rabbits, with only a few places that can take them in and as Maria's Animal
Shelter has become more known over the years, we are now getting phone calls every day with people asking if we can help them.  Uncle Elbert and Mini Me  Jonty and Jinks |
Little Angels Rabbit Rescue We were pleasantly surprised to be named as an RWAF Sponsored Rescue, and to receive the donation from the RWAF is a massive help to our
ongoing vet bill. We help rabbits with a variety of health conditions and therefore our account at our vets is used
for more than just neutering and vaccinating, it is used for dentals, medication, amputations, mite treatments, tear duct
flushes and more. To receive a contribution towards these costs not only helps the rabbits currently in out care,
but also the rabbits that we can then take in once the poorly rabbits regain their health and get new homes.  Barking and Dagenham  |
Why Rescue Centres need your help
Often, when people hear the term ‘rescue centre' they imagine purpose-built premises with paid staff and plenty of resources. This is mostly untrue, at least in the case of rabbits. Most rabbit rescue centres are run by people who simply love rabbits and want to help them. They give up their home and garden to make room, and give up their free time, social life and most of their money to care for the animals. They often face an uphill task every day just to provide food, fresh hay and medical care. On top of that they have a million other things to deal with, including cleaning out the rabbits, disposing of rubbish, vet trips and so much more. When new rabbits are taken in by a rescue, most will need to be neutered, vaccinated and have any medical problems treated. A donation will be asked for when the rabbit arrives, but many owners only give a few pounds, and sometimes nothing at all. Rescues are always keen to rehome the rabbits that they take on, but they will only do so if a home-check shows that the rabbit will be looked after properly. Some rabbits that enter rescues have too many health problems to allow rehoming, so they will need to be cared for in the rescue permanently. Sometimes the RSPCA will try to place a large group of rabbits that have been taken from terrible conditions and so it's a case of ‘all hands on deck' to find space for them, and to make sure all their needs are catered for. This gives you a little taster of the world of rabbit rescue, and an idea of how worthy a cause it is.
If you want to help then please print out a a Standing Order Form and send it to us at the address shown on the form. Every little really does help!
A hutch is not enough...
