Creating better tomorrows for all pet rabbits
The UK is experiencing the worst rabbit rescue crisis ever. As the nation’s leading rabbit welfare charity, we’re launching an urgent appeal for people to support our breeding amnesty and Adopt Don’t Shop. There are no more rescue spaces, and there are not enough good homes for the rabbits waiting in rescue. We do not need any more baby rabbits adding to the problem. Rabbits are being abandoned, released to the wild, surrendered to rescue and neglected.
We are calling for people to:
- Stop breeding
- Stop advertising and selling new baby rabbits
- Promote rescue rabbits
- Adopt from rescue, not breeders or pet shops
- Do their research before adopting rabbits
- Sign our petition to improve legislation and welfare
The UK is experiencing the worst rabbit rescue crisis ever. As the nation’s leading rabbit welfare charity, we’re launching an urgent appeal for people to support our breeding amnesty and Adopt Don’t Shop. There are no more rescue spaces, and there are not enough good homes for the rabbits waiting in rescue. We do not need any more baby rabbits adding to the problem. Rabbits are being abandoned, released to the wild, surrendered to rescue and neglected.
We are calling for people to:
- Stop breeding
- Stop advertising and selling new baby rabbits
- Promote rescue rabbits
- Adopt from rescue, not breeders or pet shops
- Do their research before adopting rabbits
- Sign our petition to improve legislation and welfare
Our Welfare Officers have seen a 77% increase on last year’s number of adverts selling rabbits.
Female rabbits can become pregnant straight away after giving birth. Yet around 1 in 3 rabbit owners (35%) didn’t know this.
Rises in the cost of food, bedding, equipment and healthcare means more and more owners have no choice but to give up their beloved pets.
Female rabbits can become pregnant straight away after giving birth. Yet around 1 in 3 rabbit owners (35%) didn’t know this.
Rises in the cost of food, bedding, equipment and healthcare means more and more owners have no choice but to give up their beloved pets.
Over the last year, the cost of keeping a pair of rabbits has risen by 37% a month from £88 to £121.
Rabbits need constant access to lots of space so that they can run and jump, as well as dry places for them to shelter and hide. They also need the right diet, companionship (ideally neutered male and neutered female) and plenty of enrichment and toys to encourage natural behaviour such as digging and foraging.
Image © Wood Green, The Pets Charity
Rabbits need constant access to lots of space so that they can run and jump, as well as dry places for them to shelter and hide. They also need the right diet, companionship (ideally neutered male and neutered female) and plenty of enrichment and toys to encourage natural behaviour such as digging and foraging.
Image © Wood Green, The Pets Charity
96% of vets surveyed support a ban on selling new rabbits.
Rabbit owners and rescue centres agree, with over 98% of those surveyed in both groups supporting a complete ban until the rescue crisis is over.
Rabbits are one of the most misunderstood pets people can have. They need the company of other rabbits. They need much more space than most people think and can live 8-10 years. We desperately need an amnesty on breeding until this crisis is behind us and the animals needing homes have found great owners. We need to ease the burden on adoption centres. I would urge anyone choosing a pet, especially rabbits to research carefully and make sure you can look after these wonderful animals.”
BVSc FRCVS
Supporters of Our Campaign
We are delighted that our breeding amnesty campaign and petition to change the existing inadequate legislation is being supported by not only other welfare organisations but classified sites too.
We are encouraged that Preloved and Gumtree have given our request for a breeding and sales amnesty serious consideration and are supporting it over this Easter period and adding more information and care advice to their websites.
“We stand with The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s demand for a change in legislation to ensure rabbit breeders require the same licensing as dog breeders. This important step will help to prevent rabbits from being subjected to cruelty and poor welfare.”
“We are pleased to support the RWA&F breeding amnesty campaign and would urge anyone thinking of getting rabbits to do plenty of research first and consider adopting from one of our many centres across England and Wales rather than buying from a pet shop or online.”
“Raystede backs RWAF campaign for change in legislation to improve rabbit welfare.
“RWAF is demanding a change in legislation to ensure rabbit breeders require the same licensing as dog and cat breeders to ensure rabbits are no longer subjected to poor welfare.”
“Rabbit rescue centres throughout the UK are in crisis, as they face an unprecedented rise in abandoned and mis-treated rabbits. These rescues, and all of their staff, do an incredible job and we would always encourage would-be owners to ‘adopt not shop’, as recommended by RWAF. Rabbits are incredibly special animals, and make lovely pets, so we are keen to see as many UK bunnies happily rehomed as possible.
“As the organisation behind the delivery of Rabbit Awareness Week each year, the Burgess Pet Care team cares deeply about the welfare of the nation’s rabbits. Therefore, we are very proud to work with and support RWAF in their tireless efforts to protect rabbits all year round.”
“As a website that allows the rehoming of animals, we take the responsibility of animal welfare incredibly seriously. We work closely with organisations such as Pet Advertising Advisory Group, British Veterinary Association, and RWAF. Working with this panel of experts helps to ensure Preloved’s policies put animal welfare first.”
Join us today!
Let’s get together to help more rabbits live happy, contented lives.
Be part of something bigger that’s making a difference nationwide.
Adopt Don’t Shop.
It’s much more responsible.
- Rabbit Rescue Centres’ are overwhelmed and in crisis. They need time to rehome the rabbits without more litters adding to the problem.
- RWAF’s Welfare Officers report an increase of 77% of rabbits for sale online, with new breeders constantly appearing.
- Mis-sexing rabbits leads to unwanted litters. Two can quickly become 15, as the doe rabbit is able to get pregnant immediately after giving birth.
- Neutering and vaccinating 15 rabbits could cost around £5,000.
- There’s no legal requirement for pet shops to guarantee the sex of baby rabbits. There’s even less protection for anyone who buys a rabbit online, or from a neighbour.
- The cost of living crisis is also driving the boom, as households struggle to afford food, equipment and welfare.
- A lack of non-urgent vet appointments during the pandemic delayed pet rabbits being vaccinated and neutered. This has compounded the rise in litters.
How rabbit adoption works.
Most rescue centres might even want to visit your home to and see where the rabbits will live and ask you some questions, before letting you to adopt rabbits. This makes sure you fully understand what a commitment it is and what level of welfare is needed.
Some rescue centres might even want to speak to your vet before letting you to adopt rabbits. This makes sure you fully understand what a commitment it is and what level of welfare is needed.
To make sure your home’s safe and comfortable for rabbits, the rescue centre may like to visit your home.
Some rescue centres may charge an adoption fee. This helps fund the important work they do and covers the costs of neutering and vaccinations.
Take a look at our case studies.
So far this year we’ve taken in 200 rabbits, it’s the same as this time last year, but the waiting list has gone from 20 to 100. We’ve never had a waiting list featuring more than 30 rabbits. This time last year we’d rehomed 142 rabbits, but we’ve only been able to rehome 110 this year. It’s because people are still buying new rabbits from breeders or pet shops rather than going to rescue centres.
For rescue centres, it’s been incredibly hard over the last couple of years and sadly, we’re in a worse position than ever! Over the last month we’ve had 136 emails or phone calls regarding surrendering one or more rabbits and just 23 about adoption.
Adoptions are down by 60% in comparison to last year. Despite closing our waiting list, we’re still receiving multiple intake enquiries every day. Our waiting list still has over 200 rabbits on it.
Without adoptions we simply have no capacity to help urgent cases let alone the huge number of people looking to surrender their unwanted pets. So far this year we’ve been contacted by an incredible number of people who’ve found stray rabbits. A whopping 20 times the pre-COVID amount. We’re now in the position where we’re also unable to help vet practices by taking on stray rabbits whose owners can’t be found. This is absolutely heart-breaking.
This year, we’ve managed to offer space to 26 farm rabbits who, without space would have faced certain death along with 22 strays and 3 pet rabbits that would have otherwise been taken to the vets to be put to sleep.
We’re worried things are going to get worse, and with the cost of living crisis, fewer people are in a position to adopt or donate.
