Starting a rescue?

Hi, we recently started a website here in Iceland with info on rabbits and adoption posibilities (www.kaninur.org). We have rehomed a few rabbits in the last couple of months but there are many rabbits out there still looking for a home (many due to allergy in the family...), risking to be put down or released outside... Unfortunately we do not have space enough at our home to give the rabbits a temporary home. So we were thinking about starting a rescue... There is only a cat rescue center here in Iceland, no rescue for other animals. And everyday I see ads from people who immediately wants to get rid of their animals...

You who are running rescues/have started rescues - how did you do it? Please tell us everything!:wave:

Thanks,
Sandra and Vardi

How did I do it? By accident!

I made the mistake of starting to foster independantly and then realised it was easier to rehome the rabbits myself than it was to wait for their places to come up on the rescue waiting lists.

I started off offering to help people I knew and then my number got spread about, now I get calls from all around Yorkshire, through SYAR and the RSPCA.

Set yourself a definite limit on numbers and know your aims and procedures. Make sure you have x amount of money available for each rabbit and never take on another if you dont have x amount in the bank.

Draw up good adoption contracts, see if someone can help you with a website, find a good rabbit savvy vet nearby with an out of hours service who is willing to negotiate discounts.

Keep good records on all expenses and incomings, ingoing and outgoing rabbits, medical records etc.

Advertise for unwanted equiptment and when taking on rabbits ask if the owner will donate their effects to help you. I went from 2 hutches and 2 indoor cages and 2 runs to 6 runs, 16 indoor cages and 4 hutches in this way!

Sooz22 I'm In Sheffield, where abouts are you, as I am thinking about rescuing a bun in the near future

Nethergreen :wave:

There's quite a few Sheffielder's on here (though Im originally from west sussex )

:wave: Im In Ecclesfield...
Up the hill from Morrisons... Lol