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adopting rabbits from pet shops....

lauramc888

Warren Scout
does anyone think this is a good way to go about adopting? or in a pet shops eyes is it just sugar coating 'buying a rabbit' from them?
 
It depends where they're actually from really. I'm a cynical cow so I'd say it was just sugar coating.
 
Sugar coating I'm afraid. Though there are a couple of genuine ones which people can no longer look after.
 
My jack is a pets at home adoption genuine case he's 2 years old and his owners moved away and could no longer keep him :(
 
I am not going to say too much but i know that p@h adoption centre is not exactly what it seems! my step brother's son works in a store and he said that if p@h get buns they cant sell,they are not supposed to put them in the adoption centre they are supposed to be returned to the supplier who basically disposes of them:evil:.however the large majority of animals in the adoption centre are ex display pets not sold and they just make up that they from the general public:shock: to make them more of a sad story to the public.
 
Alyssa came from the PAH adoption centre. Our local one works with a local rescue and the rescue rehomes through PAH.

She was abandoned at 2.5 years old. She was very shy and had obviously not been loved.

x
 
Sugar coating. Even if they are genuine pets that have been given up, the shop doesn't home check, vaccinate or neuter, so what's the difference?
 
I've also seen pets up for adoption where the cute babies have grown up, PAH can't sell them, and they go into their adoption scheme. Better then being disposed of, but it does promote the practice of only selling babies and giving up on the grown-ups. It implies (so wrongly!!!!) that the adults don't make good pets, so the lucky ones are given away practically free of charge (in our local PAH the adoption fee can be any random amount). I have a soft spot for the unwanted adults - more of a challenge then the babies, and i love that their characters are so much more developed.

We got 2 beautiful guinea pigs from PAH that had grown too big to be sold.

We also got a bunny - Nermal. He had been handed in by previous owners because he was "aggressive". We've had him for 18 months, neutured him, and bonded him with Tigger. Haven't seen any signs of aggression yet!!! I wonder what the last owners were like, how they handled him, what his hutch / run / cage was like. For him the PAH adoption scheme was great, - there are no alternative bunny rescues locally.

Anyway, point is - i have mixed feelings about the pets at home scheme, as I really am not comfortable with their suggestion that adult pets are not good pets.
 
I adopted Sooty back in October he was approx 3 years old, and the reason given for handing him in was that he was aggressive with other rabbits. I think the real reason was because he is a dental bun and will always have problems and his incisors need clipping every 4 weeks:cry: Whilst in the adoption centre he had a weepy eye and had his tear ducts flushed and needed his teeth clipping - Pets at Home paid for his treatment and it cost them over 145.00.

They didn't do a home check but they asked that I contacted the vet that had clipped his teeth to make sure I was aware of what I was taking on. Also I contacted Laura (Lspacehopper forum member) to make sure they knew he was going to a good home.:D

He was already neutered and quickly bonded with my daughters bunny:D

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=160831
 
thanks guys, thinking of getting another rabbit and think nearest rabbit rescue to me is in fife, but also saw that p@h have the adoption schemes with the animals reasons on front of cage for having to be adopted ie owner couldnt look after it anymore or something. If I could help out and accomodate every single rabbit i would!! so people recommend going to a rabbit rescue more?
 
Well i have adopted 2 bunny's from pets at home adoption my first was Bert and i have had him for 1 year. I now suspect he was abused he wouldn't go near people for a good 3/4 months and has only now started being more friendly with me but you know from being around him hes was abused! thats what lead me to adopted my second bunny from pet's at home who was Wonka aka Wonky he was not abused his owner was allergic to him. I do see the point of not adotpting from pet shops.

Vix
 
thanks guys, thinking of getting another rabbit and think nearest rabbit rescue to me is in fife, but also saw that p@h have the adoption schemes with the animals reasons on front of cage for having to be adopted ie owner couldnt look after it anymore or something. If I could help out and accomodate every single rabbit i would!! so people recommend going to a rabbit rescue more?

You should go to the fife Rabbit Rescue. Kareen doesn't let them go to a new home untill after they have been neutered and are fit and health where as pets at home send them out without being neutered and get you to sign a document saying you will get them done!

Vix
 
I am not going to say too much but i know that p@h adoption centre is not exactly what it seems! my step brother's son works in a store and he said that if p@h get buns they cant sell,they are not supposed to put them in the adoption centre they are supposed to be returned to the supplier who basically disposes of them:evil:.however the large majority of animals in the adoption centre are ex display pets not sold and they just make up that they from the general public:shock: to make them more of a sad story to the public.

Youngbunny....your step brothers son works in a store and you also have a female friend who works in a store as well (according to another post). Considering you have a couple of people in 'the know', you're not very well informed. Your relatives and friends should get their facts straight before they tell you things that aren't just slightly untrue but completely wrong.

We do not return rabbits that don't sell back to the breeder. It has to be an exceptional circumstance for us to send any animal back and it also means going through the correct channels to get permission for this.

The large majority of animals in the adoption centre are not just animals that haven't sold......believe me.......I know!
It's very rare that we put any unsold animal into adoption and there is usually a reason for it. We also tell people if this is the case.
 
Sugar coating. Even if they are genuine pets that have been given up, the shop doesn't home check, vaccinate or neuter, so what's the difference?

If I had my way, we would neuter, vaccinate and home check, however this isn't the case but to call it sugar coating is unfair.

Does a Lionhead with syphillis dumped in a carrier bag in the store not deserve a home?

Does a Nethie kept in a hamster cage for the first part of its life not deserve a home?

Does a Dutch bought from an animal market and already twice bred by a moron not deserve a home?

Does a Giant bun bought for a few quid from an animal auction by people who had no concept of how to look after him not deserve a home?

Does a Lionhead X Lop left in its cage for the new house owners to look after not deserve a home?

I could go on and on and on. We help to pick up the fallout from the auctions, markets, cr@ppy pet shops and silly personal breeders near us and I hope we do help. It upsets me when it's called 'sugar coating'.
 
My bunny pepsi was from the adoption center at pets at home, however I do think he was a proper adoption as the whole litter was there to apopt and the lady said they were an unwanted litter, they were only 8 weeks old aswell which is the cute baby stage so they would of easily sold if they had put them in the selling part where they sell THIER rabbits. Also I know pepsi is a cross breed and he doesnt look like the 'style' of rabbits I know pets at home sell which are normally bigger and are breeds like dwarf lops, dutch... and the adoption center at the pets at home near me is actaually in partnership with our local animal shelter. When we adopted pepsi we signed a contract which states we must neuter him within six months of giving him a home, and we must keep him fully vaccinated and dewormed through out his life and we only had to pay a donation of our choice, which I gave £10 and not the full £25 they charge for the rabbits they sell. Im not saying it isnt 'sugarcoating' as I must admit I have seen one of thier bunnies in there before which was there because it was unfrinedly to the others but sometimes they do actually have genuine homeless bunnies as another time thhere was a pair of neutered bunnies which had been given up by thier previous owners!
 
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You would definitely be best going to fife rabbit rescue.
If you choose to adopt from P@H you have to neuter/spay the bun and the staff may not be aware of any problems that rabbit may have. I have two 7yr old bunnies from the p@h adoption and although I don't agree with some of the things they do there I can say that I've never seen a rabbit in the adoption centre at my local one that looks like it could be old stock, the ones I've seen there are usually about a year old or older.
 
I agree you would be better contacting fife rabbit rescue first. If you adopt a bunny (or bunnies) from there they will already be neutered and vaccinated and Kareen would be able to help and give advice about the bonding :D
 
thanks everyone for replying. ill see what happens........as I still havent spoke to my boyfriend about it lol. Ill need to put my best puppy dog eyes on!!!! :lol:
 
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