Dear Miss ******
Thank you for your email regarding the size of our rabbit hutches.
I hope you will be re-assured to know that our policy on the general welfare of animals is to ensure that our products are produced to appropriate welfare standards and will not cause injury to animals through normal or foreseeable misuse.
We?ve discussed your concerns with the RSPCA and they have advised that
they have no current recommendation for the size of a hutch for a single rabbit - although they do have a recommendation for the size of a hutch for two medium sized rabbits.
The RSPCA has recommended that we make it clear in our marketing of hutches that they should be used in conjunction with a ?run?. Consequently, we will be amending our catalogue and our website to that effect. We will also offer a discount on a run if purchased in conjunction with a rabbit hutch.
If the RSPCA recommendations change in the future, you can be assured that we will follow their guidance.
Many thanks for bringing this matter to our attention.
Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us at
order.enquiries@argos.co.uk or call us on 0845 640 2020.
Regards,
Ellis Covington
Argos Direct E-Commerce Customer Service Team.
It's a start!!!!
I've had a look at this and prepared a draft response for people to comment on and/or use as they wish.
Dear Mr Covington,
Thank you for your email regarding my comments on the sizes of rabbit hutches sold by Argos and for your offer of further assistance. I have now had the opportunity to consider your response in detail.
My further comments are set out in the following sections. For convenience, I have made these against each of the paragraphs in your email (reproduced in red) and, where appropriate, provided links to relevant websites in support of the comments and for your further perusal.
I hope you will be re-assured to know that our policy on the general welfare of animals is to ensure that our products are produced to appropriate welfare standards and will not cause injury to animals through normal or foreseeable misuse.
I note Argos's commitment to ensure that products are produced to 'appropriate' welfare standards and will not cause 'injury to animals'.
We've discussed your concerns with the RSPCA and they have advised that they have no current recommendation for the size of a hutch for a single rabbit - although they do have a recommendation for the size of a hutch for two medium sized rabbits.
I assume that your discussions with the RSPCA were conducted with their Head Office. It is not surprising that the RSPCA does not have a recommendation in respect of hutches for single rabbits, since the RSPCA explicitly recommends that rabbits be kept as pairs.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urlblob&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=RSPCABlob&blobwhere=1099596629449&ssbinary=true&Content-Type=application/pdf
This RSPCA document states, in the section entitled "Needs: grouping, diet, accommodation and environment: Rabbits need to be kept in groups. Keepers should make sure they can give a home to two rabbits....". The RSPCA's recommendations regarding hutch sizes thus relate to their previous recommendations on keeping rabbits as a bonded pair. The fact that no specific recommendation is made regarding hutches for single rabbits should not be construed as a recommendation that 'any' size or 'half the size recommended for two rabbits' is therefore acceptable.
The RSPCA branches are, perhaps, more familiar with the 'front-line' aspects of rabbit keeping. They set out 'minimum' hutch sizes. The following is a typical example:
http://www.rspca-westhatch.co.uk/Rabbits.htm
The RSPCA has recommended that we make it clear in our marketing of hutches that they should be used in conjunction with a run. Consequently, we will be amending our catalogue and our website to that effect. We will also offer a discount on a run if purchased in conjunction with a rabbit hutch.
The recommendation in respect of a run is a welcome amendment to the catalogue/website.
In accordance with Argos's commitment, "to ensure that our products are produced to appropriate welfare standards", perhaps Argos could consider the standards in respect of hutches and runs set out by the Rabbit Welfare Association (RWA).
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/animal_welfare_bill_lft.pdf
If the RSPCA recommendations change in the future, you can be assured that we will follow their guidance.
The RSPCA
already has recommendations in respect of rabbit hutches, runs and their dimensions. They also do not recommend keeping single rabbits. I find it surprising that several of these points appear to have been omitted from Argos's consideration of this matter.
I would urge Argos to re-consider this matter and to remove from its catalogue any hutches for rabbits that do not comply with the RSPCA and RWA recommendations. Links to the relevant information would also ensure that customers are fully informed about any intended purchases.
It must be appreciated that domestic pet rabbits have no choice in the accommodation in which they have to live. They are totally dependent upon their human carers. They often have to 'suffer in silence' in unsuitable accommodation while they live out miserable lives. The availability of suitable products and informed customers could change this for the better.
I look forward to your early and positive reply.
