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Rescues insisting on bunnies having vaccination costs covered

R

raine

Warren Veteran
Been thinking about rescues, rising overheads and many closing.

I know there is a valid fear that if a donation is insisted upon, some owners might threaten pts or setting loose. But is that fear stopping making "bunny offloaders" more responsible. Its a disgrace when a rescue is chucked £5 or £10.00 for taking in a bunny.

How feasible would it be for rescues to say that at the moment we can only add your bunny to our long waiting list, meanwhile we would require you to make arrangements to have the bunny vaccinated for myxi and VHD and to provide proof that both had been undertaken BEFORE we can progress bunny on our waiting list.

I do not run a rescue and would not presume to tell anyone who does, how to run their rescue. Just wanting to discuss how the financial hardships that rescues struggle with, could be improved.
 
Sadly I think it would put a lot of animals at risk as those that don't want to donate may find pts is cheaper than vacs:(

We always ask for an incoming donation but rarely get more than £5..if anything at all..I have been loathe to make a minimum for the animals sake
We do tend to deal with a lot of "at risk" ones who we know will be pts/die/set "free" if we don't take them..and again I know this is purely my choice

On rare occasions you do get decent owners who either neuter or vacs or give a reasonable amount when handing in..but it is rare..
 
From what i've heard from a friend who volunteers at Bobtails, the majority of owners dumping their buns on rescue can't even be bothered sometimes to wait for someone to answer the front door and just leave them in a box and do a runner... I can't see those sorts of owners hanging on to the bun to pay for vaccination costs. From what I understand most rescues are lucky if they even get a donation when bun/piggie is handed in!:cry:
 
Agreed. Probably better to try and cover the expense in the adpotion fee. At least the new owner is more likely to be responsible and will also see the benefit of the cost of the neuter/spey/vaccinations..
 
We usually don't get anything as the animal is either going to be PTS or has already been dumped. We do occasionally get decent owners who will give a donation but they are the ones who want to find a nice, permanant home for a loved animal they can no longer keep. We took in Betsy today and asked if they would be willing to pay £35 for getting her vaccinated and they did. Usually we are faced with a hefty bill at the start as the owner walks away without a backwards glance.
When we collected the ratty girls from the local rehoming rescue, they were saying that peole phone them and say they thought it would be nice to give their animal to a charity- as if they were doing the charity a favour.:roll:
 
I expect most rescues already do but on their website/leaflets/poster by the door or whatever they should make a list of the individual costs of taking a rabbit in so that people dropping them off or thinking of handing them in are at least aware of the cost to the rescue of doing so.

It won't change everything but it might make a handful of people think twice.
 
We have a set fee for animals coming in to our care, which does cover the costs on the vaccinations. We do tell people what the money will be used for and that seems to help.

We generally get it, but if for some reason it can't be paid then I ask for veggies or something instead don't see why people handing in an animal should do it for free.
 
If you pitch it at less than bunny pts cost some would take the cheap option.
I think its ok to ask
"Would you consider making a contribution to the rescue please?...? Most people offer 20 quid as this covers the vaccination cost.....?

They can of course say "no - got no money" or "can only give a fiver"... but some may feel-well thats cheaper than pts so ok give 20 quid-especially if they think others give that amount.

I don't see there's any harm in asking for a donation but making a set charge could mean some really needy pets don't get the chance of a new life.
sue:wave:
 
Sue I think all rescues do ask..the response however seem very varied

As said above..we rarely get more than a £5 note..always in an envelope.:roll:.and that's if we're lucky
 
This thread has really shocked me. Not for the first time I find I have been harbouring very naive thought about the value people place on their pets. :oops: £5 is pathetic, almost an insult. I so admire what you folks do.
 
honeybunny said:
Sadly I think it would put a lot of animals at risk as those that don't want to donate may find pts is cheaper than vacs:(

We always ask for an incoming donation but rarely get more than £5..if anything at all..I have been loathe to make a minimum for the animals sake
We do tend to deal with a lot of "at risk" ones who we know will be pts/die/set "free" if we don't take them..and again I know this is purely my choice

On rare occasions you do get decent owners who either neuter or vacs or give a reasonable amount when handing in..but it is rare..
Click to expand...

Agree with this.
We ask for a donation, but it rarely appears. One woman tipped out her pocket and gave us 32p:roll:

At the Blue Cross we worked out that on average it costs £300 to put a dog through the rehoming process, but again, it's the minority that donate on admission.
 
I always tell the person handing in their animals how much it costs us to get the basics needed to get their rabbit ready for finding it's forever home (excluding any health problems that it may have) and do try and get half of it, if theycan't afford that then i ask for a donation towards the cost of the neutering which 9 times out of 10 people will pay and the genuine ones will give you almost what it costs us (not many as you can imagine).
I think alot as a way on how it is said to people
 
I feel like an idiot now, I just ask they give me a weeks worth of food, and whatever hay etc. they have, and occasionally their hutch's/cages.. if they're even usable. :oops:
 
I think the whole point is that people who give their rabbits to rescues do not value their rabbit's lives. Therefore, they are very unlikely to be willing to spend money on vaccinations. Also, if they were looking at it from a value-for-money perspective then they would be more likely to want to keep the rabbit after vaccinating and neutering it rather than then give it away.
 
A lot of our rabbits come through rescues so its not an issue. But those that have come privately, only twice have we been given any money for a rabbit we have taken in to the sanctuary ( Cherry/Timmy). Most of the time we are contacted because the rabbit is sick and they can't afford the vets bills themselves :?
 
PixieRabbit said:
I feel like an idiot now, I just ask they give me a weeks worth of food, and whatever hay etc. they have, and occasionally their hutch's/cages.. if they're even usable. :oops:
Click to expand...

It's good to take the hutches and destroy them so they are nor re filled at a later date
and can I ask..as just wondering are you advertising your rescue and rescue bunnies on any other forums as haven't seen them in the rehoming section of the other forum you post on regularly.. just wondered why?:D
 
honeybunny said:
It's good to take the hutches and destroy them so they are nor re filled at a later date
and can I ask..as just wondering are you advertising your rescue and rescue bunnies on any other forums as haven't seen them in the rehoming section of the other forum you post on regularly.. just wondered why?:D
Click to expand...

I don't really go on that forum unless to look at pictures. No body I used to talk to goes on it any more :?
That's true, I have a friend who takes in wood and burns it where he works. I should really focus more on advertisement. My OH is getting me a proper webspace and I'm busy designing a whole new website for that, and hopefully I'm getting business cards and posters around the local area too :)
Do you have any tips for advertising?
 
Local vets are good as well as pet shops that don't sell livestock
Feed suppliers..and they are good to go to as the supplies are usually much cheaper to buy in large amounts

and re other forum..we have only ever rehomed 2 rabbits through there..I know 2 is better than none..but always a bit disappointing
 
honeybunny said:
Local vets are good as well as pet shops that don't sell livestock
Feed suppliers..and they are good to go to as the supplies are usually much cheaper to buy in large amounts

and re other forum..we have only ever rehomed 2 rabbits through there..I know 2 is better than none..but always a bit disappointing
Click to expand...

The pet shop I use sell the occasional budgie but that's it. I'll talk with her, she's often offered for me to put my business cards on her desk :) I'll get the OH to drive me round local pet shops that don't sell pets also.

Well I've managed two so far, but I know there's a lot of people on here in my area.
 
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