I'm just taking rabbits from another rescue who don't specialize in rabbits and also my vets know i rescue rabbits so they contact me now if they have any that they need help with. I haven't advertised anywhere and i wouldn't so i can't have animals dumped here.
I have a fundraising company my other half has a share of- who will be fundraising in the future. I am not really sure where i would find the time to do this myself. I am full time rabbit carer at the moment along with doing my own business consultancy work when i have a spare couple of hours.
I'm entirely self funded- well should i say- my other half funded. I just want to do this as a lifestyle choice- i love nursing bunnies so I'm happy to take the poorly ones. So to some degree i'm acting as a sanctuary.
Although i plan to rehome any well animals that come in if i can. If not, they will stay here as long as neccesary until a suitable home arises.
How to begin-
*Company registration- Decide if you are going to be sole trader etc. Setup a company bank account etc for company transactions which is separate to your personal account- keep invoices from vet trips and purchases for the rescue etc.
Company name- choose something that is marketable and memorable that is specific to what you are doing. Get a domain- setup a website for your animals you are going to rehome - or animals which can't be rehomed and can be sponser animals. If you are taking any donations online you need to know how to do the website side of this or get someone IT savvy to do this for you.
* finances- make sure you have lots of them- £1000's and £1000's for the up and coming veterinary bills. This needs to be in advance as nothing can be guaranteed with fund-raising- it is in effect being a sales person and selling is hard- especially when it's only to get a £2 donation. I used get £2000-£3000 contracts with my other company and it's still a struggle to run that business.
* Hutches and Setups/Land- Make sure you have enough hutches for how many rabbits you are happy to accommodate and land for at least 6x4 runs for each.
* Quarantine- have either a quarantine shed with heating , lighting etc, which i have or a quarantine room in your house- make sure you have gloves and other clothing to wear when dealing with new bunny's that come on site.
* Vets- Get an account with your vets in the name of your rescue. Make sure they are aware you are a rescue so that you can get discounted rates for neutering etc when this is required. It may be 5-15% depending on where you go.
Also be ready for constant trips to the vets for routine worming, nail clipping, special care grooming-i.e if a bunny needs shaving has disabilities etc, buns with dental spurs- teeth filing- rabbits with malocclusion- taking the incisors out and costs associated with these. Be ready for surgery costs and as no bunny's are insured due to the nature of rescue work- a large buffer is needed to cover this.
The vet trips are week in week out.
* Recovery room- For buns that have gone through quarantine but need to stay in overnight so they can get there temperature back after anesthetic.
* Time- Either yourself or someone else has to care for the buns. This is going to take time and energy- i can't see anyone managing this with a full time job and doing rescue also- but some do. I would say it's best to be supported in some way by another venture you are doing to make income. A part time job maybe.
* Fund raising- make sure you abide by fund raising laws- check with local councils what is allowed etc. If you raise over £5000 a year you will have to be regulated by the charities commission. Of course to fund raise- you need to be a good sales person- fund raising is tough- there is alot of competition. It is infact very difficult to get support for rabbit rescues. There are so many other established rescues out there - like the RSPCA etc that getting a look in as a small rescue or charity is difficult. It requires alot of marketing expertise or even a fundraising company to do this for you- which will require an outlay.
* Rescuing Rabbits- Usually the rabbits will come to you. Rescues will contact you asking if you can help with a particular case or you can pro actively look on free ad's etc and investigate situations yourself- making sure you are boycotting taking any bunnys in from breeders as they offload unwanted stock. Establishing what case is real need and what is not. Once your vets know what you do, they will call you if they have a bun they need re homing or aiding in your sanctuary. It's important to make it clear what kind of rescue you do to them-i.e rabbits only and how many spaces you have available. They will expect you to always have space for just one more. So it is better not overburden yourself to much especially if there is just yourself doing this.
* Accounts- every year you will have to file accounts and also file annual returns if you have a company limited by guarantee- which means you need to keep everything upto date in terms of any money you receive or any money that goes out.
* No holidays, days off etc without someone paid to come in and do all the work for you. No pay for yourself as it will all be going on the buns.
Hope this helps- this is my journey so far. I want to expand to dogs and cats and horses etc. I will have to do another business along side though- like livery or boarding cats/dogs etc to gain an income to support the rescue side of things.
Fortunately my other half is bankrolling me, which is lovely. I couldn't even consider this without him.