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Question for Sanctuaries & Rescues?

Ambience

Warren Veteran
Sanctuaries -
Do you take in healthy bunnies as well as poorly bunnies?

What has made your decision to be a sanctuary rather than a rescue- rehoming buns that come in?


Rescues-
what made you decide to rehome rather than be a sanctuary?
 
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Being a rescue I find you help a lot more rabbits. As in a year you take in more bunnies than a sanctuary. I also think rescue's spend less on vet fee's in average. As Sanctuary's take on ill bunnies. I'm not rich and can't afford a billion bunnies otherwise I would have them all :lol:
 
Being a rescue I find you help a lot more rabbits. As in a year you take in more bunnies than a sanctuary. I also think rescue's spend less on vet fee's in average. As Sanctuary's take on ill bunnies. I'm not rich and can't afford a billion bunnies otherwise I would have them all :lol:

I'm doing both- it's just someone mentioned that it would be a good idea to choose one or the other.

Thanks for sharing your views x
 
I'm doing both- it's just someone mentioned that it would be a good idea to choose one or the other.

Thanks for sharing your views x

Personally I don't see why you can't do both. Just have your sanctuary buns kept separate, and keep a numbered limit.
 
Thanks :) I like that idea. I love helping sick buns get better.

I think the only thing that would worry me is what was wrong with the sick ones, you'd have to be very careful about quarantine etc - washing hands before touching other rabbits after the sick ones.

How many rabbits are you thinking of having then Ambience? How many do you have as your own pet rabbits at the moment, there is a few in your siggy are they your pet ones?
 
You'd need to carry around one of those sterile hand wash things, we use them here. Like 80p from ASDA, just squirt and your hands are very clean, I tend to go up to my arms though.

And getting a raincoat, and plastic bags over your shoes is very handy too. I hate it when buns are in quarantine, so fussy, but if running a Sanctuary chances are you'll get a snuffles bunny. So this will be a daily thing for you. x
 
We do have some buns that just didn't seem to get homes when we stopped fostering. The most recent ones we have taken in have been elderly or have a level of behavioural problems or health problems.
 
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i always thought rescues were both, but not through choice at first... they have the buns no one will give a home to so they sort of become a sanctuary anyhows.
 
Since becoming a sanctuary I don't take on any healthy rabbits...although I have taken a few in who would otherwise have been PTS simply because they had dental problems.

I also have some rabbits who came in poorly, but have recovered to full health...and babies who I have handreared and decided to keep.

If you are thinking of doing sanctuary work rather than rescue, I'd advise you to build up numbers slowly...stuff like medicating multiple rabbits, or finely chopping/grating lots of veg takes more time than you'd imagine.
 
Since becoming a sanctuary I don't take on any healthy rabbits...although I have taken a few in who would otherwise have been PTS simply because they had dental problems.

I also have some rabbits who came in poorly, but have recovered to full health...and babies who I have handreared and decided to keep.

If you are thinking of doing sanctuary work rather than rescue, I'd advise you to build up numbers slowly...stuff like medicating multiple rabbits, or finely chopping/grating lots of veg takes more time than you'd imagine.

This is very true, especially if you are intending to take in more than just rabbits. The more species you have the more work is involved.
If we had 100 rabbits, it would take less time than the 100 animals we have but they are made up of 15 species and each require different things.
 
here's a stupid question from a very emotional person - how do sanctuary people stay sane and not spend all day crying? with so many ill bunnies, I am imagining you have to deal with more being pts than just rescues. I think that would crack me up, you must have to be emotionally very strong.
 
here's a stupid question from a very emotional person - how do sanctuary people stay sane and not spend all day crying? with so many ill bunnies, I am imagining you have to deal with more being pts than just rescues. I think that would crack me up, you must have to be emotionally very strong.

At the end of the day we haven't stayed sane. In 2009 we took in 33 bunnies and lost 29, in 2010 we took in 25 and lost 25 :(

We were doing OK as we just kept our heads down and kept busy but when we decided partly for financial reasons to not take buns in for a while and we didn't loose any for a couple of months, this is when it all caught up with us. All the heart ache and the responsibility of having all those lives in your hands hit me really hard as I finally did have time to think and reflect :(
 
We started off as a rescue, primarily, with a few sanctuary bunnies.

After 4 years we found ourselves converting to a sanctuary, as the number of permanent residents rose quickly.

It wasn't an accidental thing ("oops we have lots of ill bunnies!"), more down to Louise being a big softie for a hard luck story.
She ended up concentrating more on the rabbits that no-one else would or could take, due to illness or aggression, and fair play to her, she's brilliant at it, and I don't know anyone else who has the knowledge and dedication to look after so many rabbits with so many different issues.

There are other reputable rescues not too far from us that we refer people to with healthy rabbits.

I think you should start off with an open mind, and you'll find your niche.
 
[QUOTE All the heart ache and the responsibility of having all those lives in your hands hit me really hard as I finally did have time to think and reflect :([/QUOTE]

You see this is what I mean. I couldn't do it, even though there's part of me really wants to do it. I just looked at your thread on Fundraising with pictures of the beautiful Dave and I am in floods of tears.

Total respect to you and all the other rescues and sanctuaries
 
here's a stupid question from a very emotional person - how do sanctuary people stay sane and not spend all day crying? with so many ill bunnies, I am imagining you have to deal with more being pts than just rescues. I think that would crack me up, you must have to be emotionally very strong.

I cry most days now, just little short bursts though. I never used to do this but I guess it lets out the emotion while still letting me function. I think in most situations you don't have time to dwell on it because another animal is sick or someone new comes along who needs care and attention.
 
I think if you are doing both you need to set a limit on your sanctuary spaces. Obviously, being part of the RSPCA, we only rehome rabbits. We have however agreed to keep a limited number of hutches for long term residents who we feel we cant rehome for health reasons. Its heart breaking to think they are in 'long term foster care' with no mum/dad to call their own :cry:

If i were you i wouldnt start by advertising as a sanctuary, purely because you will end up wth sick buns you wont be able to rehome anyway. I would call yourself a rescue to start with. Are you classing your rabbits as sanctuary rabbits? x
 
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