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The Range - their view on tiny hutches, help pls!

Debster

Mama Doe
I emailed The Range last week, after seing a tiny 4ft hutch on sale in one of their branches (way too small for a bun to stand up in too) and checking their website to find no better alternatives. I based my letter on the template provided by the RWAF last year for their Argos hutch campaign, and this is the response I got:

I can confirm that I have been looking into this matter for you, and have been in contact with the Pets Buyer who has assured me that we are within all government guidelines for these products, and it is at our customer's discretion if they wish to purchase the item, and to ensure the hutch is the correct size for the animal.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this matter may have caused you, and I hope you will continue to be a valued customer of The Range.


Pretty rubbish huh?:roll: I want to email them back, but can anyone help with the points I should include? And I'm not sure what government guidelines they are talking about, as far as I'm aware there aren't any for this?:?
 
I can't help you I'm afraid but I'm very interested in using the letter template you mentioned. My local pet shop and also a local DIY shop which has now decided to sell rabbits, are both selling even smaller hutches than the ones you mentioned, so I would also be grateful for any other points I should included in this letter as well.
 
I can't help you I'm afraid but I'm very interested in using the letter template you mentioned. My local pet shop and also a local DIY shop which has now decided to sell rabbits, are both selling even smaller hutches than the ones you mentioned, so I would also be grateful for any other points I should included in this letter as well.

This is the link:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/content/argos_letter_guideline.doc

I put it in my own words and added a few bits.

Contact the RWA :wave:

Obvious thing! Didn't think, will do that. Any other advice still welcome though!
 
I think the Range need a little friendly 'mailshot' from a few members :lol:

I'll email later, they are thick as two short planks if they think that the hutches they sell are anywhere near suitable !
 
The RWA are doing a campaign about this at the moment so might be worth getting in touch with them and they can approach the company. I think the RWA campaign is for 4' to be the minimum stocked but to also include 5-6' options.
 
The RWA are doing a campaign about this at the moment so might be worth getting in touch with them and they can approach the company. I think the RWA campaign is for 4' to be the minimum stocked but to also include 5-6' options.

Do you know by any chance if they are including a minimum height as well as width/depth? :wave:
 
I don't think they should stop selling them though, as 4ft is suitable for piggies, just needs to be better advertised for JUST pigs.
 
I went into the Norwich Range on Friday and on top of a shelf was a tiny hutch with a picture of a rabbit (Peter Rabbit style) on it. I commented to my mum that people are going to think it's acceptable to put a rabbit in that, when it was little bigger than a coffin. (there was a staff member close by, I hope she heard)

I couldn't measure it because it was too high and it didn't have a price on, but from my point of view, it was TINY. I wouldn't even put guinea pigs in it.

This thread has reminded me to complain!! :wave:
 
They do sell **** hutches don't they :(
All these pet shops get the cheapest range they can and they all come from the same supplier who import from China. In the latest issue of the RWA mag they mention having spoken to the manufacturer at one of the pet trade thingies and they were fobbed off.
It's just their intention to follow the minimum legal requirements and nothing more. The range are a cheap shop and they have the same policy. Same as wilkinsons etc.
 
I find it really frustrating that they are setting the standard so low, it almost defeats the object and makes a mockery of setting any sort of 'guidelines' if they are still inadequate. I know someone who has a Range hutch and she has justified it to a friend because 'it must be suitable for a rabbit or they wouldn't be allowed to sell them', people genuinely do believe what they are told by retailers and it's a perfect opportunity at the expense of a tiny bit of floor space to make a massive difference to an animals welfare by insisting that they will only sell 6ft hutches. Granted they'll be more expensive so that re-inforces that rabbits are not 'cheap' disposable pets that can be housed in 'battery hen' conditions because no one has the balls to say - the minimum standard condusive with good mental and physical health is ...6ft - even 5ftx3ft double storey I could live with but, 4x2x2 is a waste of time IMO and making very little progress that it will be even harder to change perceptions if this is deemed acceptable.

People who don't know better might buy one and house a rabbit in it then their friend see's it and buy's one instead of a bigger more expensive one from PAH for example and then eventually all the pets shops are stocking substandard accomodation as the 'norm'.

If they are about Rabbit Welfare why aren't they at least pushing for the RSPCA minimum recommendations ?:?
 
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I know someone who has a Range hutch and she has justified it to a friend because 'it must be suitable for a rabbit or they wouldn't be allowed to sell them', people genuinely do believe what they are told by retailers

This is EXACTLY why they should take their responsibilities seriously and why I am so annoyed with the response I got from The Range. I explained to them the reasons why being kept in one of their pathetic little wooden prisons would be so damaging to a bunny and their answer is "well its not our responsibility its the customers" :evil::evil::evil: How does that justify them stocking totally inadequate accommodation??

I will contact the RWA and reply back to the Range. VickiP and Shay, I'd be interested to hear what they reply to your letters!
 
This is EXACTLY why they should take their responsibilities seriously and why I am so annoyed with the response I got from The Range. I explained to them the reasons why being kept in one of their pathetic little wooden prisons would be so damaging to a bunny and their answer is "well its not our responsibility its the customers" :evil::evil::evil: How does that justify them stocking totally inadequate accommodation??

I will contact the RWA and reply back to the Range. VickiP and Shay, I'd be interested to hear what they reply to your letters!

Yes I agree with you totally, it almost beggars belief that people can be so thick but, sadly they do accept it as being suitable because the label say's so. I will let you know, I'll do it tomorrow - don't get angry with them or they'll switch off and call you a crank, keep it friendly it gets you much more co-operation.:wave:
 
Yes I agree with you totally, it almost beggars belief that people can be so thick but, sadly they do accept it as being suitable because the label say's so. I will let you know, I'll do it tomorrow - don't get angry with them or they'll switch off and call you a crank, keep it friendly it gets you much more co-operation.:wave:

Don't worry I won't ;) I'm a firm believer that shouting and hurling abuse doesn't get people to listen to you (as much as it would often make you feel better!).

I will ask the RWA about the hutch size campaign, though I suspect their reasoning is that getting retailers to co-operate and agree to a minimum of 4ft is a more realistic and achieveable aim. But seeing that hutch in The Range, it really hit home just how tiny a space 4ft is :( I also share the view that if this campaign is successful and a 4ft hutch is deemed acceptable and effectively "endorsed" by the RWA as acceptable, then I don't see how they can easily advance towards campaigning for selling/buying even larger hutch sizes and be taken seriously :?
 
I agree with happysaz that we shouldn't expect places to stop selling them, because they are still at specification for guinea pigs, but they should definitely make it clearer what housing is for what animal. Saying a guinea hutch is suitable for a rabbit is the same as saying a mouse cage is suitable for a rat.

The problem often lies with the packaging, which features photographs of the wrong sort of animal in the cages/hutches/runs. If the packaging made it clear what animal it is and isn't suitable for then it's a lot easier for consumers, since no matter what the shop says most people will believe the packaging.
That goes both ways; if a retailer says a cage isn't suitable for a rabbit but it has a photo of a rabbit the customer will think "well it shows a rabbit on the box so it must be fine" just as if the retailer says the cage is suitable for rabbits but the box clearly states "4ft hutch suitable for Guinea pigs. also available; 6ft hutch suitable for small to medium rabbits" then people will think "hang on a minute, the box says you need a 6ft for rabbits".

That's not to say retailers are blameless, their job is to advise on correct pet care and that includes making it obvious what caging is suitable, what isn't and to refuse sale on unsuitable housing.


Sorry for blabbering on there, good luck getting something sorted.
 
Don't worry I won't ;) I'm a firm believer that shouting and hurling abuse doesn't get people to listen to you (as much as it would often make you feel better!).

I will ask the RWA about the hutch size campaign, though I suspect their reasoning is that getting retailers to co-operate and agree to a minimum of 4ft is a more realistic and achieveable aim. But seeing that hutch in The Range, it really hit home just how tiny a space 4ft is :( I also share the view that if this campaign is successful and a 4ft hutch is deemed acceptable and effectively "endorsed" by the RWA as acceptable, then I don't see how they can easily advance towards campaigning for selling/buying even larger hutch sizes and be taken seriously :?

I agree it wouldnt be so bad if it was 4x4x4 and a double storey even but, 4x2x2 isn't progress enough IMO.
 
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