• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

A day in the life of a rescue.

halfpenny

Wise Old Thumper
I just thought it would be a good idea for people to see what am average day at a rescue is. I've put it in rabbit chat because I hope other rescues will add their day's work. I know people critise us so hopefully they can see, even if they have been refused a animal in the past that rescues only aim is to do the best for that animal. It hopefully also let's those who support us see where the money goes.

We are up at 6 ( it will become 5am by the end of this weeks because I will also have stables to muck out).
Mike puts the dogs out while I wash the kitchen floor, some of the dogs are not fully house trained.
Mike feeds and checks the sheep, goats and pigs, and is off to work by 6.30am.
I feed and water the quail and wood pigeons, then feed, water and clean out the rabbits litter trays, next I feed, water and let out the hens and ducks.
I'm then back inside to feed the cats, chinchillas, rats, parrots ( at the moment also medicating Mango) and finally the dogs. I then put them out and have to wash the floor again because Willow now has a wee leak every time she eats. I give Fluffy the cat her medication and then get ready for work.
I leave for work at about 8.40 and usually get home at about 11.15. I'm straight out with the dogs for a good run with a ball- about 40 mins of chasing. In to check the indoor animals ( while surfing on the phone:oops:) I then give Jack his extra feed, put The other goats out if it is a nice day.
Lunch for 30-40 mins, then either groom the fluffy buns or walk the neighbour's dogs ( alternate days). I then do the routine weekly cleaning- Monday - indoor furries, Tuesday- outdoor rabbit runs, etc.
I finish at about 3.15 after putting the dogs out again and get ready for work again. I'm back to work for 3.50 and usually finish at 5.30. Often we have to go to buy animal food and then home to feed all the animal again, medicate and on alternate days clean out 11 litter trays. Mike tops up hay racks and does any maintenance work. Once winter comes most of his evenings will entail digging out pig, goat and sheep beds as the animals will be indoors longer. if we have a sick animal it's taken to the vet, usually in the morning when I go to work, and at weekend large animal jobs get done- digging out goat beds, trimming feet, worming, grooming.
I try to keep up with the house work and laundry in the evening.
We usually get to bed at about 10.30 after a final walk around the animals and putting the dogs out for a last pee.
At the end if the month we pay our bills- £250 for cat food, about £1000 for vet bills, about £900 for other animal food, £320 for hay and about £100 for straw. We buy veg and litter which is about another £100 a month from Tesco.

I hope other rescues add to this thread, perhaps you with think we are worth having around.
 
Last edited:
Crikey! What a routine! I am amazed you manage to keep going, I would have days when I would want to hide under the duvet! Respect!:thumb:
 
i take my hat off to you! (it's a witches hat today!)

i see to two horses, 2 dogs and 3 rabbits before and after work and i know how tiring that is.
also you have told of an average day, so many days you must have vet visits, blacksmiths and the odd crisis which i know can throw you whole day out.
rescues do a wonderful job and people often don't realise what hard work it is and that it is 24/7 with no weekends, holidays or days off even if sick.

also how are you going on with the dog you recently took on?? (pointer):)
 
Wow, that must be difficult to do 24/7, never getting a break! :shock: I'm impressed :thumb:
 
I take my hat off to you too, as I get that this is every day and there are no holidays like 'normal' work.

I genuinely hope other rescues will see this and add their 'a day in the life of...' - it';s interesting and thought provoking reading.
 
I don't think I can compete with that as we only have the bunnies and a few cats that please themselves :shock:
 
Liz, it's not about competing, it's about letting people know what this kind of lifestyle involves. We do a lot of the more physical side, you have lots of rabbits to medicate and have to manipulate care to find a way that suits an individual rabbit.
Other rescues have to do a lot more admin, they have to answer calls, collect animals, organise foster care, homecheck and bondings. With the small amount we have to do, it's made me realise how time consuming and frustrating it can be.
We all work differently.
 
I guess for someone with ME I do push myself incredibly hard and it would be so much easier just to sit down and rest. Everything I do takes twice as long as a well person. But that aside I think the hardest thing for us is the constant worry about the buns, always checking them and being on our toes, trying to catch the smallest changes in behaviour and health and waiting for the vet to ring with news. I also struggle with paper work, sponsorships and correspondence. The day I get on top of that something has gone very wrong :lol:
 
You look after all of those animals and you go out to work aswell:shock:
If you don't mind me asking what is the job you do?

You both amazing careing for so many animals. I take my hat off to you:D
 
The last day I had 'off' was when I was in bed for a day with the flu in agony, mike also had the flu but went out and fed and watered the animals. Part of the time I had the flu, Jack was in the study so I still had to get up and lift him up to toilet and move around, he couldn't stand on his own. The last holiday we had was 5 years ago for my 40th.

I work in the local branch of our vets, 9-11 and 4-5 weekdays. I do reception, animal handling, cleaning, ordering, advising on basic things if a vet isn't there and the wormer, flea and booster reminders. It is handy because I can just squeeze my animals in to be seen if I am worried, if I have an emergency the vets will come out as soon as they can or meet me at the practice.

Elis- mum, you are right about non routine things making the routine go to pot, and it's surprising how often things go wrong!:roll:
Jasper is doing very well, I think he is going through a stage of seeing how much he can get away with, pushing the boundaries. He is better with people, but still wary of men. Saying that he is snoring on Mike's lap at the moment!
 
I wrote a post like this a couple of years ago and I just found it. Crikey, it was from 2 years ago and now we are even busier!!.(6.30 is a lie in now!! Ahhh, they were the days!):lol: I can sympathise with your days, I think we have the same lifestyles - working for living to pay the mortgage and running a rescue. It is crazy! We both wake up to the smell of poo!! :lol::lol:

23rd March 09

7st 8 but not eating anything and should be a stone lighter.
Calories: Unknown but whatever is in 3 strong black coffees, 2 amaretto and cokes and 1 homemade flapjack.

6.30am The smell of cat diarrhea permeates the air. Probably the new cat food that contains avocado and beetroot. It smells ok in the tin but O/H has tried it and said it tastes like a nasty pate of some sort!
6.31am Discover have run out of tampons and sanitary towels.
6.32am Get into shower and wrestle with temperature controls and decide to add it to the long list of things in the house that are permanently broken and won't ever get fixed. (List now extremely long.)
6.45am Pigs start squealing for no apparent reason, luckily the neighbour AKA 'The Grinch' is no longer recording us for the environmental health department at the local council. Cockerels also crowing but this has been going on for over an hour and I am now immune to it.
7am Put old muck boots on with split sides, open gate and Brinsley's alarm clock goes off - hens clucking, goats bleating, horse whineying, guinea fowl screaching, pigeons flapping and pigs squealing even more! Rocky pig is also head butting stable door.
7.01am Trudge about doing the usual chores with a squeaky old rusty wheelbarrow looking like Hannah Hauxwell in a heavily stained old Primark coat and bob hat with more hay and woodshavings in it than actual hat knit.
8.49am Have own breakfast (black coffee). Number of phone messages:4.
9.10am Start bonding 2 rabbits that live here (Brownie and Freddie). Need to free up hutch space urgently!!.
9.38am Forget about rabbits as everything 'seems' fine and answer phone call regarding 'Oink' the Water Buffalo!!
11.36am Come off phone to discover fur everywhere and Brownie sat proudly behind a very badly chewed modem cable..........OMFG.
11.38am Internet and Email appear to be working. Decide there is a God and he is shining down on me.
12pm Get bus into Eastwood to sort out 6.31am's dilemma which has become urgent now.
12.34pm Answer call whilst in shop about 4 pigmy goats and 2 sheep, agree to take on in moment of insanity.
12.35pm Worry about goat and sheep agreement.
12.48pm Get bus back and worry more.
12.55pm Pop into newsagents to ask when 'Chat' magazine is next out as it will be featuring our Kune Kune pig. Answer is Thurs.
1.04pm Get back to discover a cement mixer on the doorstep. Think nothing of it.
2.30pm Start mucking out animals.
3.45pm Girls from down the road arrive to help out and inform me that cement mixer has been on doorstep for 24hours or more.
3.50pm Order girls to put some of the manure heap on the field as decide it's too big and might smell. Wonder if there is a council 'smellometer' that 'The Grinch' might ask them to bring round.
6.00pm Still mucking out and clearing up storm damage. Girls have got bored so appear to be having a tea party in the field.
7.12pm O/H rings me to say he's having a nice time in Sweden. Inform him that I am having a nice time smelling of horse sh*t and worrying about our next vets bill. He tells me it's cold and snowing in Sweden. I tell him I can't feel my toes and I have a stinking cold but at least we might have a water buffalo coming our way called 'Oink'. He decides to do a search for said water buffalo and finds him on YouTube. He feels sorry for him as has been attacked by youths and has had his hay set on fire (the internet says). Oh, well we'll have to have him then won't we.
7.30pm Dave and Lee, my sterling volunteers arrive. They think they are doing a home check for some hens but I have other plans. I give them a map, my scribbles and 2 pet carriers and send them off into the wilds of Derby to pick up 2 urgent bunnies needing attention on the RU forum.
7.41pm Still have to finish stuff outside.
9.39pm Start making tea.
9.51pm Stop making tea as Dave and Lee arrive with their consignment of 2. They hurtle off to Ikea to buy some Koppenburg or whatever it's called (apparently it's cheap there).
9.55pm Turn over 1 rabbit who stinks. The wounds are really bad and his leg is infected. His testicles look like very hard black grapes. He can't walk properly. I love him instantly and want to keep him. He's a little soldier I can tell.
10.23pm Madly clicking on computer to find 'calculator' device as can't work out dosage rates for anti biotics and pain relief in head. So tired am paranoid it's all wrong.
10.50pm Have cleaned up wounded rabbit and feel angry and venomous towards people again. They aren't even people, they are scum that treat sentient beings with such a throwaway attitude. Have decided perhaps there isn't a God after all.
10.52pm How can 5 cats do more than 5 sh*ts per day all in the house when they have access to outside. Why can't they go and cr*p in The Grinches garden?
10.53pm Clean litter trays are installed once more.
10.53pm Tommy cat whizzes into the fresh tray, cr*ps and then claws all around the side for a good minute or so. Gah. I give up.
11.00pm Have decided to give tea a miss and plump for 3 glasses of amaretto and coke after feeding indoor animals.
11.22pm Decide to write down todays diary. It isn't any more unusual or extraordinary than any other day. Start panicking about tomorrow as have agreed to take in another bunny and need to get to vets first thing and have also got to ring round to find homes for 60 goldfish. Haven't yet checked mobile phone. May have to work tomorrow. Heck, have also scheduled redelivery of Parcel Force delivery, F*ck, f*ck, f*ck.
12.37pm Decide to go to bed and worry whilst watching something trashy. Secretly hope that Pretty Woman is on again as saw the end of it last night and had forgotten what an old feel good classic it is.
 
I wrote a post like this a couple of years ago and I just found it. Crikey, it was from 2 years ago and now we are even busier!!.(6.30 is a lie in now!! Ahhh, they were the days!):lol: I can sympathise with your days, I think we have the same lifestyles - working for living to pay the mortgage and running a rescue. It is crazy! We both wake up to the smell of poo!! :lol::lol:

23rd March 09

7st 8 but not eating anything and should be a stone lighter.
Calories: Unknown but whatever is in 3 strong black coffees, 2 amaretto and cokes and 1 homemade flapjack.

6.30am The smell of cat diarrhea permeates the air. Probably the new cat food that contains avocado and beetroot. It smells ok in the tin but O/H has tried it and said it tastes like a nasty pate of some sort!
6.31am Discover have run out of tampons and sanitary towels.
6.32am Get into shower and wrestle with temperature controls and decide to add it to the long list of things in the house that are permanently broken and won't ever get fixed. (List now extremely long.)
6.45am Pigs start squealing for no apparent reason, luckily the neighbour AKA 'The Grinch' is no longer recording us for the environmental health department at the local council. Cockerels also crowing but this has been going on for over an hour and I am now immune to it.
7am Put old muck boots on with split sides, open gate and Brinsley's alarm clock goes off - hens clucking, goats bleating, horse whineying, guinea fowl screaching, pigeons flapping and pigs squealing even more! Rocky pig is also head butting stable door.
7.01am Trudge about doing the usual chores with a squeaky old rusty wheelbarrow looking like Hannah Hauxwell in a heavily stained old Primark coat and bob hat with more hay and woodshavings in it than actual hat knit.
8.49am Have own breakfast (black coffee). Number of phone messages:4.
9.10am Start bonding 2 rabbits that live here (Brownie and Freddie). Need to free up hutch space urgently!!.
9.38am Forget about rabbits as everything 'seems' fine and answer phone call regarding 'Oink' the Water Buffalo!!
11.36am Come off phone to discover fur everywhere and Brownie sat proudly behind a very badly chewed modem cable..........OMFG.
11.38am Internet and Email appear to be working. Decide there is a God and he is shining down on me.
12pm Get bus into Eastwood to sort out 6.31am's dilemma which has become urgent now.
12.34pm Answer call whilst in shop about 4 pigmy goats and 2 sheep, agree to take on in moment of insanity.
12.35pm Worry about goat and sheep agreement.
12.48pm Get bus back and worry more.
12.55pm Pop into newsagents to ask when 'Chat' magazine is next out as it will be featuring our Kune Kune pig. Answer is Thurs.
1.04pm Get back to discover a cement mixer on the doorstep. Think nothing of it.
2.30pm Start mucking out animals.
3.45pm Girls from down the road arrive to help out and inform me that cement mixer has been on doorstep for 24hours or more.
3.50pm Order girls to put some of the manure heap on the field as decide it's too big and might smell. Wonder if there is a council 'smellometer' that 'The Grinch' might ask them to bring round.
6.00pm Still mucking out and clearing up storm damage. Girls have got bored so appear to be having a tea party in the field.
7.12pm O/H rings me to say he's having a nice time in Sweden. Inform him that I am having a nice time smelling of horse sh*t and worrying about our next vets bill. He tells me it's cold and snowing in Sweden. I tell him I can't feel my toes and I have a stinking cold but at least we might have a water buffalo coming our way called 'Oink'. He decides to do a search for said water buffalo and finds him on YouTube. He feels sorry for him as has been attacked by youths and has had his hay set on fire (the internet says). Oh, well we'll have to have him then won't we.
7.30pm Dave and Lee, my sterling volunteers arrive. They think they are doing a home check for some hens but I have other plans. I give them a map, my scribbles and 2 pet carriers and send them off into the wilds of Derby to pick up 2 urgent bunnies needing attention on the RU forum.
7.41pm Still have to finish stuff outside.
9.39pm Start making tea.
9.51pm Stop making tea as Dave and Lee arrive with their consignment of 2. They hurtle off to Ikea to buy some Koppenburg or whatever it's called (apparently it's cheap there).
9.55pm Turn over 1 rabbit who stinks. The wounds are really bad and his leg is infected. His testicles look like very hard black grapes. He can't walk properly. I love him instantly and want to keep him. He's a little soldier I can tell.
10.23pm Madly clicking on computer to find 'calculator' device as can't work out dosage rates for anti biotics and pain relief in head. So tired am paranoid it's all wrong.
10.50pm Have cleaned up wounded rabbit and feel angry and venomous towards people again. They aren't even people, they are scum that treat sentient beings with such a throwaway attitude. Have decided perhaps there isn't a God after all.
10.52pm How can 5 cats do more than 5 sh*ts per day all in the house when they have access to outside. Why can't they go and cr*p in The Grinches garden?
10.53pm Clean litter trays are installed once more.
10.53pm Tommy cat whizzes into the fresh tray, cr*ps and then claws all around the side for a good minute or so. Gah. I give up.
11.00pm Have decided to give tea a miss and plump for 3 glasses of amaretto and coke after feeding indoor animals.
11.22pm Decide to write down todays diary. It isn't any more unusual or extraordinary than any other day. Start panicking about tomorrow as have agreed to take in another bunny and need to get to vets first thing and have also got to ring round to find homes for 60 goldfish. Haven't yet checked mobile phone. May have to work tomorrow. Heck, have also scheduled redelivery of Parcel Force delivery, F*ck, f*ck, f*ck.
12.37pm Decide to go to bed and worry whilst watching something trashy. Secretly hope that Pretty Woman is on again as saw the end of it last night and had forgotten what an old feel good classic it is.

You write like my mum writes :D

Another hat to take off to you too, I genuinely have no idea how you all do it all, how you all manage to juggle spaces and time and all the different needs.
 
Wowsers @ halfpenny and brinsley :shock: I have sooo much admiration for you guys!

Our typical day depends on whether it's a weekday or weekend, but I'll do a typical weekday:

7.30am. Get up and get dressed (would be 7am if doing a vet run before work).
7.30-8.30am. Feed pellets and change water (some need splitting up during feeding or soaked pellets)
8.30am. Go to work
5.30-6.30pm. Get home from work.
5.30-7.30pm. Do the vet run if needed. Feed veg (lots of gummy buns = lots of carrots and apple to grate). Clean out some of the outdoor rabbits and top up hay of the others.
7.30-8pm. Do medictions of all the sick buns (at the moment Meg, Vernon, Tufty, Gypsy, Herman).
8-9.30pm. Eat dinner, get a shower.
9.30-10.30pm. Clean out the indoor rabbits.
10.30pm-12am. Chill out with cuppa and TV

Of course all the above goes out the window if one of buns goes into stasis.

Think I've got it down to a pretty good routine :)
 
Gosh. It's absolutely amazing how much you manage to get done, and to keep going like that with so little time off. Kudos.
 
I wrote a post like this a couple of years ago and I just found it. Crikey, it was from 2 years ago and now we are even busier!!.(6.30 is a lie in now!! Ahhh, they were the days!):lol: I can sympathise with your days, I think we have the same lifestyles - working for living to pay the mortgage and running a rescue. It is crazy! We both wake up to the smell of poo!! :lol::lol:

23rd March 09

7st 8 but not eating anything and should be a stone lighter.
Calories: Unknown but whatever is in 3 strong black coffees, 2 amaretto and cokes and 1 homemade flapjack.

6.30am The smell of cat diarrhea permeates the air. Probably the new cat food that contains avocado and beetroot. It smells ok in the tin but O/H has tried it and said it tastes like a nasty pate of some sort!
6.31am Discover have run out of tampons and sanitary towels.
6.32am Get into shower and wrestle with temperature controls and decide to add it to the long list of things in the house that are permanently broken and won't ever get fixed. (List now extremely long.)
6.45am Pigs start squealing for no apparent reason, luckily the neighbour AKA 'The Grinch' is no longer recording us for the environmental health department at the local council. Cockerels also crowing but this has been going on for over an hour and I am now immune to it.
7am Put old muck boots on with split sides, open gate and Brinsley's alarm clock goes off - hens clucking, goats bleating, horse whineying, guinea fowl screaching, pigeons flapping and pigs squealing even more! Rocky pig is also head butting stable door.
7.01am Trudge about doing the usual chores with a squeaky old rusty wheelbarrow looking like Hannah Hauxwell in a heavily stained old Primark coat and bob hat with more hay and woodshavings in it than actual hat knit.
8.49am Have own breakfast (black coffee). Number of phone messages:4.
9.10am Start bonding 2 rabbits that live here (Brownie and Freddie). Need to free up hutch space urgently!!.
9.38am Forget about rabbits as everything 'seems' fine and answer phone call regarding 'Oink' the Water Buffalo!!
11.36am Come off phone to discover fur everywhere and Brownie sat proudly behind a very badly chewed modem cable..........OMFG.
11.38am Internet and Email appear to be working. Decide there is a God and he is shining down on me.
12pm Get bus into Eastwood to sort out 6.31am's dilemma which has become urgent now.
12.34pm Answer call whilst in shop about 4 pigmy goats and 2 sheep, agree to take on in moment of insanity.
12.35pm Worry about goat and sheep agreement.
12.48pm Get bus back and worry more.
12.55pm Pop into newsagents to ask when 'Chat' magazine is next out as it will be featuring our Kune Kune pig. Answer is Thurs.
1.04pm Get back to discover a cement mixer on the doorstep. Think nothing of it.
2.30pm Start mucking out animals.
3.45pm Girls from down the road arrive to help out and inform me that cement mixer has been on doorstep for 24hours or more.
3.50pm Order girls to put some of the manure heap on the field as decide it's too big and might smell. Wonder if there is a council 'smellometer' that 'The Grinch' might ask them to bring round.
6.00pm Still mucking out and clearing up storm damage. Girls have got bored so appear to be having a tea party in the field.
7.12pm O/H rings me to say he's having a nice time in Sweden. Inform him that I am having a nice time smelling of horse sh*t and worrying about our next vets bill. He tells me it's cold and snowing in Sweden. I tell him I can't feel my toes and I have a stinking cold but at least we might have a water buffalo coming our way called 'Oink'. He decides to do a search for said water buffalo and finds him on YouTube. He feels sorry for him as has been attacked by youths and has had his hay set on fire (the internet says). Oh, well we'll have to have him then won't we.
7.30pm Dave and Lee, my sterling volunteers arrive. They think they are doing a home check for some hens but I have other plans. I give them a map, my scribbles and 2 pet carriers and send them off into the wilds of Derby to pick up 2 urgent bunnies needing attention on the RU forum.
7.41pm Still have to finish stuff outside.
9.39pm Start making tea.
9.51pm Stop making tea as Dave and Lee arrive with their consignment of 2. They hurtle off to Ikea to buy some Koppenburg or whatever it's called (apparently it's cheap there).
9.55pm Turn over 1 rabbit who stinks. The wounds are really bad and his leg is infected. His testicles look like very hard black grapes. He can't walk properly. I love him instantly and want to keep him. He's a little soldier I can tell.
10.23pm Madly clicking on computer to find 'calculator' device as can't work out dosage rates for anti biotics and pain relief in head. So tired am paranoid it's all wrong.
10.50pm Have cleaned up wounded rabbit and feel angry and venomous towards people again. They aren't even people, they are scum that treat sentient beings with such a throwaway attitude. Have decided perhaps there isn't a God after all.
10.52pm How can 5 cats do more than 5 sh*ts per day all in the house when they have access to outside. Why can't they go and cr*p in The Grinches garden?
10.53pm Clean litter trays are installed once more.
10.53pm Tommy cat whizzes into the fresh tray, cr*ps and then claws all around the side for a good minute or so. Gah. I give up.
11.00pm Have decided to give tea a miss and plump for 3 glasses of amaretto and coke after feeding indoor animals.
11.22pm Decide to write down todays diary. It isn't any more unusual or extraordinary than any other day. Start panicking about tomorrow as have agreed to take in another bunny and need to get to vets first thing and have also got to ring round to find homes for 60 goldfish. Haven't yet checked mobile phone. May have to work tomorrow. Heck, have also scheduled redelivery of Parcel Force delivery, F*ck, f*ck, f*ck.
12.37pm Decide to go to bed and worry whilst watching something trashy. Secretly hope that Pretty Woman is on again as saw the end of it last night and had forgotten what an old feel good classic it is.


We do have quite similar lifestyles, however because I comfort eat and grab rubbish in between time my weight is getting ridiculous- I am pretty fit for my age but a bit of a heifer.:lol:
Thankfully we have less animals coming and going and have to deal with the public less- I can imagine its the hardest part.
 
Back
Top