Thoughts about RWA latest 'first alert' on costs and reasons for rabbits in rescue

RWA just did a first alert drawing attention to reasons people give for handing in rabbits - and also focussing on the excuse of 'cant afford it' -

I e-mailed them (RWA) my thoughts . . (as below)


re the latest first alert -

as many rescues will confirm - the majority of the given excuses are actually just that - 'excuses' - and often also downright lies -

to cover up the irresponsibility of people that have just bought a pet for no better reason than 'we saw it at the garden centre and the children wanted it' and then of course got bored . . .

I personally even in my small way have taken in animals from people where it has subsequently been found out that , no they were not pregnant, no their child was not allergic, no the rabbit was not a year old - it was just 4 months . . etc etc

The truth is that the rabbits are purchased in the same thoughtless way as a pot plant or ice cream . .


The money is often another 'made up' or invalid 'excuse' as many of these people wouldn't bother to vaccinate or vet check anyway . .

The RWA (and any other bodies it can get on board) needs to really focus on stoping the sale of rabits in garden centres in particular (followed by pet shops) and thus stop the very possibility of 'instant buying' without consideration . . .

The latest three into my small 'collection' of animals desperately in need of a new home ALL originally came from Garden Centres!

Rant - very slighty - over!!!! (feel a little better for that!!!)

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

:thumb: Sums it up perfectly.

Whilst I do agree with you about the excuses, we are always saying on here that rabbits are not cheap pets. This is often badly understood before people buy them. So, given the current financial climate, not being able to afford the vet bills and suchlike of a rabbit is definitely a realistic possibility.

Parsnipbun I really do agree with you about the excuses and the not selling rabbits and other animals in pet shops and garden centres as ideally everyone would be going to rescue centres for the buns and other furries. However, it just occurred to me, I don't know why it hasn't before but by people going to pet shops (such as the one we are all always slating) people will be getting the rabbit info booklet and hopefully being served by a half decent sales assistant. If pet shops stopped selling them people would be going to breeders (easier than having a homecheck after all) and who knows what sort of dodgy advice they will be giving out as we've seen on this forum examples of buns from apparently "good" breeders and others. Possibly the only solution is to tighten up on breeding as a whole.

What I am particularly concerned about is imulse buys -

here is a copy of a reply I sent to RWA after they very kindly noted my comments (I have not attached their reply as it addressed the earlier comments)



I do appreciate the work you are doing and also the extent of the problem - but the Garden Centres in particular are a specific issue that I think would be worth targetting.

Garden Centres (a misnomer really as a recent survey revealed that on average only 40% groundspace in any garden centre was actually dedicated to plants) have become 'places to take granny and the children' for tea and a day out.

Unlike pet shops - where people go to specifically buy a pet related product or new pet - and so are theoretically catering to those who may be intending to buy a pet/have already got some experience in pets - Garden Centres target the 'impulse buy' of a rabbit to an even greater extent - and often as an on-the spot- gift (granny to children etc).

The staff are frequently plant/general gifts sales persons with zero experience of pets at all let alone species specific.


Also a campaign that focussed on Garden Centres is not a huge total threat to the Garden Centre as it is a small part of their business.

In fact I know of at least two that recently stopped selling rabbits as the costs in floor space for the income was not high enough - they can make more by using the space for other products . .

Garden Centres additionally often don't takethe Pet Trade Mags and Newsletters and so are not 'reached' by campaigns aimed at Pet Shops generally - so continue to give poor advice on welfare , homing etc

Preloved/Gumtree are of course also being tackled by campaigns gereally to stop the sale of live animals - but again they are less often 'impulse buy' sites - (I admit a cute photo may cause an impulse buy - but you still have to travel to pick it up - arrange feed and hutch etc) - the garden centre presents you with it all at once.

I would therefore very much favour a campaign which focussed on garden centres. 'I am a pet not a plant'

Definitely! It's the impulse buys which are putting most pressure on rescues. Once the bun grows up and becomes hormonal and too big for the "starter cages" people tend to get sent away with that's the time people realise they don't want the poor bun anymore. I'd not like to comment on training as the only garden centres I've been to with pets had specific pet shop staff or were part of a larger chain so had said chain's training.

Valid points but I do have to stick up for the garden centre where I got my Summer from. The pet centre is a separate business 'Notcutts' and the staff r all trained in animal care and very knowledgable. they have clear signs listing the costs of buying and keeping the pets they sell, they go through everything with u really thoroughly, they know the breeders, the correct sex and the exact breed and date of birth of the animals. They currently have some rabbits that r only being sold in their sibling pairs (one pair of which my sis had to tear me away from yesterday as I'd fallen in love with them wks ago and couldn't believe they were still there, "waiting for me" of course :lol:!)
Unfortunately, there r the same issues with puppies, people will still go to breeders/breed irrisponsibly when rescues r overflowing. It makes me want to cry I think a good starting point would be to ban the sale of unsuitable hutches and cages. One shop I went in the other day has a hutch for sale that u might keep a hamster in. A rat would prob need more space so the thought that someone could buy that then go and buy a rabbit or guinea pig and shove it in there is sickening. If all hutches were the correct sizes (and therefore a lot more expensive) it would make people think twice at least and prevent impulse buys. Of course there's nothing to stop people buying second hand or making their own unsuitable housing but at least it would massively raise awareness of the actual needs of these animals.
Ok that turned out longer than i thought!! Phew we all need a good rant about these things sometimes :lol:

I agree about Garden Centres, and in my experience they also seem to offer even worse accommodation than the big pet shop chain. (Mind you I have seen hutches that are much worse for sale outside my local independent pet shop). I've seen one garden centre near here (that has a good reputation as a nice place for a day out) that offered "rabbit runs" and hutches that were only 18" high...how on earth is a fully grown rabbit supposed to periscope and binky in that? :? I refuse to go there anymore, and I wrote them a long letter expressing my concerns about the hutches/runs for sale, and some duff info on their website but I got the standard patronising reply. They just have no idea about the specific needs of rabbits.

ETA: On the day that we said our final goodbye to Miss Fay in Cambridge, we had to take a diversion because the main route back home was blocked...needing a break we pulled in to this garden centre...it was the run up to Easter and as soon as we walked in there were Easter displays with tiny hutches and runs with toy rabbits in them....I saw they had a pets area, and I just said to my OH, I can't be in this shop any longer. Yet you could guarantee the place was full of people, families, young children stopping to look at the cute displays of daffodils and toy rabbits and tiny hutches.

Rhian33 said:

Parsnipbun I really do agree with you about the excuses and the not selling rabbits and other animals in pet shops and garden centres as ideally everyone would be going to rescue centres for the buns and other furries. However, it just occurred to me, I don't know why it hasn't before but by people going to pet shops (such as the one we are all always slating) people will be getting the rabbit info booklet and hopefully being served by a half decent sales assistant. If pet shops stopped selling them people would be going to breeders (easier than having a homecheck after all) and who knows what sort of dodgy advice they will be giving out as we've seen on this forum examples of buns from apparently "good" breeders and others. Possibly the only solution is to tighten up on breeding as a whole.

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I'd personally rather see an end to pet shops/garden centre sale of animals, since people are much less likely to impulse buy from a breeder.

SarahP said:

I'd personally rather see an end to pet shops/garden centre sale of animals, since people are much less likely to impulse buy from a breeder.

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I agree but have seen awful advice being given out by breeders so I don't think either is great tbh. I think ultimately the best solution would be to have a good relationship with local rescues, stopo selling animals but provide the accommodation for the people using rescues to go and buy.

Pets shops and garden centres make me sad ... i went into my local one looking for a hamster suitable cage (ie 75x40x40 cm minimum with 1cm bar spacing) and there was nothing ... even their hutches were not big enough for a hamster!