helgalush
Wise Old Thumper
I'd appreciate any advice on this one please.
I went to an animal sanctuary today, all those animals seemed very well cared for and lots of space etc. It was a happy trip out until I saw a lone rabbit in one of the enclosures there. It had a reasonable sized run, not massive but not in a tiny hutch either. But then only a pet carrier as a base/hidey hole. I couldn't see a litter tray so presume that was it.
The rabbit was on bare mud with no water (despite three bowls being out) and no hay. It was in the run in an enclosure which had turkeys, chickens and geese squawking around loudly in it.
I alerted one of the volunteers to the fact the rabbit had no water and no hay. She said she was about to do the rounds, so we waited and she ran the hose in the main yard for the water but said it was "boiling" (it had been sitting in the sun). Still, this was what she gave to the rabbit.
Then she gave a whole carrot and some rabbit muesli in to one of the other bowls....but still no hay.
I asked about the rabbit and she said it had been given up by its family for being aggressive and biting. I asked if the rabbit was neutered but they have no intention of neutering the rabbit, even when I mentioned about uterine cancer. Firstly I was told because rabbits don't tolerate anaesthetic well and they'd had two males castrated and they had really struggled with it, and that she would be going in with the other females anyway. When I said that all ours were neutered and lots of rescues and people and sanctuaries neuter their rabbits these days, she said it was because of a lack of funds.
I am hoping to put a polite and constructive letter together, but am having trouble knowing how to word it right. What approach should I take? I want to get the balance right so that they read it and may take some information from it rather than being angry and dismissive at me like this lady was. (She took the frustration out by slamming the lid of the rabbit run down hard as I was talking to her - even my mother-in-law mentioned that afterwards and she is not really an animal person).
I would like to post them some RWAF leaflets and perhaps send an order of hay. I'd offer to donate something towards neutering costs but I'd imagine it would get spent elsewhere.
Your advice? Thanks.
I went to an animal sanctuary today, all those animals seemed very well cared for and lots of space etc. It was a happy trip out until I saw a lone rabbit in one of the enclosures there. It had a reasonable sized run, not massive but not in a tiny hutch either. But then only a pet carrier as a base/hidey hole. I couldn't see a litter tray so presume that was it.
The rabbit was on bare mud with no water (despite three bowls being out) and no hay. It was in the run in an enclosure which had turkeys, chickens and geese squawking around loudly in it.
I alerted one of the volunteers to the fact the rabbit had no water and no hay. She said she was about to do the rounds, so we waited and she ran the hose in the main yard for the water but said it was "boiling" (it had been sitting in the sun). Still, this was what she gave to the rabbit.
Then she gave a whole carrot and some rabbit muesli in to one of the other bowls....but still no hay.
I asked about the rabbit and she said it had been given up by its family for being aggressive and biting. I asked if the rabbit was neutered but they have no intention of neutering the rabbit, even when I mentioned about uterine cancer. Firstly I was told because rabbits don't tolerate anaesthetic well and they'd had two males castrated and they had really struggled with it, and that she would be going in with the other females anyway. When I said that all ours were neutered and lots of rescues and people and sanctuaries neuter their rabbits these days, she said it was because of a lack of funds.
I am hoping to put a polite and constructive letter together, but am having trouble knowing how to word it right. What approach should I take? I want to get the balance right so that they read it and may take some information from it rather than being angry and dismissive at me like this lady was. (She took the frustration out by slamming the lid of the rabbit run down hard as I was talking to her - even my mother-in-law mentioned that afterwards and she is not really an animal person).
I would like to post them some RWAF leaflets and perhaps send an order of hay. I'd offer to donate something towards neutering costs but I'd imagine it would get spent elsewhere.
Your advice? Thanks.
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