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Urgent-ish: any advice about stray rabbit?

Shula

Warren Scout
Hi,

So, I live in a small rural village, and several months ago I saw two bunnies hopping loose in one of the side roads. Was worried they had escaped and knocked on a couple of doors nearby. Found the owners who said, 'oh yeah, they're free range bunnies, we just let them go wherever they want'. I found this quite upsetting, but decided not to interfere - e.g. by calling RSPCA - because it is a very quiet cul-de-sac and, if I'm honest, because the people looked slightly scary!

I have seen the bunnies on the grass verge once or twice since then, and each time it upsets me, but I haven't done anything.

However, tonight I was driving home and I actually nearly ran one of the bunnies over on the single lane 60mph road leading into the village. Didn't feel able to leave it there after that, and so, armed with some bunny pellets, I went back and found it in the field at the edge of the village. I caught it (think its a female) and brought her back to my house. Haven't looked closely at her, as haven't wanted to upset her, but she looks in fine health, although she has got very muddy matts above her tail, which I will sort out in the morning.

She's hilariously chilled out, and seems very happy to be in my kitchen - she dried herself off and then flopped very contentedly under my kitchen table - so different to my two scaredy-buns!

Anyway, tomorrow morning I will go round to the house and ask if they are missing their bunny, and, of course, if it is theirs I will bring it back to them. But I don't feel I can then report them to the RSPCA, because the people would know it was me, and I'm a bit scared of them - it's a very small village! So then the bunny will just be left to free range again, which makes me so sad. Maybe it's better than her being shut in a tiny hutch, but it's so dangerous!

If it is not theirs, I have no idea what I will do! I am supposed to be driving down to Devon for Christmas tomorrow lunchtime. I can put up posters but I don't want to kidnap someone's rabbit for Christmas! Perhaps a local rescue might have a place for it or something. She's safely shut away from my bunnies for tonight with some hay and water and a few pellets.

Anyway, sorry this is so long, but if anyone has any advice I'd really appreciate it.
 
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Clearly bunny is safer with you than it is "free ranging" so quite honestly if it were me I would keep it, at least until you see signs or similar saying it is missing and owners are concerned.
 
I agree with Amber. I'd keep it too. I'd be very reluctant to take it back, especially as they don't seem bothered about it. They won't know you've got it. I take it the other bunny has gone missing?
 
I agree - keep the bun if you can - I know I wouldn't be able to give it back knowing it would just end up in danger again - plus, bun sounds very content and happy to be safely indoors :thumb:
 
I hope you can get the other bunny too as he is at risk of being hit by a car too.
If it was me, I probably would keep them both and let the people be under the impression that they are lost forever. But then I am all about the welfare of the bunnies rather than humans. Lol. :p
 
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. This morning I picked up the bunny to check her over and she had awful muddy matts all around her tail. I trimmed them all away and they were so tight they had nearly ripped the skin underneath :cry: I then went round to the house that I thought she came from and said I had nearly hit her with my car on the main road, and that she had horrible sore matts, but, they said they wanted her (or, 'him' as they called it) back. They said they were going out but just to release her on the road again. :cry:

I was so upset, but since they said they wanted it back I didn't think I could steal her - also, it's a very small village and a lot of people know that the bunny belongs to them, so I don't think I could have got away with keeping her! I reported it to the RSPCA, who are going to send an inspector round there. They agreed that since they said they wanted her back, I had to return her to their garden (which is not contained in any way :cry:). So, with a lot of sadness, that's what I have done. :(

I'm now really hoping that the RSPCA will be able to help her: the inspector is going to call me to let me know what happens.
 
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Personally I would not have taken her back. I would have kept her and kept quiet about it. It is just a question of time until she does get run over.

In my opinion the RSPCA is absolutely useless , that's why I support small no kill rescues and not the RSPCA.

Quite a few RSPCA centres give animals a set amount of time until they kill them. So even if they confiscated her she would probably be destroyed once her time is up anyway.

That is why I absolutely refuse to donate or support the RSPCA.
 
It must have absolutely broken your heart to hand her back :cry:


In my opinion the RSPCA is absolutely useless , that's why I support small no kill rescues and not the RSPCA.

Quite a few RSPCA centres give animals a set amount of time until they kill them. So even if they confiscated her she would probably be destroyed once her time is up anyway.

That is why I absolutely refuse to donate or support the RSPCA.

But just what are the RSPCA supposed to do with all the surplus animals? The no kill rescues are not obliged to take any responsibility for the animals so can take what they can manage but the RSPCA don't have that option. Humane PTS is a better option than the neglect that they would probably have to endure if the RSPCA didn't exist. I don't like the situation either but I don't blame the RSPCA, I blame the people who keep on breeding despite the fact there are nto enough homes for the animals already in existence.
 
Maybe if the RSPCA didn't waste the donations good hearted people give them on a swanky new head office, a ridiculously high salary for their CEO and other senior staff or on Marketing activities, they would have the money to rescue and not kill animals.

That is why I only give to small private no kill rescues .
 
Maybe if the RSPCA didn't waste the donations good hearted people give them on a swanky new head office, a ridiculously high salary for their CEO and other senior staff or on Marketing activities, they would have the money to rescue and not kill animals.

That is why I only give to small private no kill rescues .

I agree the money given centrally isn't spent well, that's why I would give to branches but not someone shaking a tin. But the question still remains if they 'save' the animals, what happens next? There just aren't enough homes for them.
 
Personally I would not have taken her back. I would have kept her and kept quiet about it. It is just a question of time until she does get run over.

In my opinion the RSPCA is absolutely useless , that's why I support small no kill rescues and not the RSPCA.

Quite a few RSPCA centres give animals a set amount of time until they kill them. So even if they confiscated her she would probably be destroyed once her time is up anyway.

That is why I absolutely refuse to donate or support the RSPCA.

There are worse things that can happen to an animal than to be humanely put to sleep.
 
I feel that the RSPCA should make it clear to those giving up animals to them, that they are likely to simply kill them. I refuse to support them in any way.
 
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