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Help! Sick baby bunny!

S

sharkfur

Warren Scout
Hello all you lovely bunny friends,

I had to pop into a pet store today - something I never do - to buy fish food, because we are going away on our holiday on Monday, and I realised we are running low on it. I have seen two baby bunnies in the pet store - the usual pet store way: in a glass tank (grrrr).. One of the bunnies was clearly sick - the area around the eyes were red/pink. :( I almost told the owners about it, wanted to ask them to help the little thing, but then I stopped, because I instantly thought they might just "get rid of the little one" because inconvenience. We know how these places work. So I decided to help out some other way...

I KNOW how we all feel about pet shops, I know if we help this little one, there will be a new one taking his/her place. But I think we can't just ignore an innocent baby bunny in need of help :( Please, tell me I am not wrong. We have our own bunny boy, who is getting a bit old, he never liked other buns, although we sure tried bonding him with our lovely girl Daisy.. who is not with us anymore. So, we desperately want to do something!

The pet store is in Molesey, Surrey, it has a terrible reputation, the owners clearly don't care about animals... as is the case with so many others as well.
Please, is there anyone out there who thinks like us and wants to help? I am happy to sponsor the little critter, if there was someone helping her/him. :( I am desperate, I don't know how to help if it is not this way...
 
sharkfur said:
Hello all you lovely bunny friends,

I had to pop into a pet store today - something I never do - to buy fish food, because we are going away on our holiday on Monday, and I realised we are running low on it. I have seen two baby bunnies in the pet store - the usual pet store way: in a glass tank (grrrr).. One of the bunnies was clearly sick - the area around the eyes were red/pink. :( I almost told the owners about it, wanted to ask them to help the little thing, but then I stopped, because I instantly thought they might just "get rid of the little one" because inconvenience. We know how these places work. So I decided to help out some other way...

I KNOW how we all feel about pet shops, I know if we help this little one, there will be a new one taking his/her place. But I think we can't just ignore an innocent baby bunny in need of help :( Please, tell me I am not wrong. We have our own bunny boy, who is getting a bit old, he never liked other buns, although we sure tried bonding him with our lovely girl Daisy.. who is not with us anymore. So, we desperately want to do something!

The pet store is in Molesey, Surrey, it has a terrible reputation, the owners clearly don't care about animals... as is the case with so many others as well.
Please, is there anyone out there who thinks like us and wants to help? I am happy to sponsor the little critter, if there was someone helping her/him. :( I am desperate, I don't know how to help if it is not this way...
Click to expand...

I know EXACTLY the place you mean and I have reported them to both the local Council and the RSPCA on numerous occasions. I cannot tell you not to buy the ill Rabbit, I would be a hypocrite to do so. But do consider the welfare of the Rabbit you already have. Can you safely quarantine a sick Rabbit and carry out total barrier nursing care ?

Is your current Rabbit vaccinated against Myxomatosis, RHD1 AND RHD2 (Filavac) ? If not I would not take the huge risk of buying the baby Rabbit. If you use the Vet in Park Road they are clueless about RHD2........................

If you could go back into the shop and try to obtain a photo of the sick Rabbit then you could use it to re-inforce another report to Elmbrige Council Environmental Health Department (who issue the licence to sell animals) and to the RSPCA. The RSPCA wont take a Report about a Pet Shop unless the local Council has already been informed.

Realistically and with my 'sensible hat' on the best thing to do would be to Report the Pet Shop. I know it is hard to walk away once we have actually seen sick Pet Shop Rabbit. I have failed to do so on more than one occasion.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I know EXACTLY the place you mean and I have reported them to both the local Council and the RSPCA on numerous occasions. I cannot tell you not to buy the ill Rabbit, I would be a hypocrite to do so. But do consider the welfare of the Rabbit you already have. Can you safely quarantine a sick Rabbit and carry out total barrier nursing care ?

Is your current Rabbit vaccinated against Myxomatosis, RHD1 AND RHD2 (Filavac) ? If not I would not take the huge risk of buying the baby Rabbit. If you use the Vet in Park Road they are clueless about RHD2........................

If you could go back into the shop and try to obtain a photo of the sick Rabbit then you could use it to re-inforce another report to Elmbrige Council Environmental Health Department (who issue the licence to sell animals) and to the RSPCA. The RSPCA wont take a Report about a Pet Shop unless the local Council has already been informed.

Realistically and with my 'sensible hat' on the best thing to do would be to Report the Pet Shop. I know it is hard to walk away once we have actually seen sick Pet Shop Rabbit. I have failed to do so on more than one occasion.
Click to expand...

Hi Jane!
I was thinking about reporting...but what will that accomplish? I mean, you yourself reported them numerous occasions? IS there anything encouraging about those occasions? :
My boy is up-to-date with his vaccinations, but no, we are not registered at that vet place, I just had to be in Molesey, that's why I was there...
No, I can't take the little one in, I will be abroad for a week starting with monday, I was not trying to, I just deperately trying to find a solution. If there was anyone willing to help the little critter out, I would sponsor it.. I really want to help. I can't walk away, but can't actively do anything... :( Is there a way to somehow work with a nearby rescue maybe??? :O Or anyone???
 
sharkfur said:
Hi Jane!
I was thinking about reporting...but what will that accomplish? I mean, you yourself reported them numerous occasions? IS there anything encouraging about those occasions? :
My boy is up-to-date with his vaccinations, but no, we are not registered at that vet place, I just had to be in Molesey, that's why I was there...
No, I can't take the little one in, I will be abroad for a week starting with monday, I was not trying to, I just deperately trying to find a solution. If there was anyone willing to help the little critter out, I would sponsor it.. I really want to help. I can't walk away, but can't actively do anything... :( Is there a way to somehow work with a nearby rescue maybe??? :O Or anyone???
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not my complaints over the years have had little if any impact. Whilst it does not sound as though the Rabbit should have been on the shop floor you cant know for certain that he/she was not receiving Veterinary treatment as you say that you did not speak to the Shop Owner. Although admittedly I'd be surprised if a Vet had been consulted. But that is just a personal opinion not a statement of fact. You could call the RSPCA and report your concerns. You never know, other people may have contacted them about the Pet Shop too and so the RSPCA may decide to pay the Shop a visit.

I am sorry I cant be of more help :cry:
 
Definitely report with photographic evidence if possible. The council can go out and inspect the animals and premises and remove their ability to sell live animals.
Once reported to the council report onto the RSPCA.
The bun could be receiving treatment, without speaking to the owner you don't know. So if you do go back in, have a chat and ask. Just say it doesn't look quite right and you wanted to check it was seen by a vet.

I had it a bit in the shop where if we had an ill animal, but it would have been no benefit to quatenteen them (e.g. guinea pig with eye infection) so we'd leave them on shop floor but mark the cage as unwell and not for sale while receiving treatment. A lot of customers wouldn't believe they were being treated so I'd have to actually go get the medicine from quatenteen with veterinary prescription labels all over it to prove to the customer. Even then they'd call the council and I'd have to go through all our treatment records with the council to prove we were treating the animal. (Quarenteen had small cages so we avoided using it unless it was contagious to other animals or zoonotic). I think the fact the customer took pictures to send to the council helped to get a response. Hope this gives some hope? Not all shops are bad, mine was incredibly good if I do say so myself.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
daphnephoebe said:
Definitely report with photographic evidence if possible. The council can go out and inspect the animals and premises and remove their ability to sell live animals.
Once reported to the council report onto the RSPCA.
The bun could be receiving treatment, without speaking to the owner you don't know. So if you do go back in, have a chat and ask. Just say it doesn't look quite right and you wanted to check it was seen by a vet.

I had it a bit in the shop where if we had an ill animal, but it would have been no benefit to quatenteen them (e.g. guinea pig with eye infection) so we'd leave them on shop floor but mark the cage as unwell and not for sale while receiving treatment. A lot of customers wouldn't believe they were being treated so I'd have to actually go get the medicine from quatenteen with veterinary prescription labels all over it to prove to the customer. Even then they'd call the council and I'd have to go through all our treatment records with the council to prove we were treating the animal. (Quarenteen had small cages so we avoided using it unless it was contagious to other animals or zoonotic). I think the fact the customer took pictures to send to the council helped to get a response. Hope this gives some hope? Not all shops are bad, mine was incredibly good if I do say so myself.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

DP has given excellent advice, and on reading your thread this sounds like the very best way forward.

I know of a Pet Shop that was reported to the council. The R.S.P.C.A. got involved and removed some of the animals.

Good luck xx
 
Thank you very much for all the comments! I shall try to do something about this.
BUT! there is one issue - as I said, I am going away for a week, I can't go in and take a photo...

erm..Jane? YOu sounded like you are from around here too... Could you possibly take a picture if you are?
Or anyone, if you are near that place?? Please, it would be a great help, quite possible the only way forward then ..

Thank you!
 
Do you have friend or family you can also ask in case Jane is unable to?

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
poor bun, hope your complaints are listened to, we had 2 pet shops here, the one in main ton centre has been reported numerous times for all the animals but the rspca sadly don't do anything, the one which is just down road, I think has shut down, I was so happy when saw it closed few months back, not been open since, and I hope it remains that way, the smell as you passed was horrid
 
Does any of your news media ever report on animal welfare issues? It may persuade the RSPCA and the licensing agency to do their jobs.
Have animal rights groups every held informational pickets outside the store? Sometimes that will get attention which is bad for business and may persuade the shops to stick to selling supplies and not live animals.
Many pet shops in my area have discontinued selling animals and instead open a small area of their stores to organizations who wish to adopt pets. While this began with dogs and cats, it has now grown to include some small animals.
 
bunny momma said:
Does any of your news media ever report on animal welfare issues? It may persuade the RSPCA and the licensing agency to do their jobs.
Have animal rights groups every held informational pickets outside the store? Sometimes that will get attention which is bad for business and may persuade the shops to stick to selling supplies and not live animals.
Many pet shops in my area have discontinued selling animals and instead open a small area of their stores to organizations who wish to adopt pets. While this began with dogs and cats, it has now grown to include some small animals.
Click to expand...

they so pickets outside the one I mentioned in my town, just wish it would shut down for good
 
Given that this is a public part of RU and the shop has been identified (locals will know it, it is the only one in the area and it's reputation is well known), it may be best to continue any discussion about 'what to do' via PM. I have had my fingers burned by trying to help some Rabbits in distress in the past only to find that there are some people who read RU who are more intent in causing problems for certain people than they are in helping Rabbits :roll:
 
Last edited:
Jack's-Jane said:
I know EXACTLY the place you mean and I have reported them to both the local Council and the RSPCA on numerous occasions. I cannot tell you not to buy the ill Rabbit, I would be a hypocrite to do so. But do consider the welfare of the Rabbit you already have. Can you safely quarantine a sick Rabbit and carry out total barrier nursing care ?

Is your current Rabbit vaccinated against Myxomatosis, RHD1 AND RHD2 (Filavac) ? If not I would not take the huge risk of buying the baby Rabbit. If you use the Vet in Park Road they are clueless about RHD2........................

If you could go back into the shop and try to obtain a photo of the sick Rabbit then you could use it to re-inforce another report to Elmbrige Council Environmental Health Department (who issue the licence to sell animals) and to the RSPCA. The RSPCA wont take a Report about a Pet Shop unless the local Council has already been informed.

Realistically and with my 'sensible hat' on the best thing to do would be to Report the Pet Shop. I know it is hard to walk away once we have actually seen sick Pet Shop Rabbit. I have failed to do so on more than one occasion.
Click to expand...

you chose rite way dear. I appreciate
 
Oh, I never understand how people can be so evil at times... :( But fair point Jane, I just never assume someone could be full of intentions like that...I am so sorry you had experiences like that.
I guess I can only hope it will not be too late when I come back, because I can't find anyone to help... pains me badly. Can't walk away from it, the little one is in need of help, and I know we can't save them all, but I can't be selective with which bunny to help... :(
 
sharkfur said:
Oh, I never understand how people can be so evil at times... :( But fair point Jane, I just never assume someone could be full of intentions like that...I am so sorry you had experiences like that.
I guess I can only hope it will not be too late when I come back, because I can't find anyone to help... pains me badly. Can't walk away from it, the little one is in need of help, and I know we can't save them all, but I can't be selective with which bunny to help... :(
Click to expand...


To be fair I doubt whether there's any folk on RU who's got bad intentions towards rabbits or people who love rabbits. But there are people who browse here who don't post, such as vets for example - so I guess the info is open to anyone who doesn't actually 'belong' to the Forum.

Good luck Sharkfur. I hope you manage to achieve something for the bunny.

I drove 175+ miles on Friday to fetch a little one in need of a new home. It's good to do what we can - it all helps :D
 
sharkfur said:
Oh, I never understand how people can be so evil at times... :( But fair point Jane, I just never assume someone could be full of intentions like that...I am so sorry you had experiences like that.
I guess I can only hope it will not be too late when I come back, because I can't find anyone to help... pains me badly. Can't walk away from it, the little one is in need of help, and I know we can't save them all, but I can't be selective with which bunny to help... :(
Click to expand...

Thanks for the PM, we'll update you soon x
 
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