Tamsin
24-10-2004, 05:58 PM
You may have read about the www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/9081603.htm%3F1c+petco+adoption+house+rabbit&hl=en]rescues (http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:V9aDgytXUuUJ:[url) in the US that teamed up with the local PetCo[/url] (equivilent of Pets at Home) awhile back.
I recently contacted the HRS which organised it to find out how they got on and apparentely its been a success! Instead of PetCo selling approx 100 rabbits they have sold 0 and instead helped adopt out 27 rescue rabbits! They have also seen a reduction in rabbits coming into shelters.
They have kindly offered to post me the information pack they provide rescues who want to start up a similar scheme so I can pass it on to UK rescues.
Here are a few details though....
Part of what makes our program unique is that we take rabbits to the stores & they live their 24/7. We train the store on how to properly care for them, and then the store is responsible for their daily needs. We have volunteers that pass through the stores randomly, at least once a week, to verify everything is being done correctly. The advantage of this set up is it essentially provides additional cage space for the shelters. The store personell even exercise the rabbits daily during the hour prior to store open when they are cleaning animal enclosures.
We provide the store with "adoption kits" that are two-pocket folders with our application as well as rabbit behavior & care information. The store employees are responsible for handing out the kits and faxing in applications as they are completed. The applicants go home with this kit full of reading materials, so they can learn while they await our contact for an interview. That is all the involvement the pet store has with the adoption process. The entire decision making process is controlled by us. (which is exactly the way we wanted it)
If we could organise similar schemes between UK rescues and petshops this could really help reduce the number of rabbits that are brought and later handed to rescues and also increase the number of rabbits adopted.
Tamsin
I recently contacted the HRS which organised it to find out how they got on and apparentely its been a success! Instead of PetCo selling approx 100 rabbits they have sold 0 and instead helped adopt out 27 rescue rabbits! They have also seen a reduction in rabbits coming into shelters.
They have kindly offered to post me the information pack they provide rescues who want to start up a similar scheme so I can pass it on to UK rescues.
Here are a few details though....
Part of what makes our program unique is that we take rabbits to the stores & they live their 24/7. We train the store on how to properly care for them, and then the store is responsible for their daily needs. We have volunteers that pass through the stores randomly, at least once a week, to verify everything is being done correctly. The advantage of this set up is it essentially provides additional cage space for the shelters. The store personell even exercise the rabbits daily during the hour prior to store open when they are cleaning animal enclosures.
We provide the store with "adoption kits" that are two-pocket folders with our application as well as rabbit behavior & care information. The store employees are responsible for handing out the kits and faxing in applications as they are completed. The applicants go home with this kit full of reading materials, so they can learn while they await our contact for an interview. That is all the involvement the pet store has with the adoption process. The entire decision making process is controlled by us. (which is exactly the way we wanted it)
If we could organise similar schemes between UK rescues and petshops this could really help reduce the number of rabbits that are brought and later handed to rescues and also increase the number of rabbits adopted.
Tamsin