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Those Who Run Rescues

Beapig

Mama Doe
I have a few questions that I'm curious about from those on the front lines!

1. Do you seek out rabbits in need, or more often than not do they get surrendered to you/turn up on your doorstep?

2. Does anyone run small-scale rescues from home, or is rescue work your full time occupation?

3. Do you think that a permanent sanctuary or rehome/adoption system is best?

4. I am curious if rabbit meat farming is still a 'thing' in the UK, and if any sanctuary volunteers ever try to rescue sick animals from livestock markets?

Interested in all of the above with the long-term aim of starting my own small sanctuary if I am ever in the situation financially to do so. For now I support several farm animal sanctuaries with monthly donations, but a small scale non-profit has always been on my radar.

I know that some people on RU work in animal rescue, so I would very much appreciate your thoughts on the above, or anything else about rescue life that you may wish to share :)
 
Hi, we run a sanctuary, space, time and finances are the biggest issues with running rescues.
In answer to your questions-
1. We never look for animals, we would be overwhelmed and over run is we looked on gumtree and Facebook etc.
We wait for people to contact us via vets, other rescues or word of mouth, even then we try to keep to a set criteria to ensure we take in animals at risk.
2. We have the sanctuary at our Croft so live here, personally I would not recommend having any animals at a place where there isn’t someone around most of the time.
Mike works full time and I work part time, this pays our personal bills and any extra goes into halfpenny.
3. It depends on what you want to do and each has specific requirements.
We decide to become a sanctuary because we had a large amount of animals people did not want to adopt, old, ill, behavioural issues. Along with this we found rehoming animals to people who lied very hard. It didn’t happen often, and many animals got great homes but it was enough to disillusion me.
I think if you become a sanctuary you need to take in animals at risk, hard to Rehome, who have issues.
If you take in young, healthy, happy animals, they should get rehomed.
As a sanctuary you need to offer good space, be able to cover vet bills and have a good knowledge of various health issues.
As a rehoming rescue you need to be able to have home checks done, follow ups and be able to fit suitable pets with suitable carers.
4. I don’t go to any sales, although I have been asked to take animals left over from them. I know locally of one for ‘livestock’ but i’ve Never seen rabbits for sale.
 
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Hi, we run a sanctuary, space, time and finances are the biggest issues with running rescues.
In answer to your questions-
1. We never look for animals, we would be overwhelmed and over run is we looked on gumtree and Facebook etc.
We wait for people to contact us via vets, other rescues or word of mouth, even then we try to keep to a set criteria to ensure we take in animals at risk.
2. We have the sanctuary at our Croft so live here, personally I would not recommend having any animals at a place where there isn’t someone around most of the time.
Mike works full time and I work part time, this pays our personal bills and any extra goes into halfpenny.
3. It depends on what you want to do and each has specific requirements.
We decide to become a sanctuary because we had a large amount of animals people did not want to adopt, old, ill, behavioural issues. Along with this we found rehoming animals to people who lied very hard. It didn’t happen often, and many animals got great homes but it was enough to disillusion me.
I think if you become a sanctuary you need to take in animals at risk, hard to Rehome, who have issues.
If you take in young, healthy, happy animals, they should get rehomed.
As a sanctuary you need to offer good space, be able to cover vet bills and have a good knowledge of various health issues.
As a rehoming rescue you need to be able to have home checks done, follow ups and be able to fit suitable pets with suitable carpets.
4. I don’t go to any sales, although I have been asked to take animals left over from them. I know reggae go one for ‘livestock’ but i’ve Never seen rabbits for sale.

Thank you for sharing halfpenny, this is very informative and interesting to me. Whilst I am not in the position at this time to start a sanctuary, it is certainly something which has been on my mind since rescuing and caring for my very neglected rabbit Plumpkin. I would love to help more animals like her, even if it means just one year of a happy life for them before they pass.
 
hi


1. We never look for animals but there are several groups on FB that try to look for rabbits at risk. We have taken some via these groups but do find people on them are highlighting every animal for sale and this defeats the object and can encourage the BYBs

2. Homerun rescue with fosterers

3. Neither is best. Both provide different services. We end up being part sanctuary as have a true non-destruct policy so any rabbit that comes in with ongoing medical or behavioural problems stays. Rehoming allows us to help people wanting pets to take on those that have been discarded and then free up space to help another at risk.

4. Rabbit farming is a thing still as our lab animals . No we don't rescue from farms. Many years ago we did go to a local livestock market just before X mas to see what went on really. Ended up coming back with a number of rabbits and guineas but would not advise it being a regualar thing. ( we went twice ). If you go you will end up buying animals, this again encourages the trade. Also one animal can give you a HUGE vet bill. One rabbit we took form auction had awful teeth and ran up bills in the hundreds.
We have one guinea rescue near us, relatively new, and they go to auctions to buy up stock and "adopt" them on quickly then post how large their "rehoming" figures are. This is not rescuing , this is simply selling 2nd hand pets.

Advice re thinking of starting a rescue: foster for one first. Get used to having a few extra animals and being responsible for vet runs for them and monitoring their health and well being . Also being able to hand them over to new owners. We don't get hardened to it in fact on Saturday I shed a few tears as homed a rabbit I had part hand reared and it is hard.

Also you need financial stability as you can suddenly be faced with a vet bills of a few hundred. Rescues that are constantly in debt put themselves and the animals in their care at risk so not good.

You need to be good with people ( some may laugh here if know me ! ) I have a reputation for being blunt and don't suffer fools easily BUT animal rescue is as much dealing with people as the animals and believe it or not I have sat for a couple of hours listening to peoples woes whilst dealing with the pets they can no longer cope with, I have held the hands of those diagnosed with cancer and having to give up much loved animals, and hugged those going through marriage break ups.
You also meet a great many idiots and those unfeeling and irresponsible few you'd like to slap.

Trying to even have 2 nights away becaomes a major operation
Christmas Day you are still feeding, cleaning and medicating animals
Rescue takes over your life but the rewards are large too and seeing a scared or ill animal become fit, well and go off to a loving home is wonderful
 
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If you have space Fostering is a lovely way to help support rescues on a small scale. It can be quite nice to offer the more needed ones some extra TLC on a more 1-2-1 basis.

I think Honeybunny is completely right about the people aspect. I really love interacting with the new potential owners and passing on knowledge, but I think I would really struggle if I had to deal with the people who surrendered them. My current foster is really traumatised and we think he'd possibly been living in a cardboard box, it takes a real strength to keep your composure and remain calm so you can get that animal to safety.
 
I don’t run a rescue although I do volunteer for one mainly as a foster carer but I also help out when I can with events and other charity activities. I really enjoy being a foster carer, would definitely recommend it if you have a rescue near you. So far I’ve looked after over 30 rabbits which is just a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things, and I’ve also lost 4 foster bunnies.

This article might be useful for you https://belovedrabbits.org/it-s-a-way-of-life/ - many of the points have already been mentioned above. I would also struggle to deal with the people side of it, some won’t be entirely truthful and will say anything to get their rabbit to the top of the waiting list. I’m not much of a people person at the best of times :?
 
A lot of good points from Jill, especially about being good with people. It’s hard when taking in a pet because the owner has fallen on hard times ( be it health, relationship or finances) and is doing the best for that animal, whilst it’s breaking their hearts, then on the other side, you have to be pleasant and friendly to get an animal away from a situation when you want to scream and shout at the person for letting them get into such a state!
 
I have a few questions that I'm curious about from those on the front lines!

1. Do you seek out rabbits in need, or more often than not do they get surrendered to you/turn up on your doorstep? We run a waiting list. However, we do sometimes take rabbits that have identified as at risk due to living in poor conditions via a facebook group

2. Does anyone run small-scale rescues from home, or is rescue work your full time occupation? I would full-time and run the rescue in addition to this. We have two part-time staff members that work at the rescue during the week

3. Do you think that a permanent sanctuary or rehome/adoption system is best? We do both at Rabbit Residence as we have a non-euthanasia policy. Whilst all of our rabbits are available for adoption some may spend their lives at the rescue due to health reasons or simply because they haven't been chosen. We've rehomed 82 rabbits so far this year

4. I am curious if rabbit meat farming is still a 'thing' in the UK, and if any sanctuary volunteers ever try to rescue sick animals from livestock markets? this is not something we're involved with.

Jill's advice is spot on. Running a rescue is a 24/7 you'll need to devote more time to it than you imagine, you need to secure funds to run it.
Physically its hard but emotionally it's so tough, not just having to say goodbye to sanctuary rabbits as you grow to love these as your own but rehoming when you're bonded to a rabbit can be difficult, intakes can be hard both when the rabbits have suffered neglect and also when people are giving up a much loved pet due to circumstances beyond their control.

The consent worry of being responsible for so many little lives is draining, but seeing the happy rabbits you care for, rehabilitating and nursing them as needed and seeing them go to forever homes is so rewarding
 
Wow everyone, thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. I can see that there is so much to consider. I am a very sensitive person, which does make me wonder if I'm 'tough' enough for rescue/sanctuary life. All of your answers and advice from your experience is really very helpful.
 
I have a few questions that I'm curious about from those on the front lines!

1. Do you seek out rabbits in need, or more often than not do they get surrendered to you/turn up on your doorstep?

2. Does anyone run small-scale rescues from home, or is rescue work your full time occupation?

3. Do you think that a permanent sanctuary or rehome/adoption system is best?

4. I am curious if rabbit meat farming is still a 'thing' in the UK, and if any sanctuary volunteers ever try to rescue sick animals from livestock markets?

Interested in all of the above with the long-term aim of starting my own small sanctuary if I am ever in the situation financially to do so. For now I support several farm animal sanctuaries with monthly donations, but a small scale non-profit has always been on my radar.

I know that some people on RU work in animal rescue, so I would very much appreciate your thoughts on the above, or anything else about rescue life that you may wish to share :)
dear beapig,-I am a rehabber,-we are somewhat different from a resue,,we both take in critters,and care for them,and- we both get up to capacity rather quickly..a resue will find good homes,i generally keep what comes my way-or what people throw away..from dvms,neighbors etc.--a resue will accept funds,i am nonprofit-15 years..if you are considering your own sanctuary--my facility is a special buiding[$6,000],-cathedral ceiling-solarium-with hvac,broadband lighting,water,medical lab/internet..--with quite the desire to learn from exotic dvm,s about lagamorphs---I say this not to discourage but simply to give you an insight to my world..as far as #4,we cannot change what we are[predatory omnivorous-]-people who kill for survival,are somewhat forgiven,--those who do it for sport or because they can.-I do NOT support.-there are animal going extinct all over the world we certainly donot need to speed it up. hope I answered some of your concerns,sorry about the rant..--sincerely james waller from across the great pond-usa
 
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