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Breeders vs. Bad owners

SOAD

Wise Old Thumper
I think this is a very interesting subject, I think a lot of the time breeders get a lot of bad press and don't get me wrong I'm not talking about bad street breeders, I'm talking about ones that breed specific breeds who don't over breed their stock and keep certain types of breeds going. Can we blame the entire homeless rabbit population on breeders, or is there a point when we have to look at the owners who take on animals and end up rehoming? Most of the time the rabbits in rescues have come from a home who either couldn't be bothered any more or for some reason couldn't care for the rabbit anymore, not straight from a breeder. I know that if there was less people breeding, then this would I suppose have a knock on effect. However surely it's supply and demand if we limit the registered breeders would we not only encourage back street breeding?

Also is there anyway possible to stop impulse buying of rabbits and other small animals, as I think that it is this that creates the problem, I've been in a pet shop so many times and saw people just buy an animal without thinking it through before hand, I know I've been guilty of this myself, I mean Beatrix come from a garden centre and I only went to buy plants? Would some sort of cooling off period be a good idea after choosing an animal would be a good thing?

I am just interested on hearing your thoughts :D
 
We can't just pin the blame on any one group for this. Everyone plays a part in it.

Breeders who sell their rabbits through pet shops :evil:
Petshops who don't vet any customers and explain the responsibility of looking after and caring for a bun.:evil:
Parents who give in to impulse buys :evil:

As Tony once said the key is "education, education, education"

I am in support of responsible breeders who geuinely care for rabbits and wouldn't let them go to a bad home, but I would much rather see peopple taking home an older rescue bun. The law should be changed to stop buns being sold in pet shops - you wouldn't buy a cat of dog from one, and the responsibility is just the same!

Rant over! :lol:
 
as a futer breeder i would want to know where the rabbit would live pluss a few more qestions such as do you know how mutch it costs to keep an rabbit what would you do with it for holiday ect


as for aling to pet shops never id rather keep them all than do such a thing
 
My view is that while rabbits are so easy to come by in pet shops and garden centres we will always have a problem. As you say there are no checks done to prevent people being tempted by a cute little face then getting fed up within a few months (or even weeks).
I assume that 'good' breeders don't supply these places as 'good' breeders surely want to know where their animals end up.

We are full and struggeling under the work load but worse than that we have a waiting list of 16 to come in. Some of these are in danger and may not be alive by the time we have space to take them.
All rescues are in the same position.

A dream come true would be that, for one year, no rabbits were born. What a fantastic thing to be able to home so many of the deserving little souls that need our help. Unfortunately this is a dream that will never come true.

I read posts on here from people thinking about breeding and by those who have bred. I don't look at the photos and think 'awww, lovely' I look at them and feel like crying at the desperate situation we and other rescues are in. People not involved in rescue just cannot understand what it's like. Constant phone calls from horrible people who can't be bothered demanding you take their rabbit NOW! But there's no space.

There is no escaping the fact that every rabbit deliberately bred (for whatever reason) takes a home from a rabbit that is already here.
 
My own recent experience has been 50/50 breeders and 'impulse buy' owners. I have taken in 4 rescued buns recently, one was rescued by a friend from an appalling breeder who fed the cheapest feeds in order to make the most money; another was from a rescue centre but I suspect she had been used for breeding; another from the same rescue centre came from a family who could not keep her due to a house move (can't you take pets with you when you move then?); and the fourth one, a beautiful handsome boy came from a family who had become bored with him ... after having him for only 2 months.

So yes .... I suppose *bad* breeders and *bad* owners contribute 50/50. However I have nothing against responsible caring breeders at all.

Jane
 
Soz this was to Donna

I appreciate what you are saying, I'm not a rescue but I do have a lot of phone calss asking me to take rabbits in, some of which, I've kept, rehomed or found a place in a rescue. I'm certainly not naive to the problem. At the sametime I had a rabbit from a breeder, he never took up a place that another bunny would of, because I did want that specific breed of rabbit. I think it would be a shame if we lost certain breeds, which I guess is what registered breeders do keep up.
 
um althow i show and will be breeding i also have rescue buns like peach and midnigt and as i have said if i dont think the owner is right they would not have one of my babys as i will only breed once a year and may have a max of 12 kits im sure i could keep most of them
 
um althow i show and will be breeding i also have rescue buns like peach and midnigt and as i have said if i dont think the owner is right they would not have one of my babys as i will only breed once a year and may have a max of 12 kits im sure i could keep most of them

Can I just ask why you want to breed rabbits? what makes some one decide to do this?
 
Lanny said:
um althow i show and will be breeding i also have rescue buns like peach and midnigt and as i have said if i dont think the owner is right they would not have one of my babys as i will only breed once a year and may have a max of 12 kits im sure i could keep most of them

Can I just ask why you want to breed rabbits? what makes some one decide to do this?

I could be way off the mark, but don't you have to breed your own rabbits to show them? I could be wrong I din't really understand it :D
 
hi,
this is a very intersting post to read and this is an interest to everyone. I dont eally agree to pet shops or garden centres but like with anything u shouldnt tar everyone with the same brush this is rare i have seen one very good garden centre who do take excellent care with all there animals and give out sound advice and have leaflets on diplay too. I think if pet shops were band from selling animals then this would be a good thing, for one thigs breeders cant breed as many rabbits cause of finding homes and for back street breeders if anyone with any sence went and saw what its like at there house then they wouldnt buy the rabbits.
As for not breeding for a year i dont think this would work out the genuine good breeders would find it hard to keep all the rabbits and end up giving up, iv seen may good breeders give up due to lack of money to keep them even when they r breeding cause we dont make any money out of this, the rabbitrs sell only contribute to feeding ect but still have to have to dig in out own pocket. Another problem would be shows- less breeding means less rabbits being shown and clubs loosing money then ending giving up. Also u will find after a year some rabbits wont breed again if they havent been used before. Also back street breeders wont listen to this rule they will still breed on the sly and what about these accidental litters??
becky
 
Tree said:
Lanny said:
um althow i show and will be breeding i also have rescue buns like peach and midnigt and as i have said if i dont think the owner is right they would not have one of my babys as i will only breed once a year and may have a max of 12 kits im sure i could keep most of them

Can I just ask why you want to breed rabbits? what makes some one decide to do this?

I could be way off the mark, but don't you have to breed your own rabbits to show them? I could be wrong I din't really understand it :D

well yes but u cant still show rabbits u havnt breed but there isnt any point in that as ur r winning with someone elses rabbits and u get far more out of it when u have put in the hard work to produce quailty rabbits
becky
 
Tree - I don't know I just wondered why people want to breed animals and what are the most common reasons for deciding to do it.

I have only owned buns and now have my first house rabbits, I don't really know anything about the breeding and showing side of it and am just really nosey about these things :lol:


PS this is a great thread by the way as one thing that we can all agree on is that we want the very best for all buns :D
 
brc members only breed for there own purpose and thats for rabbits to show the ones in the litter they cant keep or dont quite make the mark or even some show quaity rabbits will be rehomed we dont just breed for the sake of it.
becky
 
Thanks Becky! Have just looked at your site and have fallen in love with your rexes they are beautiful bunnies, I saw one the other day at the blue cross and if my husband wasn't there I would have sneaked him home! :lol:
 
Lanny said:
Thanks Becky! Have just looked at your site and have fallen in love with your rexes they are beautiful bunnies, I saw one the other day at the blue cross and if my husband wasn't there I would have sneaked him home! :lol:
:lol: :lol:
thanx lanny :D
more pics need to be added but dont have the room :lol: might need to delete a few old ones
becky
 
im with you here beckey we shoers have to breed to get better stock you cant by a good show rabbit you have to bbreed it
 
I have very stong feelings on this subject. First of all, I find it disturbing that any animal is bred for "perfection" and to earn trophies for their owners. The whole concept of any animal not being "good enough", and therefore not "required" makes me despair.

Despite what anyone says, breeders DO contribute to the overpopulation problem. Even if they keep their rabbits for showing, you have to consider what happens to all the others who aren't "show quality". If they are going to "pet homes", then they are taking a place that could be filled by a rabbit who is already in a rescue shelter.

The bottom line is that there are too many rabbits and not enough homes. Yes, there are bad owners who readily give up their rabbits, but if they weren't so easily obtainable in the first place (eg on display in pet shops and garden centres), they might not have been purchased on impulse by these people.

Anyone who truly has the welfare of rabbits at heart would not care what their rabbits looked like, and whether they are "purebred". The rabbits themselves don't care about these issues, so breeding/showing is done purely for human satisfaction. There is no benefit to the rabbits in "improving/continuing a breed".

In addition, it's not fair to keep breeding rabbits who are prone to certain health problems - such as lops and nethies, whose skull shapes are very unnatural and make them predisposed to teeth problems. Humans have a lot to answer for.

Jenny
 
Wabbit said:
Anyone who truly has the welfare of rabbits at heart would not care what their rabbits looked like, and whether they are "purebred". The rabbits themselves don't care about these issues, so breeding/showing is done purely for human satisfaction. There is no benefit to the rabbits in "improving/continuing a breed".
Jenny

That's a rather sweeping statement, as I've one specific rabbit which is of a certain breed, that I wanted. I care not about the welfare of rabbits. Please can I confirm that is what you are saying?
 
any good breeder wouldnt breed from a rabbit with health issues i mean how far would a rabbit get in a show that is in bad health- no were, it would be disqualified. I dont see anything wrong with breeding quaility rabbits at least we know what background and where from unlike these cross breeds, Not got anything wrong with them some r very from good quaily but with alot of them u dont know what could be lurking in the background for instance, say u have a rabbit that looks like a lop x english spot, but infact has polish in its background then u could every well have a nasty rabbit on ur hands not saying all polish r nasty mine isnt but needs experienced owners who know there temprements and know how to handle them.
maybe breeders should have lisences like only people who belong to the brc and can be comfimed as a good breeder should be able to breed rabbits
becky
 
Just because opinions are wanted, no offence meant here at all i am putting in.

There is no such thing as a responsible breeder in my opinion. How can anyone guarantee the future welfare of baby rabbits they sell to strangers? and then the potential offspring of these babies, i dont think breeders even sell their stock vaccinated or neutured. I have heard an argument by breeders for this as being the babies are too young, why dont they sell them when they are older then? Less money thats why.

I can be certain i am not contributing to the crisis of rescues full of rabbits and other animals because i would never dream of owning an animal that wasnt neutured for its own health rather than anything else.
This is reponsible pet ownership. Rabbit rescues are overflowing nationwideand as well as this rabbits are dying of neglect and cruelty nationwide. While this is happening (and it IS) there is absolutely no need to create more rabbits by breeding.

Phew rant over, wo betide those who visit me at the pet surgery in years to come.

ps.i have to agree with jenny, i care about rabbits for their personalities and not what they look like.
 
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