Pets@Home Adoption - Update

[SarahP]

I will definitely call in to our local branch next time we're passing. Hopefully they will be helpful.

Whilst I do not shop in P@H and do not agree with them selling any live animals, I think I'm OK with them putting old stock into the adoption section. After all what else would I want them to do with animals who are in that situation? Better obviously that they had never found themselves in that position, but once they have, the alternatives are worse. Not a good match for us though as we would need a neutered rabbit.

Yes, much as I disagree with them selling animals in the first place, if they label them up for what they are, I'm pretty much OK with it.

[Babsie]

My (RIP) beloved Bobby came from the Adoption section of Pets at Home. A big, beautiful, black boy. They said they couldn't sell him because (a) He was black and (b) He was so big when compared to the much smaller, cuddly looking baby rabbits. I think I went back about 3 times and he was still there, so he came home with me. What a soft, loving, adorable rabbit he was.

[Gem]

The Adoption Sections in P@H are usually used for ‘old stock’ that has not sold when they were baby Bunnies. Occasionally they will have genuine Adoptions, but IME that is very rare.

That said, any Rabbit in a P@H Adoption Section deserves a home just as much as any other Rabbit

More genuine adoptions than old stock in my local store

[Rhianna]

More genuine adoptions than old stock in my local store

Seconded. I've rehomed a guinea-pig that was old stock from a PAH in Portsmouth (had a bereaved pining piggie at home) but the buns and piggies I've adopted from the Havant one were genuinely 'unwanted' pets

[Zarla]

Blimey, looked on their FB page. Not used since 2011 but

https://www.facebook.com/Pets-at-Hom...?fref=mentions

For those who are not on FB there are posts about 2 Rabbits, one with their first litter of BABIES and then one of a second NEW BORN litter and inviting people into the store to see the NEW BORNS

I'm not surprised as they don't separate by sex and always say that they can't guarantee your bunny being male or female. They then keep the rabbits together and unsold well past 4 months so of course they mate! I've seen massive bunnies at our Pets At Home all jumbled in together. And of course, nobody should be viewing newborn buns!

[Omi]

I phoned the nearest branch yesterday evening, only to be told yes they did have a single male, but he was adopted an hour ago

I phoned the next nearest 8 branches this morning. 4 had no rabbits. 1 had one female, plus 'two babies out the back who were not old enough to be on the shop floor and wouldn't be for another two weeks' I didn't question this further, but I think this can't be old stock, but possibly a resulting litter, which was brought in after a mis-sexed pair had been sold ( One branch had two un-neutered males, one 10 months old, one age unknown, but had been dumped at the tills. Then another one had one un-neutered male.

I got various responses to the question about how often they received rabbits for re-homing. The last branch said that they were getting far less since Covid and he took this to be because people were more at home and therefore had more time for their rabbits. Not sure about that.

So our search goes on........

[Beapig]

I phoned the nearest branch yesterday evening, only to be told yes they did have a single male, but he was adopted an hour ago

I phoned the next nearest 8 branches this morning. 4 had no rabbits. 1 had one female, plus 'two babies out the back who were not old enough to be on the shop floor and wouldn't be for another two weeks' I didn't question this further, but I think this can't be old stock, but possibly a resulting litter, which was brought in after a mis-sexed pair had been sold ( One branch had two un-neutered males, one 10 months old, one age unknown, but had been dumped at the tills. Then another one had one un-neutered male.

I got various responses to the question about how often they received rabbits for re-homing. The last branch said that they were getting far less since Covid and he took this to be because people were more at home and therefore had more time for their rabbits. Not sure about that.

So our search goes on........

Are you looking on free-ads sites as well like Gumtree? I haven't been very active on the forum so I'm not sure exactly what kind of bunny you're looking for, but there are sadly always a lot on free-ads sites in nasty little hutches.

[Babsie]

Lots of rabbits at a rescue in my neck of the woods, but that's north Hampshire of course.
Furlock Holmes Animal Care.
https://www.furlockholmes.co.uk/

[Omi]

Are you looking on free-ads sites as well like Gumtree? I haven't been very active on the forum so I'm not sure exactly what kind of bunny you're looking for, but there are sadly always a lot on free-ads sites in nasty little hutches.

Yes, have also been looking on all the free-ads sites. In this area they are nearly all breeders advertising litters of young, un-neutered bunnies. The type of advert you've mentioned is exceedingly rare and none of the males I've seen have been neutered and vaccinated. I don't have the accommodation to house a rabbit separately for long periods., hence he needs to be neutered. There's always also the concern with free-ads that, if the rabbits don't bond, the new rabbit can't be returned.

We have very few actual rescues in Kent, who have rabbits and there has been none suitable to bond to Tui. We do have a few RSPCA centres and we did find a very suitable buck, who we applied to adopt. Unfortunately we were rejected

What we're looking for is a single, male up to about 4 years old. Needs to be neutered and vaccinated. Ideally an uppy-eared medium sized rabbit. We are not wanting to drive a long distance either. It's proving to be very difficult.

[Omi]

Lots of rabbits at a rescue in my neck of the woods, but that's north Hampshire of course.
Furlock Holmes Animal Care.
https://www.furlockholmes.co.uk/

Yes, lots of rabbits I agree. But from a quick scroll down, there is only one male, who is neutered and he's a 6 year old lop (ideally we would like uppy-eared and up to 4 years old). We also would not travel that far.