Opinions on having a rabbit rescue??

[Arabiansnob]

Has anyone ever done a rabbit rescue?? I want to start one......I let the rabbits run free in the spring through fall and catch them in the winter and put them in the barn........Is this a good idea ?? We live where there we have no people around us so... there alot of space and when i say space i mean feilds....my other 2 rabbits have done this for over five year.

 

[ksalvagno]

One of the problems with letting them run free is that most of the rescue rabbits would be afraid of you and it would be hard to catch them. Also, what are the predators like in your area?

You may want to talk to other rabbit rescue people. Right now adoptions are down. Also once people find out you rescue, many will dump rabbits on you.

I don't want to discourage you but there is a lot involved with rescue and it can be very hard at times.

 

[PureSnowChic]

Also, you have to make sure they are all spayed and neutered, because if not then you will be contributing to the problem instead of helping.

I also agree about the predators, how will you keep them safe?

 

[RabbitMage]

You'll also need to think about how you'd handle keeping them cool in the summer. How will you watch for health problems? How will you handle adoptions?

 

[savingdogs]

I have done rabbit rescue. I was volunteering with a small companion animal rehoming group and helped re-home three bunnies that a lady could not keep when she went into the hospital and lost her home.

It is important that animals that cannot find homes otherwise be spayed and neutered, because if they were in high demand they would probably not be in rescue (with exceptions of course). But we got our rescue rabbits spayed and neutered and placed two of them in homes, but it took time, effort, website photos, etc., and the group I was in helped me.

The third rabbit had been traumatized and was not friendly. We ended up having him a lot longer and he was not fun. He would charge the cage and attack! We finally found some REAL rabbit experts, they were the Rabbit Advocates. They are the local rescue group here. They were able to rehabilitate him and took him from me and finished rehoming him.

I'm now going to own rabbits again, but we are going to raise them for meat. I'm sure my Rabbit Advocate friends would be appalled, they believe rabbits should live in the house and not even live outside, much less be on the table for dinner. They did not have them run around loose outside however, except bonded pairs would be let out into special enclosures they made.

If I were you, I'd work with an established rabbit rescue to become familiar with the types of things that work in your area. Then after you are experienced, you can invent your own rescue if you still want. But an established rescue generally has some funds donated and can help you pay for the things that rabbit need, etc. and overall the education you would gain would be 100 percent worth it. Even if you are a rabbit expert, rescue is usually something different and local experienced folk would be very helpful to you. If they are not in your area, contact the Rabbit Advocates here in the Portland, Oregon area, I'm sure they would be able to advise you.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

I'm sure my Rabbit Advocate friends would be appalled, they believe rabbits should live in the house and not even live outside

Every rabbit rescue I seen makes this statement, as if rabbits were not originally animals that lived outside . . .

I run my own small rescue, most of my rabbits come from craigslist . . .
ALL my rabbits live outside in hutches, they get ground time everyday(well most days).

Your rescues must be seperated, otherwise you WILL have more very soon, trust me.

I keep "pet" bunnies, and "meat rabbits", and I dont mix the 2 groups.
Some people might think this is strange, but I have no qualms with eating a rabbit while keeping another for a cute loving pet . . .

On a side note, all my rescues are big ugly mean rabbits that their former owners could not handle, hence the reasons for them being "unwanted".
Once they were given proper housing, feeding, and attention they have all really calmed down.
One of the meanest ones I got(even attacked a little girl in the car on the way over here) is now my sweetest friendliest rabbit, she loves me and will cuddle up to me and spend hours sitting on the couch with me.

From my experiences as a kid with rabbits, I never thought they could be so friendly or sweet, but I guess even they are affected by care . . .

 

[savingdogs]

I can see where you are coming from, chickenwhisperer. Even though I'm going to raise meat rabbits, I would do rabbit rescue again if needed and my style of rescue (living in a hutch) was adequate. There are some animals that are beloved friends and good pets and rabbits can be among that group. I also feel rabbits can be food, especially those bred and raised with that intent.

Just like a chicken can be a pet, but I eat chicken also, or a duck.

I cannot eat goat however, they have too much personality! But I think every person draws the line somewhere and these things are personal choices. I could not eat dog but in some cultures that is very acceptable. I think rabbits can be kept indoors or out, as long as they are acclimated to their home and have adequate shelter.

But I think perhaps the style rescue that chickenwhisperer does is not the same as the Rabbit Advocates. They are pretty insistent that rabbits live indoors. But I agree, there are so many wild rabbits living here, the problems with their population are due to predators, not climate.

As a long-time dog rescuer, I can surely attest that different styles of rescuing is the reason that there are not more rescues! Even though folks are working towards the same goal, they will argue more with their fellow rescuer with different opinions than they would with anyone else. Or perhaps that is just how people are in general....bickering perhaps with whomever they come in contact with too much even though they should have common goals.

But the Rabbit Advocates get upset if you even use the term "meat" rabbits when referring to New Zealands, which is a common thing people around here call them.