Thinking
about adopting? Why
adopt? Is
a rabbit right for you? How
to go about adopting a rabbit Choosing
the right rabbit Pre-
adoption application Preparing
for your new arrival Adoption
fee and adoption policies We
often hear people say that by buying a rabbit from a pet store they are
essentially "rescuing" that rabbit as well. Granted it is true that that one individual rabbit that was
bought from a pet store and given a good home may have been in essence
rescued, but the consequences of that purchase far outweigh that single
positive act. By purchasing a rabbit you are creating a demand for that
commodity. In order for that demand to be filled the pet store will turn
not to shelters where there are scores of homeless rabbits, but to
breeders who will provide them with cute baby rabbits that are easier to
sell. Do manufacturers hold up production of jeans until all the
unwanted jeans are sold? No they make more that are new, hence more
sellable, and the old ones are discounted and sold at a cheap/bargain
price. Breeders are the same. For every single rabbit sold in a pet
store, how many unwanted rabbits resulted from the same litter? If a pet
store sells its only black and white Dutch and the owner calls the
breeder to get another, the breeder will mate two bunnies and get a
litter of up to eight babies to fill that single slot. What happens to
the others? Or what happens if the whole litter has imperfect markings?
The only way breeders will stop breeding and pet stores will stop
selling them is if there is no demand, hence no profit. When
you adopt a rabbit from a rescue/shelter you are not only saving one
rabbit's life, but two. Every time a rabbit gets adopted it opens up a
cage for someone else. So not only are you giving a home to one rabbit,
but you are also providing the means for another to be saved from an
uncertain fate. Cages never sit empty for more than a few days. In fact
sometimes a new rabbit arrives only hours after one leaves for their new
home. Know
Thy Rabbit Perhaps
the greatest advantage to adopting a rabbit is the opportunity to know
exactly what you are getting. Ask the teenage salesperson at the pet
store to tell you about the personality or health history of one of
their rabbits. Once they say goodbye to their boyfriend and hang up the
phone, if they do give you an answer it probably is at best a guess or
inaccurate.
Congratulations
on taking the first step toward saving somebunny's life! We applaud your
desire to share your life with a rabbit, but we highly recommend you
take a few moments to read " Is a rabbit right for you?"
before making your final decision. Remember most of our rabbits end up
abandoned by somebody who "thought" they wanted a rabbit and
acted on impulse without thinking through the impact a rabbit might have
on their life.
Why
adopt?
Unfortunately
acquiring a rabbit is not one of the more difficult tasks in life. It
certainly is a lot easier to go to the pet store and pick out a bunny
than it is to go through the process of adoption. So why bother? Quite
simply because the advantages of adoption far outweigh the slight
inconvenience of the process.
Did
you know that it is estimated that over one million rabbits worldwide
are put to death in shelters each year?
Two
for The Price of One
Once a
rabbit becomes a ‘foster’ bunny, he/she becomes a member of our
family. We don't just shove food at them and occasionally clean their
cages; we interact with them as if they were our own beloved companions.
We can tell you if they are easy to hold; if they are good with their
litter box; if they are chewers or biters; what foods they like; their
favourite toys or even how they like to be petted. Most importantly, we
can guide you to finding your one true rabbit.
Is
a rabbit right for you?
Before
deciding to share your home with a rabbit, there are a few things you
should consider: