It’s another excellent achievement to add to many as they approach the end of their first year in operation, and will offer them some opportunities that otherwise would not be possible, or at best would be very difficult
The charity, which recently ran a large campaign within the RBS CommunityForce competition, aims to use the winter period to further raise awareness of their activity.
“If someone had asked me this time last year if this is where I thought we’d be, I’d have laughed in their face,” said David Bell, who runs the charity alongside wife Feona.
“The RBS competition really made a difference for us in terms of raising general awareness about the organisation. Whilst we wait to hear if we were successful, we expect an increase in people giving up their rabbit during the winter period. It will be a difficult time again as we struggle to accommodate and fund the demand. In the midst of this we will be looking to launch various campaigns and partnerships to make ourselves more visible within the community of Glasgow & West Central Scotland,
“We’ve a few tricks up our sleeve too, and we think that things will continue to get very exciting for us moving forward.”
Rabbits continue to be Britain’s third most popular pet, but recent studies performed by the PDSA earlier this year proved that it continues to be our most misunderstood and neglected pet. With an estimated 35,000 unwanted rabbits passing through rescue centres every year, services such as those provided by Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care ensure that those abandoned and neglected pets are properly cared for. Using a network of volunteer foster families, the rabbits will receive any medical care that is required and will be socialised within a family home ready for permanent rehoming with families prepared for the work and commitment required to care for a pet.
Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care is believed to be the only rabbit-specific charity registered in Scotland, and is believed to be the only rabbit-dedicated organisation within Glasgow and the wider-area.
The charity currently has around 22 rabbits actively seeking a new home, and in the past week have had various calls from owners looking to give up their rabbit.
On being asked about the increase in abandoned rabbits in winter, David said, “We can’t take on every rabbit we get a call for. We just don’t have the space within the foster care network to meet demand. It’s really difficult for us to say no though, when we know there could be a rabbit suffering at the other end, and our waiting list is growing every day. We even get calls from the Borders, Dundee, Perth, Inverness and once from England.”
Feona Bell adds, “Now would be a really exciting time to get involved, and we are always looking for volunteers to act as foster carers, fundraisers, and more. If there’s something you think you can offer, we’re keen to accept!”
For further information on the charity, to view the list of rabbits looking for new homes or to offer your help, visit www.fairlybelovedrabbitcare.org or call 0141 280 3272.