Before you advertise your rabbit (or any pet for that matter) as “”Free to a Good Home””, think on this
Did you know:
- People value what they pay for. Pets obtained for free are less likely to be spayed or neutered by their new owners (why bother with vet bills?), and more likely to be abused and/or discarded because “”there are plenty more where that came from””. Free pets are often considered a disposable commodity and will only be welcome in the “”good home”” until they get bored with it, when it will likely be advertised again or abandoned.
- Your pet could become snake, ferret or Stoat food.
- Dog Fighters Use Small Animals for Training purposes, and often find their bait via free to good home adverts.
- Your pet rabbit may be snapped up by a hobby breeder, who will add to the growing problem of unwanted pet rabbits in the UK.
- “”Collectors”” watch for these type of adverts, and genuinely believe they are “”rescuing”” the rabbit(s). Often such collectors end up losing control and will have large volumes of rabbits sharing unsuitable conditions, overcrowded, smelly and on limited and/or poor food. In such cases rather than rescuing an unwanted rabbit, your pet could end up in worse conditions.
- “”Bunchers”” (an American term, but still valid in the UK) adopt free to good home pets with the intention of selling them on for profit. They may sell them for research, hunting, breeding, ‘practical jokes’ or just resell them as pets.
HOW CAN YOU REHOME YOUR PET RABBIT THEN?
– WHAT NOT TO DO!
If you have no other option but to rehome your pet, PLEASE do not dump them on rescue doorsteps, or even worse to set them free into the wild. They are domesticated animals and cannot survive on their own like their wild ancestors can. Abandoning an animal is a criminal offence and anyone found guilty of doing so can be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
– WHAT YOU CAN DO
Don’t be afraid to insist on a reasonable payment for your pet, and don’t feel you have to “”throw in”” all the equipment too (the equipment invalidates the charge for the pet as this can be sold to recoup costs).
Don’t be afraid to ask for a reference from their vet – if they’re an existing animal owner, their vet could verify their suitability.
A RESCUE SERVICE IS THE SAFEST OPTION
Rescue services are always busy, and they will usually not be able to take in your unwanted rabbit immediately. However, most ARE willing to support you and find a permanent home for your rabbit as soon as possible.
Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care, Scottish Registered Charity SC042706, operate a network of foster carers throughout Glasgow and West Central Scotland.
Call or email us for support. We may not be able to take your rabbit straight away, but we can still help you find a new home. As soon as a home becomes available, or a vacancy is made within our foster care network we will get back in touch with you. (We may ask to visit you and your rabbit before we accept your rehoming request).
We perform a physical home check for all rabbits adopted through our service, so can provide an increased level of comfort that rabbits adopted through us are genuinely going to a good home. Where possible we also aim to ensure that all rabbits are fully vaccinated against the two main deadly diseases rabbits are prone to, and where required are also neutered prior to rehoming.
As a registered charity we are a not-for-profit organisation, 100% dedicated to improving rabbit welfare within the area. There is no profit to be made through the service we offer as it typically costs £80-140 to rehome each rabbit properly. Therefore we do encourage a donation for each rabbit we rehome or accept into our foster care network.
For more information, read our pages on Non-Critical Rehoming.