# How can they justify this for rabbits?



## heebiejeebies (17 February 2013)

Looking at rehoming a couple of rabbits and came across this site, look at the amount of money they want for you to rehome a rabbit! You could buy two rabbits from Pets at Home for the price they want for one of these, is it any wonder people buy from pet shops, therefore encouraging pet shops to breed when we already have a massive over breeding problem on our hands? The SSPCA ask for a minimum donation of £5 to rehome a rabbit, it's a wonder this place get any rehomed! 

http://www.fairlybelovedrabbitcare....joomanager&view=itemslist&catid=31&Itemid=224


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## Apercrumbie (17 February 2013)

Gosh that is steep.  I understand that they must have huge costs and have to keep afloat somehow but that would massively put me off tbh, and we have always tried to rescue our smaller pets.


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## heebiejeebies (18 February 2013)

I emailed them about it and they got back to me saying it's because they neuter and VHD/mxy jab them all. Fair enough for the neutering, but (without starting a debate!) jags are the owners choice. They say they 'home check' all potential new homes so I'm guessing they want petrol expenses paid for as well. 
I'm under the impression these rabbits are kept with 'foster owners' and not in a rescue centre. Certainly the address given on the website is a block of offices (I used to live in the area) so they don't even have the excuse of the upkeep cost while they are in their care. 

If I had the chance of rehoming a rabbit for £5 or up to £80 I think I know which one I'd go for!


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## catxx (18 February 2013)

I paid £40 each for my two rabbits from a rescue. It actually works out far CHEAPER doing it that way rather than going and buying a baby from a Pets at Home!

Rescues like Fairly Beloved and all the others have every right to charge £40 or more per rabbit. Just to spay/neuter costs £40-£150 per rabbit, which is what YOU would have to pay buying a baby rabbit from a pet shop. Then there's vaccinations, that's another £15-£30, plus any other health checks, then the feeding of all the hay and vegs and pellets, and of course the fact that some rabbits spend YEARS in rescue waiting for their forever home.

If you balk at the idea of £50 being a lot for a rabbit, don't get a rabbit. They easily cost £1,000 or more a year to keep.

I spent about £300 on my rabbit's set up. Then it was £40 per rabbit from the rescue and they were delivered to my doorstep via the vet for a last minute health check and so she could make sure the housing was correct. Totting up how much I spend on keeping them fed and healthy, I easily spend £1,000 a year on them.

I volunteer at the rescue I got my two at every weekend. They are a registered charity and rely solely on volunteers (they have NO paid staff) and donations to keep going and care for nearly 200 rabbits, some of which are permanent with ongoing health problems as they are a no-kill rescue. She got her vets bill the other day, you could go on a 5* luxury cruise for the total that came to.

Rant over.


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## webble (18 February 2013)

Dont forget the extra costs from a petshop when they also sell you the mis sexed un neutred rabbits thats when it gets very expensive!!

£50-100 to get a bun neutered
£30 a year to get a bun vacs
£?? To rehabilitate a bun that has come into rescue so really adoption fees are a bargain. 

By buying a rabbit from P@H and the like you are just encouraging the terrible over breeding of unhealthy rabbits kept in bad conditions. Sadly the majority of rabbits that end up in recue were originally bought from pet shops so in some ways you are getting a bun for P@H when you adopt


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## catxx (18 February 2013)

Also, re: Scottish SPCA, they charge over £100 for a dog, over £50 for a cat, why should it be any different for small animals? And it's not £5 for a rabbit from them, it's £15-£20. 

And they can probably get away with charging less as they are a far larger charity and therefore get more in donations AND as they are a multi-animal rescue they also get more from fees from rehoming larger animals anyway. A rabbit-only smaller rescue does not have that kind of income.


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## GinaB (18 February 2013)

I paid £30 for my rescue bun and £60 for my rescue dog. That is the 'suggested' donation.


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## heebiejeebies (18 February 2013)

catxx said:



			I paid £40 each for my two rabbits from a rescue. It actually works out far CHEAPER doing it that way rather than going and buying a baby from a Pets at Home!

Rescues like Fairly Beloved and all the others have every right to charge £40 or more per rabbit. Just to spay/neuter costs £40-£150 per rabbit, which is what YOU would have to pay buying a baby rabbit from a pet shop. Then there's vaccinations, that's another £15-£30, plus any other health checks, then the feeding of all the hay and vegs and pellets, and of course the fact that some rabbits spend YEARS in rescue waiting for their forever home.

If you balk at the idea of £50 being a lot for a rabbit, don't get a rabbit. They easily cost £1,000 or more a year to keep.

I spent about £300 on my rabbit's set up. Then it was £40 per rabbit from the rescue and they were delivered to my doorstep via the vet for a last minute health check and so she could make sure the housing was correct. Totting up how much I spend on keeping them fed and healthy, I easily spend £1,000 a year on them.

I volunteer at the rescue I got my two at every weekend. They are a registered charity and rely solely on volunteers (they have NO paid staff) and donations to keep going and care for nearly 200 rabbits, some of which are permanent with ongoing health problems as they are a no-kill rescue. She got her vets bill the other day, you could go on a 5* luxury cruise for the total that came to.

Rant over.
		
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I agree with the fact the neutering is expensive, but without getting into a debate it's up to the owner whether to vaccinate, and there is the all in one jag now which works out a lot cheaper than the two separate VHD and Mxy jags. 



webble said:



			By buying a rabbit from P@H and the like you are just encouraging the terrible over breeding of unhealthy rabbits kept in bad conditions. Sadly the majority of rabbits that end up in recue were originally bought from pet shops so in some ways you are getting a bun for P@H when you adopt 

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This is why I thought it cheeky to ask so much for a rescue rabbit, surely people would take one look at the price of spending £80 on a rescue rabbit and go to pets at home and get a younger one for £30!




catxx said:



			Also, re: Scottish SPCA, they charge over £100 for a dog, over £50 for a cat, why should it be any different for small animals? And it's not £5 for a rabbit from them, it's £15-£20.
		
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The three rabbits I've got from the SSPCA centres have asked for £5 per rabbit 



GinaB said:



			I paid £30 for my rescue bun and £60 for my rescue dog. That is the 'suggested' donation.
		
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£30 sounds to me like the ideal amount and I would be willing to pay that!


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## GinaB (18 February 2013)

Yes, I was more than happy to pay that  he came neutered and vaccinated and the promise they would also cover vets fees for an eye condition, but I just paid it as its not like I couldn't afford the vet bill


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## catxx (18 February 2013)

heebiejeebies said:



			I agree with the fact the neutering is expensive, but without getting into a debate it's up to the owner whether to vaccinate, and there is the all in one jag now which works out a lot cheaper than the two separate VHD and Mxy jags.
		
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Yes but until you adopt the rabbit, the rescue is the owner and as the owners it is their choice to vaccinate the rabbits. It would wholly irresponsible for a rescue to have a whole load of unvaccinated rabbits on one property - just one coming in carrying VHD would wipe out everyone. It's not worth the risk.

If a rescue gets a whiff of the new owner being adamant about never vaccinating a rabbit, you'd likely get turned down too. I wouldn't adopt to someone who says no to vaccinating personally.


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## fairlybeloved (22 February 2013)

Hi al,

I just wanted to explain a little more about our minimum donations and our costs.

Have a look at http://www.fairlybelovedrabbitcare....ng-cost-minimum-donations&catid=40&Itemid=222 where we explain why our charges are as they are

All of our rabbits are vaccinated against Myxo-RHD (at a cost to us of £32) and neutered (at a cost to us between £60 & £80 depending on rabbit gender). Therefore, not including our costs for food & bedding, we will have spent on average £100 per rabbit prior to rehoming.

The SSPCA do not vaccinate & neuter rabbits prior to rehoming.

We vaccinate because Myxomatosis and RHD (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease) are major killers in pet rabbits. The new annual combined vaccination protects the rabbit from this risk.

We neuter for various reasons: * Prevent unwanted pregnancies. There are an estimated 67,000 unwanted rabbits throughout the UK each year passing through rabbit rescue services, plus thousands more that are privately rehomed. * Behaviour of rabbits is vastly improved following neutering, allowing for a calmer, friendlier, more interactive pet * 80% of female rabbits develop cancer of the uterus by the age of 3. This Is prevented by neutering. As a result rabbits can expect to have a life expectancy of 8-12 years.

As the information page on our site explains, if you were to pay for all this yourself, as a responsible owner would endeavour to do, a pet shop rabbit could end up costing you £120 - £185 pounds, compared to our minimum donation of only £50 for a single rabbit or £80 for a bonded pair.

The email we received also compared our costs as being greater than Pets At Home starter kits. I would like to mention that these are not suitable for rabbits, and we along with many other rescue organisations are actively encouraging owners and retailers to review the hutch sizes that are on offer. We support The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund and RSPCA's recommended setup consisting of a hutch of 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with daily access to an additional exercise run of 8ft x 4ft.

We do not turn any profit at all. We regularly struggle to cover our vet bills, and if it was not for additional fundraising activity we would not be able to operate at all based on the minimum donation we ask for.

We have partnerships with around 15 vet practices acros s central Scotland and have negotiated discounts with most, but even with these discounts our costs exceed our income.

Our rabbits come in from various locations - strays, abandoned, neglected and also members of the public who surrender their pets to us f or rehoming. The vast majority of pet rabbits in the UK are not neutered. I would encourage you to search the PDSA website for their Pet A nimal Welfare report which demonstrates just how bad rabbit welfare in the UK is currently. This report estimates that over 1 million pet ra bbits in the UK are not receiving the 5 BASIC NEEDS as explained in the animal welfare act. Rescue services like ours bear the brunt of this .

We also receive many rabbits that need dental care due to poor diets affecting their teeth, we have had some rabbits with broken legs that have needed advanced health care too.

In terms of what is charged to the charity, our foster carers and volunteers generally cover all costs associated with food, bedding and fuel costs out of their own pocket. Our charity committee also cover all administration costs out of their own pocket. Charity funds are therefore only spent on meeting our charity aims of improved rabbit welfare and education, so include vet fees, equipment costs, events and educ ation materials.

As for vaccination, I have to fundamentally disagree that this is an optional cost. I think you have been incredibly lucky not to have suffered any loss as a result of these diseases, but having seen them take hold first hand it is the charity's position that these are essential. It is of course up to the owner to continue the vaccination after year 1, but if we were in doubt that this would be maintained we would be cautious about alowing the adoption to proceed.

I would also encourage you to search for other rabbit rescue services throughout the UK that match our policies in terms of neutering and vaccinating every rabbit. I would imagine you will find a similar level of minimum fee applies. For example, another registered Scottish cha rity - www.buddiesbunnies.Co.uk. Our approach to these matters is very much the norm for official rabbit rescue organisations. Feel free also to contact Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund who are an independent UK charity focussing on improving rabbit welfare education - th ey will be able to advise whether this is normal practice and if our prices are considered reasonable.


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## catxx (22 February 2013)

Well said!!


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## fairlybeloved (22 February 2013)

There's a lot of talk about paying £80 for a rabbit - this is our suggested donation for a pair - I.e. £40 each, including vaccination & neutering for both rabbits in the bonded pair.


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## catxx (22 February 2013)

fairlybeloved said:



			There's a lot of talk about paying £80 for a rabbit - this is our suggested donation for a pair - I.e. £40 each, including vaccination & neutering for both rabbits in the bonded pair.
		
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This is how much I paid as a suggested donation for my bonded pair and had no qualms handing over the cash. They also go back to "visit" the same rescue (aka holiday boarding) which is around £6-7 a day.


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## piebaldsparkle (23 February 2013)

fairlybeloved said:



			There's a lot of talk about paying £80 for a rabbit - this is our suggested donation for a pair - I.e. £40 each, including vaccination & neutering for both rabbits in the bonded pair.
		
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TBH Those costs sound very reasonable.

I got 2x 16 week old male lion heads free from preloved  - Was looking at rescue when I saw these two, and felt sorry for them!

Can't remember the cost of having them vaccinated and neutered, but know it was more than £80 for the pair!

On the upside they are very happy bunnies and my nieces love them, and probably stopped them ending up in rescue or a pie!


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