A SHELTER is wanting to adopt them out unspayed? What the…

oh nooo thats not good.    Are you getting a discount having bun fixed at that shelter? 

That is rather amazing. I have heard of some animal shelters not neutering their bunnies before. But they would at least give coupons to clinics that would neuter. So maybe you could search some nearby clinics and see if they would be up for participating in some collaboration with the shelter.

Most shelters and rescues around here wouldn’t even think about adopting out a bunny that’s not been neutered because even if the bunny is not going to be with another opposite sex bunny, the behaviors of an unneutered bunny can get him/her into trouble and more likely to be returned or abandoned.  - which would just cost them money again in the long run. 

So are they saying they don’t have any more $$ to pay for ANY spays/neuters for rabbits anymore or specifically they are too short on the $$ to pay for the ones you are fostering?

I think some of our members, who were volunteers, eventually got them to change their policy. Maybe you’ll have the same luck with persistence.

Another idea is – with the  shelters permission you could have a little fundraiser there on some of the shelters busiest days – holiday cookies and crafts etc for sale.  

OH, wow, yours are the only rabbits they have! Wow. well, I guess it’s a good thing that they aren’t overcrowded with rabbits like many shelters are. But even in a small town, it only takes one person to have a male and a female rabbit who gets out, or is let go. And within 1 year, that pair can make almost 100 babies, and then just think about all of the offspring. Well, geesh.

I would talk to your vet and see if s/he would offer some sort of discount for the humane society and let him/her know the Humane Society is out of $$. I know that some vets around here offer free or MAJOR discount to shelters and rescues.

I see the no money…but they can’t responsibly run a shelter allowing unfixed rabbits to be adopted. They’ll just have them come back ten fold in the form of the babies…

I say-be proactive. Like suggested-phone vets and see who will offer a discount. This is easier if the shelter has their 501(c). If they don’t-it’s boring but help them apply for it.
And then how bout working on some fundraising (I know we all have all the time in the world in decmeber right!? ) -sit in a petstore for an afternoon and collect donations, buy hay in bulk, package and sell to rabbit owners; Actually I’m just going to show you- http://www.petfinder.com go to library/resources and check out 101 shelter ideas-and then check out 101 shelter ideas 2nd vol-Insanely great shelter promotions and funding ideas

And you know-if the only bunnies they have are the ones fostering-maybe take your time (I know what I laid out is huge) and work on getting a sustainable funding source for future spay/neuters?

Actually this is NOT unusual – many shelters will require that YOU get your animal altered and give them the information that you have done that as part of your contract.

Shelters run on very limited funds and many do not employee vets.

I say don’t blame the shelter blame those who are irresponsible for not neutering or spaying their animals on their own…it’s their responsibility after all, not the shelters.

Is it possible for you to adopt them, get them fixed and then try to find them homes yourself? It really sounds like they don’t realize what they’re doing… are there other shelters/rescues in your area that deal with rabbits? Maybe you can hook up with them for fostering in the future?

As far as rabbit care, I don’t trust other vets in the area. Except, like I said, I can check the place I take the cats too.

It’s not an issue with their cats and dogs, I don’t know why it’s different for rabbits. Any cat or dog that is not fixed when they come into the shelter, they will be when they are adopted. A person gets approved, then the animal goes to the vet to get fixed, then the person can pick them up. The cost of the spay/neuter is in the adoption fee. I guess part of the problem is that rabbit spay/neuter is more expensive than cat and dog, so people won’t pay a higer adoption fee for a rabbit, if they can get a cat cheaper.

I wish I had some help with the fundraising. Eight rabbits take up most of my time at home. Yes, bad timing with Christmas. I will look at petfinder for ideas.

Thanks so much.

I see that-our local shelter spays and neuters EVERYTHING that goes out the doors…oh wait…nope just cats and dogs and SOMETIMES rabbits…I don’t get it…you’d think TWO hoarding siuations (involving 100-200+ rabbits) in one year would clue them in-spay/neuter is all about pop control with shelters and they need to be concerned about it

You know what-I’ll keep this in my head-and as soon as I get a breather-I’ll send you some fundraising ideas. Let me know if you don’t think they’d take that kind of help (ie. you saying this would work, I’ll help organize it, lets fix us some rabbits) and I’ll see what I can figure out for you

Well, it’s simply not true that all shelters spay and neuter as I said, many will make you responsible to get this done and show them proof. This goes for cats and dogs as well. My brother recently adopted a dog from a small shelter and he was responsible to get her fixed.

I think once again you must remember that it is the person who owns the animal’s responsibility in the end to get an animal altered.

Shelters may not have the money for this and there job is to shelter homeless animals – certainly you can be proactive and help in anyway you can but I don’t think you should except that a shelter is able to alter animals. I know you may feel it is the standard but the truth is it’s not. The reality is that it cost tons of money to take care of animals and you have to choose between feeding the animals that you have in your shelter and spaying/neutering especially if you are a municipal shelter…

Two years ago, I ended up spaying Meadow myself. It was written into the contract that it would have to be done and I had to show proof that it was performed. They did this since she was only 4 months when I adopted her. Had they adopted her out later (at 6 months) it would have been done by their vet. Fortunately, they refunded a portion of the adoption fee to make up for my having to spay her myself. Do you think they’d do something like that? Refund some of the adoption fee when they show proof of surgery? Are they going to at least neuter the boys, or none of the babies?