Fostering Disaster – Houston, Tx

[Allie]

This is going to be slightly long winded and I apologize.

I signed up to be a foster mom for a small animal rescue quite a few months ago after rescuing a guinea pig from a family member who was going to dump the pig outside. The rescue allowed me to foster the guinea pig and managed to find him a great home. I am a huge rescue advocate and have had my fair share of small animals – rats, hamsters, mice, ferrets, etc. I am allergic to hay, which I noted when I signed up to foster. While waiting, I came across a woman who had found a pet rabbit dumped outside but didn’t know anything about them and was requesting help. I referred her to the rescue, but she had no one to foster rabbits at that time. I agreed to foster the rabbit until she could find a home/other foster home. The people who surrendered her provided me with a ton of food, bedding, and money to buy more supplies. They even payed to have her spayed. The rabbit  turned out to be incredibly easy to litter train and was really well behaved. The only problem was that I am allergic to hay and therefore cannot keep her inside. We have a covered screened in porch and made a huge cage out there for her. I told all of this to the person that runs the rescue before I even signed up to foster and she agreed that it would be alright for a temporary situation. Then summer came, and the heat wave…

During her spay recovery, I got a frantic email from the rescue saying that she had a person with two neutered male rabbits that needed to come in urgently. There was no way for me to take in both, but after some time thinking about it, I agreed to take in one of the boys for yet another short term situation. Since she had gotten the guinea pig adopted out in about a week, I never expected the fostering to last for months.

The second rabbit turned out to be a terror. We weren’t planning on introducing the two, but they broke the barrier of the cage one day and ended up together. Surprisingly, they got along remarkably well and since one cage was much easier than two, we left them together. I made the rescue aware of the issue and they told me leaving them together was fine.

Well, he turned out NOT to be litter trained. He’s better at it now, but still not 100%. Since our porch is carpeted, we put down a thick camping tarp and used a dog pen to contain them. After a while of having him, he chewed the tarp to bits. At that time, the money I had from the people who brought Harper was nearly gone and the rescue hadn’t done what they promised to provide funds to house/feed the rabbits. I notified them that they had torn up the tarp and that they were on my rug- which was being ruined. She basically just said she was sorry and to get some coroplast. I used the last of the funds – plus my own money – and bought a piece of coroplast. Unfortunately they are still ruining my rug by peeing and such out the side of the cage. I continued to notify the rescue and tell them that they needed to find another home. It was getting too hot outside, they were starting to ruin my things, and that I didn’t have the funds to support them.

After waiting and waiting for a response, she finally agreed to send funds to buy food/veggies. It’s been over a week now and I still haven’t received those funds (via paypal). I’m at my wits end. This fostering situation is not turning out anywhere near what I expected. I wasn’t planning on taking in rabbits – ever. I did it to help out under hard times. I’m allergic. This is hurting my health. It’s also taking my money, which I really don’t have that much to spare at the moment for extra animals that aren’t mine.

Once again, I apologize for the long, drawn out email. I’m just seeking some help. I am getting married in one year and if this rescue doesn’t have an alternate place for these rabbits by then, I don’t know what I’ll do.I’ll be moving in to my husband’s house in the country. He doesn’t have a porch like I do, or a garage. There is no way I can keep them in the house since I have severe hay allergies. I also do not really have the funds to be supporting them. They promised to provide the supplies and have fallen through on their end. Rabbits aren’t inexpensive and I have a wedding to pay for.

I don’t want these rabbits to end up in a bad place. I live with my grandparents who originally agreed to fostering. They were for it because of the promises the rescue made, which they have gone back on. The rabbits are ruining their home. It’s not their fault, but I’m really at my witts end at this point. If a home isn’t found for them by next year, I’m going to have to surrender them somewhere. A rescue, a foster home… anyone that can take them.

Is there anyone who would be able to foster these rabbits? They deserve to be inside and given the chance to find a great permanent home. I’m not even sure that the person who runs the rescue is even searching for a home for them.

Thank you!

[Sarita]

I guess my question is, what do you know about this rescue and how did you come across them. The problem with having someone else foster them is that they will fall into the same situation as you and the rabbits will go from home to home to home without anyone making any type of responsibility for them. And the rescue is not going to take any responsibility at all for them. They don’t sound very experienced at all to me.

[Allie]

I contacted a well known guinea pig rescue in Dallas when I had to take in the guinea pig that was going to be dumped. They recommended this rescue to me because they were closer. Since they did a great job finding the pig a home, I decided to foster for them. BIG mistake, obviously.

I’m not interested in having them be fostered for the rescue. I’m done with the rescue, quite honestly. They’re not going to help. It’s come to that point, it seems. I’m just trying to find another rescue to take them in, someone to foster them, or someone to adopt them.

I’m corresponding with a rescue in San Antontio through here that might take them. Fingers crossed!

I want the best for these rabbits, I really do. I hate what’s happened to them already. That’s why I’m acting now until waiting until a year from now when I’ll have no choice but to find them a new home in a hurry. If it wasn’t for my allergies and the fact that I’ll be moving to a new house in a year I would attempt to make the best out of a bad situation. That’s simply not possible. I’m allergic to the hay. It’s about my health, and I’m sorry, but that’s more important. Not to mention that they’re being housed on my porch, which is not at all the best living space for them. I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I thought they’d still be out there five months later.

[Beka27]

Any update on where the buns have gone?

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