Found an abandoned bunny :(

[Ali925]

So sad…  I hate hearing this !  My sister-in-law called me yesterday to see if I could adopt a bunny that her co-worker found on the way to work.  Poor thing was just on the side of the road     Probably someone’s “gift” that they got sick of.  ugh, it infuriates me. 

Anyway, I had to tell her no for a few reasons, one being I have two and don’t think I can take on a third right now…and geographically she’s in PA and I’m in NJ sooo that would be a challenge as well (though if I could help and didn’t already have 2 would make it work).  So the good thing is, she said her co-worker’s family has 2 bunnies already and they took him in for the time being until they can find him a home.  I’m relieved to know that since they are obviously experienced with bunnies (at least to some degree…).

I want to help, but don’t really feel like there’s much I can do being where I am.  So my question is, what is the best thing to do in this situation?  I’m guessing they don’t mind taking in the bunny for now, but I’m just wondering how to best handle a situation like this.  It’s probably hard to find room in shelters/rescues, since they’re usually almost full, right?  I don’t know how easy it is to find someone willing to adopt (as well as knowledgeable about bunnies needs, etc) if you try to find an owner on your own.  They’re probably dealing with it, but I just wanted to get your advice since I know someone here has likely experienced this one way or another.

Thanks!

[Sarita]

Are you asking what is the best situation for you?

As for shelters, I wouldn’t rule that out, give it a try at least. I would make a half hearted attempt to find the owner only to show that I tried to find the owner, not that I would want to find the owner, in case I turned the rabbit over to a shelter or rescue…just to cover the bases.

I would never ever use Craigslist to look for the owner or to try to find a home for him either. Craigslist is a terrible place for this. Petfinder.com has a classified section which might be a good place to post found and after they’ve done their due diligence they can post him for adoption there. Also they can call their local shelter to report they’ve found him and see if anyone has asked if he’s gone missing.

[Free2Dream]

Just because the bunny was discovered sitting on the side of the road (poor thing) doesn’t mean it was abandoned. Maybe it escaped… I would be heartbroken if Oliver somehow got away from me and whoever found him never attempted to locate me. I don’t know how a rabbit would escape from a house or apartment, but some bunnies are kept outside 24/7. Just saying.

I would try to post the bunny on Petfinder, place an ad in the paper, tack up flyers around town, etc. You (meaning whoever has the rabbit lol, so hypothetical “you”) could also try to get in touch with local bunny rescues. Sometimes private rescues are better than shelters.

Good luck. Poor little bunbun.

[Ali925]

Thanks for the feedback.

Sarita,
I’m not really asking what’s the best situation for me, but rather for the bunny…he’s the one who needs the help, I’m just feeling helpless I just feel responsible in some way since I know about it. So if I could offer some advice/help I would, or if they already know what they’re doing I guess it’s not my business to butt in.

Also, I wanted to know what the proper way to handle this is, as far as trying to find an owner if he did run away, etc.. like you mentioned. I never even thought of that. And I know they live in a somewhat rural area in some parts, so it’s possible it’s an outdoor bunny or partially outdoor. Thanks for the advice, I’ll talk to my sister in law more closely and see how informed they are. It’s possible they’ve thought about all this themselves already. As we all know, there are a lot of people who are misinformed when it comes to rabbits so if I could help somehow, I wanted to.

[Beka27]

Posted By Ali925 on 07/23/2010 07:01 AM
Thanks for the feedback.

  As we all know, there are a lot of people who are misinformed when it comes to rabbits so if I could help somehow, I wanted to.

 

I think this hits the nail on the head… you can help the most by offering info, either on how to locate the owner, advice on rehoming, or if they keep the bunny, advice on diet, housing, and care…  Geographically you can’t physically help, and even if you lived next door, you already have two of your own.  This bunny is not your responsibility, but you can certainly help your family make responsible decisions.

[Author]

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