I can’t help every animal…

[SeeShmemilyPlay]

I need to learn I can’t help every helpless bun out there. Two times on Craigslist I’ve seen these neglected rabbits people were just giving away, and the plan was to go get them, get them vet care, and keep them free range and used to people until they were happy and healthy, ready to go to a good, knowledgeable home. One of the buns was 3 hours away, the other 6. Both times, right before I was getting ready to leave to get them, the owners told me they just gave the rabbit away. And it just completely sucks knowing those buns likely aren’t going to get vet care after how their awful previous owners mistreated them. One guy kept his bun in a hamster cage and just fed it cat food. The bun had never seen the light of day. The other was a not awful, but ignorant family who wanted a cuddly pet, and instead they acquired a likely abused bun who would bite and growl at them. They might even be used as feeders. I just need to learn to stop caring so much. Augh.:/. I just needed a place to rant about this.

[jerseygirl]

Oh gosh, I understand your frustration. I mostly stay away from places like Craigslist now. My problem is I might bring a rabbit home from a less then ideal situation, with the intention of finding it a good home. But then I struggle with that second step. It’s a slippery slope and how you can very quickly get overwhelmed with too many rabbits even though intentions were good.

I try to remember also that there is a possibility the rabbits went to a good home. We tend to hear about the bad scenarios more then the good. The rabbits you saw are out of their former homes at least – fingers crossed their new ones are an improvement.

I have more to say but I need a cuppa and to gather my thoughts!

[jerseygirl]

A way I think we can make a difference on places like Craigslist is through education. In a passive way without negative language also. More along the lines of
“Are you a rabbit owner and want to know more about them? – Here is a list of great resources that helped me…”.
Or
“Is your rabbit driving you crazy? Check out these resources to see if you can solve the issue”
Or
“Do you need to find your rabbit a new home? Here are some tips on finding it a good second home”.

Obviously that won’t reach everyone or make much impact for those out to make a quick buck offloading their animals. That’s a cycle that is hard to have an impact on.
But it just may help someone who got in over their head with a pet rabbits and was at a loss how to improve things. If they then can try again and then become happy with their pet, they’re more likely to reach out to others that were in same situation as them. A ripple effect.

Or it may be that other persons like yourself, looking through Craigslist out of concern for rabbits, see the ads and become aware of resources they can then go on and promote themselves. Again, ripple effect.

So while it might not feel the same as saving a rabbit directly, it’s something that costs nothing and can be done consistently over a long length of time in the hopes that eventually, the general public become more aware of the needs of rabbits.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I understand the pain. I want to help them all. If I had the money and space, I would open a rescue/sanctuary.

I like Jersey’s ideas. You can only do so much. My way of helping bunnies and cats is I donate $ to rescues from crafts that I sell.

[MoxieMeadows]

That’s why I can’t go to shelters or look at our local listings anymore. It makes my heart too sad, and we really can’t have any more animals.

[Azerane]

After seeing this thread I just happened to look at local listings today (I’m always browsing shelter pages, but for me they’re easier to ignore because often I know things get adopted out of there quicker). Boy are local general listings sad… It’s so frustrating and heartbreaking. I do want to help them and if I was an impulsive kind of person, I’m sure we’d have a lot more animals than we currently do.

JG you make some good suggestions about posting advice. I have sometimes seen posts for a rabbit info booklet.

[jerseygirl]

I’ve dropped the ball with any activism, I must admit. I think one can just get fatigued with it all as animal welfare can be so emotional  Frustrating, often, but also inspiring. I have great admiration for those who work in animal welfare and keep at it for years.

Azerane, I know that booklet. : )  At one point I used to get a bunch of them from the woman that wrote it and drop them off to pet and fodder stores local to me . I haven’t done that in quite some time. :\

I remembered another saying that is popular in animal welfare and rescue. I only came across it last year. It’s probably been around for Donkeys years!

Here ’tis  –

[Azerane]

Yes, I know that saying. I always feel a little ashamed when reading it, because I have been wondering whether perhaps I should volunteer at the AWL, but I just never get around to it. It’s not like I don’t have the time though.

Dropping off info booklets at pet and fodder stores is a great idea though, certainly a beneficial resource that people may not get otherwise if they simply never bother to look up how to look after a rabbit.

[SeeShmemilyPlay]

I’m so glad others can relate! I felt a bit silly having these concerns and kind of downplayed the effect all of this has on me. I love the idea of drawing people to good information who may not otherwise look it up.
I work at a chain pet store, and we just got rabbit care guides. I mayyyy have spent most breaks correcting all of them in pen (rabbits only live 6 years and don’t require much socialization, my butt!)
I gotta stop browsing Craigslist… I always try my hardest to ignore the people just giving away a rabbit if it seems like it has an alright life there and they seem to care where it goes to, but it’s so difficult to just ignore the ads where the picture is of a bunny in something like a hamster cage with wire bottoms with no hay and the caption is, “don’t have time for it idk if it’s boy or girl come pick up.”
And it just makes it so much worse when only a couple ads away there are people looking for feeders…
Ah. Okay. I’m done. I’m making myself sad. If anything, this just makes me feel better about my own bun parenting skills, and makes me happy I can provide a good home for at least two buns, even if not all buns!

[sarahthegemini]

I know exactly what you mean. It’s hard to see people so obviously not caring about an animal and knowing that you can’t do anything. I treat my bunnies as best as I possibly can and it brings me joy to know they’re so well looked after but if I could help other animals, I would in a heartbeat. I just don’t have the resources, the finances, the physical strength etc

[Azerane]

That’s so awesome that you spent all that time correcting those guides! That’s one of the main problems with chain stores, is that all material about pet care has to be standardised and it’s not always right.

One of the rabbits I was looking at yesterday, it was in a bathtub on a towel, next to a carrier. I couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be in the bath tub for a photo. My poor heart

[Author]

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