outside warning!!

[bullrider76543]

I saw this posted on facebook and thought I would pass the info along!!

Just received this email from Safe and Sound Animal Care and it is just heartbreaking:
Please can you warn your readers about rabbits being stollen from the back garden. We received the devastating news last night about two rabbits we homed on sat to a lovely family – one is now dead and the other is missing. Please see our page for the full details (sorry I’m in tears writing this). We are all so upset and the poor family are devastated. We take in these animals, love them care for them, bring them back to health, find them loving homes – so that three days later this happens. This is not an isolated incident and more cases are coming to light.

[Sarita]

Were they outside? If so, it’s possible that they were not stolen but taken by a wild animal which is not a fate any better obviously but those are chances that any owner must deal with when they have rabbits outside which is why mine never go out.

[bullrider76543]

I am not sure, but when mine go out (only in mild weather) they are NEVER left unsupervised!!!! not even for me to pee I have my wife or one of the kids watch them for a minute or so. I do not trust predators or neighbors.

[bullrider76543]

besides wouldn’t there be a sign of a struggle if it was a predator? I made the mistake ONCE of not supervising a ferret I had outside when I was a teenager and he was stolen out of my yard because the lock on the cage was cut and left open. I think that fresh air once in a while is good for a bunny as long as the experience is not stressful, but plead that owners do it responsibly.

[Bam]

It’s actually very important that outside bunnies are either closely supervised or/and kept in a space with safe netting all around, top, bottom and sides. You can’t have a roofless pen. Birds of prey are so quick it’s hard to beleive.

People also steal rabbits to eat them. That too is hard to believe but it is true. In many countries live rabbits are sold at markets as food and people from these countries tend to still regard rabbits as food even after they’ve migrated to countries where rabbits are not commonly eaten. So you need a good lock and to make sure that it’s difficult to see the rabbit hutch/run from the street.

The best thing is in my opinion to keep the bunnies indoors unless you can supervise them all the time.

[Sarita]

I looked at this FB page and they are in the UK.

[AnnaW]

UK!? Barney will never ever be left outside unaccompanied – even more so now! Thanks for the heads up, xxx

[Stickerbunny]

Posted By bullrider76543 on 05/15/2013 10:28 AM
besides wouldn’t there be a sign of a struggle if it was a predator? I made the mistake ONCE of not supervising a ferret I had outside when I was a teenager and he was stolen out of my yard because the lock on the cage was cut and left open. I think that fresh air once in a while is good for a bunny as long as the experience is not stressful, but plead that owners do it responsibly.

 

Not all predators leave signs of struggle. When I was a kid, my family had turkeys. They just roamed our yard, never went anywhere and would walk up and ask for kisses if we walked outside. Very, very sweet birds. One day, they were missing. No sign of struggle until my parents were repairing a bit of fence at the end of the yard, they found a few feathers from where whatever had gotten to them had dragged them over. Now, these were like 20lb full grown turkeys. They were huge and probably quite a struggle for whatever did it to get them over a 6ft fence. A small bunny would have left no trace. Especially if it was a bird who could just fly away after snatching.

If my buns ever go outside, I will get them a run with a cover. I don’t trust the hawks and such in the area to not find them easy prey. And given all the stories/videos of predator birds swooping in to take dogs off leashes, parrots off peoples arms, etc I would feel better with a cover.

It’s sad these two bunnies were lost.  

 

[Author]

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