Sad… Need to get this out

[anneNjoerule]

Sometimes I can’t help myself and I check out the local animal shelter website. It’s massakistic yes. Currently in the shelters of my city alone there are 30 or so bunnies looking for homes. 5 of them were added in the last few days and in the last week and a half none of them have found homes. At the house rabbit society there are bunnies listed who have been there since August ’10. Nobody in the city shelter lasts that long because they euthanize after a bit I keep wanting to go down and rescue some but I always stop myself. I have my two girls to look after and even if I would like some bunnies in the future I’m just not ready for anymore right this minute. My two are rescues and I feel like they are so much work and yet they are only two! How can this problem end? I can’t even think about any of those bunnies being put down. I would rather some farmer adopt them and raise them for meat than for their lives to just be wasted.
Sorry for the vent but it’s so depressing… I think I’ll call them to see if they take donations of cages and funds, etc.

[Sarita]

I would rather that farmers don’t take them for food myself…I would rather they be humanely euthanized than be food (they do not humanely slaughter rabbits).

It’s just like any other animal – the answer is spay/neuter laws and education.

[jerseygirl]

I think it’s easy to get weighted down by this issue. I know I do from time to time. This situation isn’t going to change in a hurry either I’m sad to say. So it will continue to be something that gets to us. I think then it’s important to find something you can do – however small you think it is. It’s better then nothing a it’s moving in the right direction. It might even inspire another person to do so also, and then their friend might join them….etc. You see, a sort of ripple effect. It’s impossible to save every rabbit, but you can make life in the shelter a little more interesting while they’re there. Making boredom buster type toys/treats or providing something that is regarded as a treat hay.
Promoting adoption and education in rabbit care where you can. I think the education campaign is the most important thing that will enable lasting change. Many people would not even know of rabbit numbers in shelters or what sort of pets they can be. Educating doesn’t need to be “in-your face” either. It might be simple as taking your rabbits along to some social event or having them out with you in the park (safely of course) and answering the questions of curious by passers. It might turn to a conversation about what sort of pets they make and how shelters have lots of lovely rabbits already litter trained and neutered.

I believe some of the major petstore now work with adoption programs instead of selling young rabbits. This is a great move in the right direction but I’m betting it took years of advocates campaigning for it before it came into effect. It’s normally the way for most causes, long term, persistant campaigning and networking. There’s no magic wand but there are groups of like-minded people who can stay on the issue to initiate change.

With specific rabbit rescues and then animal shelters that euthanise, the more adopted from the rabbit rescues, the more these rescue can take out of the local animal shelters. So helping rabbit rescues get their rabbits adopted does eventually help the ones at risk in the other shelters. Maybe you could get involved in the adoption events by your HRS?

Do recognise your limitations and do what is reasonable for you & alter that as needed. i.e. take on more when you can and less when you have too much on your plate. Not point going full on and ending up burnt-out & then not able to do anything. Are there advocate groups you could join? Doing things as a group may help keep it all more positive and sustained.

[jerseygirl]

Just to add after reading Saritas post^ Spay and Neuter laws..now that is a “magic wand” of sorts! It could take time for something like this to come into effect but the impact (I hope) would be BIG.

[anneNjoerule]

Most farming isn’t humane. I only ever refer to humane/organic farming. I don’t care if there is even farming involved in this situation. I just think there are so many homeless people in my city it seems silly to waste precious lives by drugging them and than pitching them in a dumpster.

[Zombie-Sue]

Where I live, rabbits are rarely euthenized at the shelter. They don’t often have more than 10 at a time, but I feel sad because I know they don’t get any exercise. They have to stay in the small cages all the time.

I feel you on the desire to go on an adopting spree, though. I can’t help but browse the pictures of the rabbits and I just want all of them… ;O;

[LBJ10]

I am always so shocked to hear these things. There are hardly ever rabbits at our local animal shelter. They don’t euthanize the ones that they do have up for adoption. Once an animal is up for adoption, they keep it there until they are adopted. Most animals aren’t there for very long.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I agree with Jersey: Perhaps you could do what I’ve decided to do: go to the shelters and spend time with and/or bring toys and treats to the bunnies. It’s not helping resolve the situation but it will make their time in the shelter more pleasant. You can make cheap treat bags with brown paper bags, hay, treats and tie with sissal or hay strand. You can buy rattles and cat balls at the dollarstore to give them.

Also education can go a long way. And with Easter coming up there is the very real possibility of even more abandoned bunnies. Now is the time to educate people. Put up anti-Easter Bunny flyers all over town and you can give out Make Mine Chocolate’s business cards. Check out MakeMineChocolate.org for more ideas and info.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I know the feeling. It’s like you want to help so bad. But you have to consider a few things (Things I have to remind myself of….often!)

1) You would compromise your bunnies care taking on more then you could handle
2) You compromise your financial security (and your bunnies!) taking on more then you can handle
3) Taking one home from a shelter is admirable but won’t fix the problem. There will ALWAYS be more until the law catches up and people smarten up, sadly animals suffer
4) They are not yours to save. You have yours to look after. There are rabbits and all kinds of animals all over the planet in countless numbers who need someone. But you may be at capacity and that is all you can do for now. Compromising what you can do, for more, is not ok. You can’t fix the world, you can’t save everyone. Don’t discount what you have ALREADY done for them Feel good about yourself. If lots of people do the right thing it will fix the world but you yourself cannot save them all. Don’t put that weight on your shoulders.

What I would recommend is volunteering if you can swing it. Fostering is a great option because it’s often no cost but time and work. Or even just window shopping to scratch that itch. It’s what rescuer’s do. Nothing appeals like adopting and nothing appeals like adopting the unadoptable! So window shop, and wish. But don’t do what you can’t do, and realize where your urges are coming from-the heart-and that’s good. But don’t stretch yourself thin

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