Did you know iLECSYS supports the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, a British charity dedicated to improving the welfare standards for rabbits.
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund is an organisation who in their own words are “massively passionate about the welfare of domestic rabbits.” They aim to ensure all rabbits in the UK are living a great life, with a companion and access to adequate veterinary care.
The RWA&F are a not-for-profit registered charity and organisation under the group name Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund. The charity educates professionals and campaigns for better rabbit welfare while the organisation donates any surplus funds to welfare work and administration costs.
Rabbits are one of the most neglected pets in the UK, with many rabbits living in substandard accommodation. Rabbits need access to adequate indoor and outdoor space in addition to supervised free roaming. Sadly, most rabbits are left in a tiny hutch at the bottom of the garden and forgotten about except for feeding time.
At this time of year, a surge in sales of rabbits as “Easter bunnies” drives a swathe of unwanted, abandoned rabbits in six weeks’ time, so this is a very busy time for the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund.
Rabbits are now experiencing a welfare crisis, as their numbers surged during lockdown, when new rabbit owners were unable to get advice or education, or sometimes even routine medical care such as vaccinations and neutering, for their new pet rabbits as many veterinary practices were closed for everything except emergencies. At the same time, the demand for rabbits surged as people were at home and wanted a new pet.
When lockdown ended and everyone went back to work, however, the commitment of owning a rabbit and the responsibility of giving that rabbit everything they needed was too much for some people, and they looked for ways to surrender their new pets to animal shelters, leading to an explosion in the number of rabbits waiting to be rehomed. This has more recently been compounded by the cost of living crisis as many people are having to decide between feeding their pets or themselves.
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund are currently supporting a rabbit sales amnesty to stop rabbits being bought at this time of year that are later unwanted. They are campaigning for better regulation surrounding rabbit breeders to end the current situation with rabbit farms purposely breeding pet rabbits such as those sold to pet shops.
Another of their current campaigns is Adopt, Don’t Shop, which is aimed at trying to get would-be rabbit owners to consider adopting an unwanted rabbit from a rescue instead of buying a new rabbit from a pet shop, as there are so many unwanted rabbits who need good homes in the UK.
RWA&F says:
“We are extremely grateful to iLECSYS for supporting our campaign work and helping us to make better tomorrows for rabbits. Their support means that we can continue with our campaign and raising awareness of the many issues that pet rabbits face. We are working hard to improve the lives of pet rabbits in the UK and iLECSYS are helping us to make that happen.”
iLECSYS is overjoyed to be supporting the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund in their work. You can find out more about the RWA&F here: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/
