The Bunny Welfare Improvement Movement is the education arm of our welfare organisation.
When we initially set up the rescue, our immediate aim was to help the rabbits in a physical way that we saw needed a safe haven. We soon realised that there was something else extremely important that needed to take place and that was education. At the route cause of many rabbits being given up was the lack of information and education on rabbit care, welfare and advice. We then shifted our focus on a two part work, a short term and a long term. Our short term plan was to help rabbits who needed us, by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming. Our long term plan was to educate and inform to prevent rabbits ending up in rescue at all, or better yet - eradicating the rabbit as a domestic pet altogether.
Our education work pushed us into the realms of Welfare Organisation and we have worked tirelessly to campaign, promote and educate on all things rabbit ever since. We now work with other likeminded welfare organisations to best improve the lives of rabbits in the UK and educate on rabbit welfare. With the knowledge of rabbit care continually advancing, it's important to keep up to date with the latest information, studies and data being produced. Things are always changing and it's vital not to be stuck in old fashioned ways of thinking and be open minded to learning. We have spent a lot of time on case studies here and we are constantly furthering advancements on the understanding of rabbits.
Why the need for rabbit welfare education?
The latest 2021 PAW report by the PDSA shows that 900,000 rabbits (that's 2% of adults have rabbits as pets) are living in the UK as pets yet the statistics show that:
* 7 out of 10 rabbits are given up in their first year
* 48% of rabbits live alone
* 50% of rabbits are not vaccinated against fatal viruses
* 22% of new 'carers' say that having a rabbit makes them feel stressed
Our education work pushed us into the realms of Welfare Organisation and we have worked tirelessly to campaign, promote and educate on all things rabbit ever since. We now work with other likeminded welfare organisations to best improve the lives of rabbits in the UK and educate on rabbit welfare. With the knowledge of rabbit care continually advancing, it's important to keep up to date with the latest information, studies and data being produced. Things are always changing and it's vital not to be stuck in old fashioned ways of thinking and be open minded to learning. We have spent a lot of time on case studies here and we are constantly furthering advancements on the understanding of rabbits.
Why the need for rabbit welfare education?
The latest 2021 PAW report by the PDSA shows that 900,000 rabbits (that's 2% of adults have rabbits as pets) are living in the UK as pets yet the statistics show that:
* 7 out of 10 rabbits are given up in their first year
* 48% of rabbits live alone
* 50% of rabbits are not vaccinated against fatal viruses
* 22% of new 'carers' say that having a rabbit makes them feel stressed
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Thinking about adopting rabbits?Click on the photo to learn about the realities of having rabbits.
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About to welcome your rabbits?Click on the photo for our handy checklist
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What do rabbits need?Click on the photo to learn about what rabbits need
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What are our aims?
- To improve the lives of domestic rabbits living in the UK.
- To rescue and rehabilitate unwanted, neglected and abandoned rabbits in Scotland.
- To find the rabbits in our rescue forever homes.
- For rabbit welfare education to be a compulsory part of the Curriculum for Excellence in schools.
- To ban the breeding of extreme conformation in rabbits.
- To make it mandatory that rabbits have companionship of their own kind and are not kept on their own.
Who do we work with?
SAWE
Scotland’s Animal Welfare Educators (SAWE) is a group of various organisations that all work within the education sphere to combat animal cruelty and increase animal welfare awareness. We all work together to improve animal and human communications and welfare in Scotland.
As part of SAWE, we are focused heavily on education work within Scotland by means of educational talks, programmes and campaigns to improve the knowledge on and welfare of rabbits. We attend quarterly meetings with the other organisations to see how we can all best improve our education programmes and work together. We believe that education is the way to improve the lives of pet rabbits and reduce the large number of rabbits being given up.
As part of SAWE, we are focused heavily on education work within Scotland by means of educational talks, programmes and campaigns to improve the knowledge on and welfare of rabbits. We attend quarterly meetings with the other organisations to see how we can all best improve our education programmes and work together. We believe that education is the way to improve the lives of pet rabbits and reduce the large number of rabbits being given up.
BABBA
Ban All Baby Bunny Ads is a campaign for a ban on the breeding and selling of rabbits in the UK. They also promote the highest welfare standards, recommend adoption and support ethical rescue centres. We are proud to be recognised as one of the Ethical Rescues who work with and are recommended by them.
Posters
Our education team create great snappy educational posters focused on rabbit care. These can be viewed and downloaded below to be shared on social media or be used in schools/vets etc.
Connect/Work With Us
We are always keen to work with other like-minded organisations so feel free to send us an email at [email protected] to work with us or connect with us.
If you would like us to attend an event/nursery/school/university/community to host one of our education programmes please get in touch and we can organise this with our education team.
We also provide up to date training for vet students who are interested in learning more and keeping up to date on the latest rabbit welfare information and welcome vet students to come and do work experience with us at the rescue itself. Educating those in the veterinary industry is also a highly important part of creating better care for rabbits and supporting owners.
If you would like us to attend an event/nursery/school/university/community to host one of our education programmes please get in touch and we can organise this with our education team.
We also provide up to date training for vet students who are interested in learning more and keeping up to date on the latest rabbit welfare information and welcome vet students to come and do work experience with us at the rescue itself. Educating those in the veterinary industry is also a highly important part of creating better care for rabbits and supporting owners.