Mid-Atlantic rabbit rescue charity Friends of Rabbits & House Rabbit Sanctuary announce the creation of the Spay & Neuter All Rabbits! fund, a public assistance fund aimed at reducing rabbit overpopulation through surgical sterilization and education. An anonymous donor will match donations up to $5,000.
he newly merged companion rabbit advocacy groups, Friends of Rabbits & House Rabbit Sanctuary, announce the creation of the Spay & Neuter All Rabbits! fund. Just in time for an Easter kickoff, this fund intends to not only educate the public about the need for rabbit spaying and neutering but first and foremost to provide assistance to those who would otherwise be the least likely to seek this procedure for their pet rabbit.
Susan Wong, who is President of both Friends of Rabbits & House Rabbit Sanctuary, explains, “This year we want to make a difference for the rabbits by providing a spay & neuter program that will help defray the high cost of spays and neuters. The logic is that once people make the initial investment (financially and emotionally) to their rabbits with a little bit of help from us, they’ll discover a wonderful animal whose behavioral problems have been reduced.”
The hope is this will reduce the usual nightmare after Easter of discarded pet rabbits filling animal shelters to overflowing with the fluffy little animals that turned out to have a mind of their own and unexpected needs. Wong expounds, “People leave animals at shelters for numerous reasons including moving, a child’s lost interest, and behavioral problems. The first two reasons can be predictable and rabbit caregivers should be better prepared - planning ahead and seeking animal-friendly housing and understanding that children aren’t prepared to be responsible care-providers, financially or realistically. They can’t drive your sick animal to the vets and pay the bills. But the behavioral problem is one of the points people are unprepared for. We do our best and wear ourselves out conducting outreach and education programs several days each month sharing our knowledge and experience with the unsuspecting public.”
Not only does altering the rabbits in this way improve their behavior, but it is truly necessary for the extended life of the rabbit. A female rabbit stands an 85% chance of developing uterine cancer during her life. Male rabbits, like male cats, lose the unwelcome tendency to spray their territory when neutered. And they also lose the ability to create many, many more rabbits. There are too many companion rabbits in populous areas. Wong explains that “Over the years, I’ve answered hundreds of phone calls from people who wanted to ‘get rid of” or ‘find a good home’ for their rabbits. Although taking these calls has always been agonizing because it most likely meant their rabbits would end up at the animal shelter and euthanized, I’ve always made a point to answer my phone.”
The Spay & Neuter All Rabbits! fund gets off to an auspicious start with an anonymous donor willing to match contributions up to $5,000. With the potential of a $10,000 spay and neuter fund, the opportunity will exist to help dozens if not hundreds of rabbits who would otherwise languish in animal shelters. Just the name of the fund itself is educational since many people unfamiliar with companion rabbits even realize they can be sterilized surgically. And they realize even less the need for it. So we launch our Spay & Neuter All Rabbits! fund with great ambition to accomplish many goals and help as many rabbits as possible.
Contact Information:
Susan Wong, President, Friends of Rabbits & House Rabbit Sanctuary, 240-418-9994
Patti Henningsen, Vice President, Friends of Rabbits & House Rabbit Sanctuary, 301-745-3962
