How Your Vote for the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund can Help Rabbits Live the Life They Deserve

Posted on 01 Sep 2022 by Emily Atkinson-Dalton
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund is the largest UK organisation for rabbit lovers, and helps care for the most neglected pets in the country.  The RWAF is working hard to ensure that all pet rabbits in the UK are cared for with understanding, insight and kindness. 

Despite being a nation of animal lovers, people often do not know how to properly care for rabbits, and therefore many are left in inadequate housing, often left alone in a small hutch unable to display their natural behaviours, and become susceptible to a range of psychological and physiological issues.  They are often quoted as being the most neglected pets in the UK, but by supporting the RWAF you can help create a better tomorrow for all pet rabbits, allowing them to live their best lives today, tomorrow and for years to come. 

The RWAF is the authority in helping all rabbit owners truly understand how to make life more comfortable, fulfilling and contented for their rabbits. It lobbies for better welfare conditions, share knowledge with experienced, new and next generation rabbit owners. It's also forward thinking in funding and investment in expert viewpoints, to keep up-to-date.  By also advising vets  to achieve optimum health for rabbits for years to come it's promoting longer, better lives.

By encouraging members and donors to act today, the RWAF can offer pet rabbits better, more enriched tomorrows.

 



 

What Do the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund Do?


Their help and advice pages provide in depth knowledge about how to care for rabbits. This includes their Health such as diseases, vaccinations and medical advice and general Care such as diet, housing and behaviour. You can also find a list of their current Campaigns on their website, and you can find out more about these campaigns below: 

 

What Is The Hutch Is Not Enough Campaign?


The Hutch is Not Enough Campaign was created to bring awareness to the plight of many rabbits up and down the country who are suffering due to their owners not knowing any better. In society, the idea is often perpetuated that rabbits are viewed as a small hutch being their home. From children learning about the world for the first time to movies and TV shows that further promote this idea, it comes as no surprise that unfortunately many owners of rabbits have no idea of the environmental and enrichment needs of these creatures, and many are therefore doomed to live the 5-10 years of their lives trapped within a small wooden box. 

 

The Hutch Is Not Enough campaign therefore works to give detailed advice to owners about the appropriate environment, diet and enrichment for rabbits to ensure they can live a long and happy life. Unfortunately, many rabbits suffer immensely from being in small hutches, from both physical and psychological issues. Often these rabbits are unable to stand up or hop, leading to spinal deformities and pain, as well as the development of behavioural issues, stress and trauma from being restricted to eating, sleeping and defecating all in one small box. Many rabbits are not given companionship, and many suffer from isolation, depression, overgrown nails, flystrike, aggression and premature death. 

 

They also work at the source, working with sellers of hutches and manufacturers to ensure that new hutches are large enough to properly accommodate rabbits. Although they do not promote the sale and breeding of rabbits, and rather promote the rescue of them, they also work with pet retailers to ensure that hutches are at least 5ft (preferably 6ft and above) and that they are providing good quality products and accurate customer advice, in order to help all rabbits live a better life. 

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Did You Know? - Over 1.7 Million pet rabbits in the UK are kept in hutches smaller than rabbits used for meat and experimentation and 60.5% of commercial pet rabbit hutches did not even meet the legal minimum requirements of meat and lab rabbit cages.

You can help change this by signing the The Hutch Is Not Enough Petition to introduce a new law for minimum rabbit housing sizes.   

 

What Do The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund Recommend?


They have educational resources for owners to understand just what their rabbit needs. In terms of environment, in order to combat the horrendous issues outlined above, this includes providing space enough to stand and hop, having a safe outdoor space protected from predators, having runs at least 3m long, having accommodation at least 6 ft x 10 ft x 3 ft and the hutch within to be at least  6 ft x 2ft. Other considerations including health, diet and companionship can be found on their 5 Freedoms wheel below.

  

 

What Is the Say No to School Rabbits Campaign?


The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund strongly disagree with schools having rabbits as pets, due to their complex care needs which are so often not known by schools as well as their nature as docile and fearful animals. Many schools get pet rabbits for kids to enjoy, not considering the fact that rabbits are prey animals, and humans can be very frightening to them - particularly excitable children. They also need to feel secure, which is difficult if they are taken home by different pupils during holidays as well as being cared for by dozens of pupils and teachers daily. 

Although it is good to teach children how to interact with animals, when rabbits are kept as school pets they often suffer neglect, untold amounts of stress and insufficient accommodation. Thankfully as more people are aware of rabbits needs, school rabbits are becoming less common, but the Say No to School Rabbits Campaign is still needed to ensure that this school pet tradition comes to an end.

 

What Are the Be Aware of the Rabbit and Capone Campaigns?


The Be Aware of the Rabbit campaign is about the perception of rabbit owners, and discusses a recent study into owners understanding of their companion animals.   The Capone Campaign works to help combat unlicensed breeders who sell rabbits on online platforms illegally. They are not subject to regulations or welfare checks and will often sell to anyone regardless of their knowledge of ability to care for the rabbit.  

 

How Can I Support The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund?


One of the best ways you can support The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund is by voting for them this September in the Discount Promo Codes charity poll. 

 You can also become a Member and support the hard work they do with a yearly subscription. When you sign up, you will get Rabbiting On their quarterly magazine focussed on all things rabbit. You also get a members handbook, car sticker, On The Hop rabbit care guide, Home Alone card and reduced rates for their annual conferences.

You can also visit their online Shop for gifts both for, and about, rabbits, or give a Donation to help them continue helping the UKs most in need furry companions.  

 

How Can I Contact The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund?


If you want to get in touch with their team, you can pop them an email at [email protected] or give their helpline a ring on tel:01919339000. You can also browse their Rabbit Friendly Vets list online and visit https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ for more information. 

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