New Strain of VHD
Detected in France
Although it has been widely reported there is an outbreak of VHD in Scotland,
reports show there is a new variant of this disease detected in France. Vaccination
is vital!
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A recent study in Switzerland has revealed that supplying a drinking bowl rather than a water bottle allows for a faster water intake. It also suggested that a slow water intake from a bottle may have an impact on drinking behaviour and decreased the daily water and feed intake. The study concludes that to correspond best with preferences of rabbits, water should be offered in open dishes.
Read more..
 
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Media & PR Press Releases
Our recent press releases, in full and in pdf download format, are available here. We have also made available suitable images for use with the press releaases too.
Please note, all images are copyright of Make Mine Chocolate! and permission for their use must be sought prior to publication if their intended use is other than with the relevant Make Mine Chocolate! press release.
Chinese New Year Of The Rabbit .... Not So Lucky if You're A Rabbit
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| With over a 6th of the world’s population, and around 1/2 a million in the UK celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, rescues across the UK are bracing themselves for a surge in unwanted rabbits once the celebrations are over. |
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News wires Reuters, CNN, The Associated Press and others have already reported a brisk sale of rabbits in some parts, and although the coming of the Chinese New Year will be less marked here in the UK, there is no doubt that 'rabbit fever' will strike some who will become enchanted by the many images of cute and fluffy bunnies or their association with good fortune. "Sadly it's an inevitability", reports rescue owner Helen Halliday. "Any time an animal is featured prominently in the media, people want them and simply go out and buy one without a thought for the long term consequences. Contrary to popular belief (and some comments in recent news reports), rabbits are not easy to care for; they require a great deal of attention, time and money." "We are beginning to see a significant rise in admissions following Christmas, and we'll see the same after both the Chinese New Year and also Easter" Helen continues "They strain on rescues is overwhelming. Many rescues have waiting lists of rabbits needing to be admitted which is already greater than the capacity of the rescue! People need to realise that buying a live animal really is a big deal, and they should research it thoroughly before taking on the commitment." |
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The Chinese New Year of The Rabbit coincides with the launch of the 2011 annual Make Mine Chocolate! Rabbit Sale Amnesty being held across the UK. "The Make Mine Chocolate! campaign aims to put a stop to the impulse buying of rabbits" says campaign manager Lisa Whitty. "We encourage people to buy toy or chocolate rabbits instead, and we provide care information to potential new owners via retailers or the makeminechocolate.org.uk website so they can determine if rabbits really are the right pet for them before potentially making a very bad mistake." With around 35,000 rabbits passing through rescues annually and the RSPCA reporting rabbits are the most neglected pet in England, only time will tell if this really is the Year of the Rabbit. |
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Please scroll down to read the release and to view the images.
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Rabbit Welfare – Britain’s Hidden ShameWith the discovery of yet another horrific case of rabbit neglect and abuse, Make Mine Chocolate!, the voice for rabbit welfare, is calling for a fundamental change in the way rabbits are being bred and bought in Britain. |
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Images from the most recent rescue, involving 74 rabbits in the Norfolk area, show the charred and decomposing remains of an unknown number of rabbits, mothers and babies living in their own excrement, and appallingly small rabbit ‘accommodation’ that included filing cabinets and soggy cardboard boxes. A separate rescue on the south coast involved row upon row of females being back-to-back bred, with many mothers and offspring suffering from life-threatening and painful deformities and tumours. In both cases, rabbits were being bred as ‘stock’ for sale via a number of different types of outlet. It is likely neither outlet nor purchaser has any idea of the dreadful conditions their newly acquired fluffy bunny comes from. Many rabbits will appear healthy on the outside but can suffer abnormalities, growths or genetic disorders which will lead to an early death - or long-term and painful conditions that need expensive and frequent medical treatment. |
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We need a fundamental change in rabbit welfare in Britain” reports make Mine Chocolate! campaign manager Lisa Whitty. “Rather than cope with the fallout we need to make some changes in the way rabbits are supplied and purchased, and put a stop to this type of problem. If these rescue cases involved dogs or cats there would probably be a public outcry. Rabbits are no different, yet much of the public is totally unaware of the abhorrent conditions some rabbits are kept and bred in. I just hope we do not have to have a Panorama style expose to prove just how bad the rabbit welfare problem is here is Britain. As one of our celebrity campaign supporters, Toyah Willcox, puts it; ‘rabbits are beautiful, responsive and intelligent creatures. They enjoy company and revel in being given attention’.” |
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Any rabbit purchased should be traceable, be fully health checked by an experienced rabbit veterinarian and be fully vaccinated against both Myxomatosis and Viral Hemorrhagic Disease before being made available, plus owners should be obliged to report major health issues to their supplier so that breeders and the quality of their ‘stock’ can be fully monitored and controlled. All breeders supplying the public or trade should be fully registered and also undergo frequent and unscheduled inspections by qualified inspectors. If you are about to get a new rabbit, don’t just buy on sight! Ask questions about where it comes from, ask about the health of its brothers, sisters and parents. Be as inquisitive as you can - your new purchase could be with you for 10 years or more so you need to know exactly what you are getting! Or better still visit your local rescue as they will have some wonderful bunnies just waiting for a new loving home. |
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| Make Mine Chocolate! is campaigning to change the way rabbits are bought, and working hard to increase the general understanding of the domestic rabbit. For further information, downloads and ways to help the campaign, visit the Make Mine Chocolate! website at www.makeminechocolate.org.uk. |
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Most people associate rabbits with Easter, but sadly it now seems that cute and cuddly bunnies are also seen as a great child’s Christmas present.
Many rabbits will be bought on a whim this Christmas and then given up to rescue during the following weeks and months once the reality of the care required and costs hits home – especially when the festive credit card bills start to arrive.
Rescue centres are already struggling to cope with the increased demands on their resources as the number of rabbits being surrendered has significantly increased during 2010.
In addition, fewer people are going to a rescue to adopt. Honeybunnies Rescue in Leicester is taking around 6 calls a day from people wishing to give up their family rabbit – for a variety of reasons. Jill Woodward, Rescue Manager, said “Honeybunnies is already full to bursting with rabbits desperate for new homes, and there is a lengthy waiting list already. A vast number of people calling seem to have suddenly developed allergies or have landlords that have decided to throw them out ‘today’ ... just as the bad weather arrives. In reality people are just getting fed up of caring for their rabbit now it is cold”.
With weather conditions deteriorating over the holiday season, fewer owners are prepared to care for their rabbits. And along with the Christmas cuddly bunny impulse purchases, it’s clear rabbits are heading for yet more suffering. Even greater pressure will be placed on the already overburdened rabbit rescue system in early spring.
The issue is simple; people don’t have time for rabbits during the winter months. With weather worsening, funds being prioritised for the Christmas festivities, and maybe even space being made for the new pet arriving on the 25th December, the rabbit is the loser.
Some rescues have had people seeking rabbits for a Christmas present. The Rabbit Crossing, a privately run rescue in Surrey, has had more enquiries in the last two weeks than in the last two months. Rescue owner Helen Halliday commented “One e-mail said that the children wanted rabbits for Christmas, but by the time I had replied to the initial enquiry they had already found rabbits elsewhere. I imagine the urgency was because they just wanted to cross off a task on the Christmas ‘to-do’ list“.
Make Mine Chocolate!, the campaign to stop the impulse purchase of rabbits, reports that 40% or the rabbits currently in rescue have been given up within 6 months of purchase, with 60% within the first year. This clearly demonstrates just how common the impulse purchase problem is, and shows just how much rabbit awareness and knowledge must radically improve in order to stop the suffering of a great number of domestic rabbits here in the UK.
So the message has to be ‘Think Before You Buy!’. Rabbits make fantastic members of the family but do need a lot of time, space, money and effort. And remember, rabbits do not make an ideal present for the children – at Christmas or any time of the year. Contact Make Mine Chocolate! for information and advice about rabbit care, or details of your local rabbit rescue at www.MakeMineChocolate.org.uk.
