18/05/2023
It is with extremely heavy hearts that we unfortunately must announce that we are currently closed completely and indefinitely for new intakes. Personal illness forces this decision. We are also not offering any waiting list during this time. Sadly, as many of you will be aware, there is currently a national crisis for surrendered and abandoned rabbits and many reputable rescues are finding themselves in a very difficult position. Overwhelmed, overstretched, feeling helpless, sad and scared for the future facing companion animals and rescuers in this country. Rescuers are beside themselves at the scale of the situation facing every type of companion animal, and closing our doors to new intakes is not a decision which we have taken lightly, for a multitude of reasons.
If you are reading this whilst considering surrendering your rabbit/s, Bunny Angels are a nationwide network of volunteers who help to find rescue spaces for rabbits in need, and they have kindly offered their services and asked us to point any people wishing to surrender rabbits in their direction. They can be found and messaged via their page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064915535977
They have a waiting list which operates on a priority system, but they will do their very best to help.
Another option is to advertise the rabbit/s yourself via the Rabbit rehome website - www.rabbitrehome.org.uk be sure to vet any potential adopters for their suitability and ability to provide a species appropriate environment - details on what rabbits require as a bare minimum can be found here: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care/
Our general advice is to get bun/s vaccinated and neutered/spayed if they are not already, as this will greatly increase their chances of finding a rescue space or home quickly.
We still suggest contacting local rescues to try and help find your rabbit/s a new home, they may be able to add you to their waiting list for intakes. Rehoming via rescue is the best route to take to ensure that they find someone appropriate, but again all of us are struggling with the weight of the rescue crisis currently, so you may have to wait some time to find one in a position to help - but it is certainly in your rabbit/s best interests to do so.
We send our deepest thanks to everyone sympathetic of our situation, everyone who has ever assisted us in any way, and everyone who continues to support us day-to-day. Be assured the rabbits who are already under sanctuary care here will still be receiving the same utmost attention, devotion and care as they always have - we simply can no longer provide the time, resources, funds, and mental capacity to bring any more individuals into the rescue.
With sadness, Urbun Sanctuary 🐰
