OAR - Otautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust

OAR - Otautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust Ōtautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust Ltd - OAR, a charitable organization creating awareness and change for abused and neglected domestic pets.

You can help by donating, adopting, fostering, or sharing our info. For even one it can mean everything. RABBITS

Ōtautahi Animal Refuge (OAR) only adopt our rescues out to the most loving forever homes, therefore our rabbits are conditioned to live indoors*, alongside you and your family, much like your cat and dog**

If you are interested in adopting from OAR, please message us and we will send

you an Adoption Application. If you are interested in a particular rabbit please organise with us to see them. Please contact us for an update on available rabbits for adoption. Please note that this page is run by volunteers, and while we try our best we all have commitments outside of this. If you wish to surrender a rabbit to us, please note that there maybe a wait time before we can take them. You can speed this wait time up if you have your pet desex and vaccinated before surrendering them. We are always in need of donations. Though we appreciate anything you can give, we prefer you to give a smaller sustainable amount, over a long time, so that we can create long term lasting change in these animals lives. If you have items to donate, please see our list of much needed items.


*We train our rabbits with litter trays, but do expect some territorial messing when you initially have them becoming comfortable in your home, this should stop fairly quickly, if you find it becoming a problem, please contact us.

**Unfortunately in some cases the family dog maybe not be suitable to live alongside a rabbit, this may be due to a high prey drive. If you would like some help introducing your new bun to your existing pets, just let us know.

It's Arlo's last day as Bunny of the Week! We've heard his heartbreaking start in life, and seen what a magnificent boy ...
22/08/2025

It's Arlo's last day as Bunny of the Week! We've heard his heartbreaking start in life, and seen what a magnificent boy he has become. If you're interested in adopting this wonderful boy, please email us at [email protected]

We are devastated to announce that our girl Bean is now a solo Guinea Pig. We have sadly lost Bluey, only a few months a...
20/08/2025

We are devastated to announce that our girl Bean is now a solo Guinea Pig. We have sadly lost Bluey, only a few months after her twin Cookie passed away. We now need an urgent home for little Bean, who needs a Guinea Pig companion. She is roughly 5 years old and in good health. She was an adopted sister to Bluey and Cookie, who were genetically twins, and is now all by herself. Guinea Pigs are companionable creatures, and need friends or else they can die of loneliness. While we are mourning our beloved Bluey, our primary focus is to get Bean into a good home with another Guinea Pig that she can live out the rest of her life with. If you're interested in adopting her, please email us at [email protected]

Our Bunny of the Week, Arlo, had a tough start in life. He was sold to someone who had no idea how to car for his wool-...
20/08/2025

Our Bunny of the Week, Arlo, had a tough start in life. He was sold to someone who had no idea how to car for his wool-like fur, by a breeder who didn't care enough to inform his buyer how much work was required. As a Jersey Wooly, his fur is always growing, and needs daily brushing and regular haircuts to keep him clean and healthy. He was twelve weeks old when he was surrendered to us, and had matt's right down to his skin. It was impossible to remove the matted fur without nicking his delicate skin, so he looked a bit raw for a few days after. That was a few months ago, and, with regular brushing and haircuts, he looks like a completely different bunny. His fur is like a magnificent mane, and will continue to be as long as he gets the regular grooming he needs. If you're interested in giving him the second chance he deserves, please email us at [email protected]

Our Bunny of the Week, Arlo, is the polar opposite to his identical twin. Where Aslan is rambunctious, independent and h...
19/08/2025

Our Bunny of the Week, Arlo, is the polar opposite to his identical twin. Where Aslan is rambunctious, independent and headstrong, out dear Arlo is a calm boy. He's quiet, and, while he does like to cause a little bit of trouble, he is a shy bun who tends to keep to himself. For example, he and Aslan were supposed to be desexed on the same day. Aslan had gotten out of his run (which is his favourite thing to do) and pointblank refused to cooperate and kept running away when we got close to him. Arlo, pretty as a picture, was a good boy, who stayed in his run and was able to be taken to the vet on time. Arlo was desexed on schedule, and another appointment was made for Aslan. We love our dear Arlo, and we hope you do too. If you're interested in adopting this sweetheart, please email us at [email protected]

Meet our Bunny of the Week, Arlo! This fluffy boy is a calm presence in a storm of energetic bunnies, but that doesn't m...
18/08/2025

Meet our Bunny of the Week, Arlo! This fluffy boy is a calm presence in a storm of energetic bunnies, but that doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy a spot of mischief! He is a young bun with a tough start, who is now ready for a home that is prepared for his grooming needs. He is a six month old Jersey Wooly, desexed and vaccinated. If you're interested in the fuzzball, please email us at [email protected]

It's Thomas and Lucille's last day as Bunnies if the Week! We learned about Chinchilla Rabbits, and got to know this ado...
15/08/2025

It's Thomas and Lucille's last day as Bunnies if the Week! We learned about Chinchilla Rabbits, and got to know this adorable sibling duo. If you're interested in adopting this cute couple, please email us at [email protected]

We'll be back next week with another Bunny of the Week, but for now, please enjoy some cute photos of Thomas and Lucille!

Like a lot of our intakes, Thomas and Lucille had a rough start to life. They were part of an unwanted litter, born in a...
14/08/2025

Like a lot of our intakes, Thomas and Lucille had a rough start to life. They were part of an unwanted litter, born in an outdoor hutch. Their parents were taken away, and the newborns were left to die. Luckily, a wonderful citizen got to them in time, and raised them all until they were old enough to be adopted. All of their siblings were solo bunnies, and found forever homes, but since Thomas and Lucille had bonded, it was far more difficult to find a home wanting them both. So, they have been with us for a few months now, waiting patiently for Thomas to final be ready for desexing. Now that they're both desexed, they are ready to go to a new home. Could that home be with you? Please email us at [email protected] to enquire.

Our Bunnies of the Week, Thomas and Lucille, are two absolute gems. They and their litter mates were rescued by a wonder...
13/08/2025

Our Bunnies of the Week, Thomas and Lucille, are two absolute gems. They and their litter mates were rescued by a wonderful citizen as very young babies. Having been raised by such a wonderful person, they are prime examples of how loving, sweet and comfortable bunnies can be. They are a matching pair of sweethearts, who adjust to new things quickly. All they need now is a home of their very own! If you think these cuties are a good fit for your household, please email us at [email protected]

Are those Chinchillas? No! They're our Bunnies of the Week, Lucille and Thomas. But, they are technically Chinchillas as...
12/08/2025

Are those Chinchillas? No! They're our Bunnies of the Week, Lucille and Thomas. But, they are technically Chinchillas as well. Confused? Here's the breakdown. 'Chinchilla', when used in regards to rabbits, is in reference to their fur. These bunnies were bred specially to have fur that looks like that of a Chinchilla. It's dense, soft and rolls back when you pat it. Plus, it's a bit of a novelty, making them a popular variety of pets. We love Thomas and Lucille regardless of their coat patterns, but it is just one interesting piece of information about them. If you're interested in adopting these two 'Chinchillas', please email us at [email protected]

Meet our Bunnies of the Week! Thomas and Lucille have been featured before, but are now ready to go to a forever home! T...
11/08/2025

Meet our Bunnies of the Week! Thomas and Lucille have been featured before, but are now ready to go to a forever home! Thomas has just had the snip, and is recovering well, so now it's time to find the two of them a home. They are a bonded pair, less than a year old, both desexed and vaccinated. If you're interested in adopting these twin cuties, please email us at [email protected]

We're looking for a forever home for two of our most unique rescues. Meet Tender and... uh, C**k (you read that right)! ...
01/08/2025

We're looking for a forever home for two of our most unique rescues. Meet Tender and... uh, C**k (you read that right)! This dynamic duo are two rescues we've had since the day they hatched. Tender has all the personality, and has stolen our hearts as she's grown. She's gone from special needs runt we weren't sure would survive (complete with bad eye and wonky feet) to a champion who has outlived some of her brood mates. She's very used to people, and wants to be involved in everything (you can see from her tail that she got herself involved in some landscaping, but don't worry, it will wash off in the rain). And C**k, well, he's an incredibly pretty rooster, and is a great companion to Tender. As she is a broiler chicken, we don't expect her to live for as long as a healthy breed, but what life she does have has been full of love, fun and triumph. She's already surpassed every expectation we've had for her, and we couldn't love her more. If you're interested in giving these two a wonderful home for life, please email us at [email protected]

Address

60 Sandyford Street
Christchurch

Telephone

+64277722248

Website

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Our Story

Ōtautahi Animal Refuge (OAR) – non-profit organisation, originally Ōtautahi Rabbit Rehoming, was established in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) Aotearoa (New Zealand) in September 2017. In 2019 we underwent new Management and a Mission, to provide a sustainable service devoted to creating real lasting change for the lives of domestic animals, particularly rabbits, in the Christchurch and surrounding areas.

Our Community Outreach Programme plays a vital role in our mission; with education through a direct hands-on approach, we can reduce the breeding, abuse and neglect of domestic animals.

If you are considering surrendering an animal, would like to adopt through us, or have some questions regarding your existing pet, you can arrange a free appointment with a friendly professional volunteer.

This is a free service to work with you directly, helping you achieve the best outcome possible for both you and your pet. If you would like to take advantage of this, we also offer nail trimmings and limited first aid care within this service.