RWAF
Well-Known Member
Late Friday afternoon 7[suP]th[/suP] January the PACT office received a call from a member of staff at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital saying that a man had been admitted two days previously having suffered a stroke and had told staff that he had approximately twenty to thirty rabbits and that they had not been fed or watered for three days. We liased with the man through the hospital staff and he eventually agreed to sign over the rabbits to the care of PACT.
Our team attended the premises that evening and found the rabbits being kept in old rusty filing cabinets and one even in a wet cardboard box with little bedding, no hay and dirty feed and water containers. All this in a filthy, rubbish strewn and rat infested shed. The rabbits, mainly large New Zealand Whites, were desperately hungry and thirsty, had no space to hop or jump, were overcrowded and desperately frightened.
There were too many to take in one attempt, as there were far more than we had been led to believe and we did not have room in the ambulance or enough cages ready at the Sanctuary. Twenty of the rabbits that seemed to need the most urgent care were collected that evening, and the rest were fed and watered. We then returned the following day and collected a further thirty-eight rabbits, adults and babies. Most of the females are pregnant. We checked the dilapidated property to make sure that there were no animals missed and discovered a bonfire site with dead rabbits in various stages of decomposition.
The rabbits had been bred for sale as pets and as meat, and the situation had apparently been in this state for at least nine years, and had been reported to the RSPCA on numerous occasions.
We estimate the cost of vaccinating the rabbits immediately at around £1200, not counting any babies yet to be born, any not re-homed will need to be vaccinated again in six months time. The cost of feed and care for the next six months will be at least £2000, plus veterinary care, some will need antibiotics for infected wounds resulting from rat bites, plus extra staff hours and extra equipment that we need to purchase. We now urgently need to complete our expansion of Bunny Village so that we can provide these animals with the right kind of care and housing.
Donations to help with this extra unforeseen expense would be greatly appreciated.
Tuesday 11[suP]th[/suP] Jan 2011
LATEST UPDATE ON HORSFORD RABBITS
Final total of rabbits taken Friday and Saturday was 70 ranging from tiny babies to adults, with another four babies born Sunday making a grand total of 74. Of those we estimate that there are at least 34 pregnant does. Veterinary inspection has revealed that there are at least two rabbits suffering from Syphilis and 4 suspected cases of myxomatosis plus several cases of suspected pasteurella. All the sick rabbits have started treatment and will have to be segregated from the rest of the group. The whole group is of course being kept separated from the rest of our resident rabbits and guinea pigs â a logistical nightmare.
We also need to find homes for these rabbits and any new babies that will be born in addition to the many rabbits and guinea pigs already in residence.
Our contact details PACT Animal Sanctuary, River Farm, Woodrising Nr. Hingham, Norfolk,NR9 4PJ tel-01362 820775 or 01362 821306 or email [email protected][/b] or web site http://www.pactsanctuary.org[/b]
