Blue Cross in the grip of rabbit abandonment crisis

Abandoned in a leisure centre car park inside a cardboard box with no food or water, rabbits Elizabeth and Margaret must have been starving, thirsty and terrified.

Nobody knows why they were dumped in the way they were, but we’re seeing a worrying number of rabbits being left like this as the cost of living crisis deepens.

By the end of last year, Blue Cross was seeing up to 95 calls a month from people needing to give up their rabbits – more than we’ve ever known. 

And, sadly, many others are being dumped on the streets like Elizabeth and Margaret, who were taken in by our Thirsk rehoming centre in Yorkshire. 

Elizabeth, thought to be about two years old, was very overweight so immediately needed to go on a special diet while we searched for a new home for her with a neutered male bunny.

Meanwhile, Margaret was bonded with another rabbit called Alfie.

Rabbits are social animals need to live together, with pairings of the opposite sex usually the most successful. But both pets need to be neutered, as rabbits can breed quickly and numbers can soon grow out of control.

The rate at which homeless rabbits – including many babies – are coming into our care means we’re struggling to find them all the homes they need.

Poor Tabitha and Cleo, who were also left in a park in a cardboard box, were in our care for more than a year before finding the fresh start they deserved.

Sarah Miller, Animal Welfare Assistant at our Hertfordshire centre, which cared for the pair, says: “They were found by a member of the public and must have been very scared. Initially very nervous, thankfully, after some one-on-one time with a lovely fosterer, they came on leaps and bounds!

“But they had very little interest and were with us for 390 days. So, we were so happy to see them find a home.”

Claire Stallard, Animal Behaviour and Welfare Lead at Blue Cross, says: “Sadly we are seeing an increase in the number of rabbits being admitted to Blue Cross for rehoming. We are also seeing an increase in requests from people needing to rehome their rabbit as well as more rabbits being abandoned. 

“This may be due to the cost-of-living crisis with owners no longer able to care for their pets. We have also seen a rise in litters of baby rabbits, many of which were accidental. We are urging people to correctly sex their rabbits and neuter where possible to avoid this from happening."