September Rescue of the Month - ARK Rabbit Rescue

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Hunnybunny2007
Posts: 9045
Joined: 09 Oct 2011 11:55

September Rescue of the Month - ARK Rabbit Rescue

Post by Hunnybunny2007 »

ARK RABBIT RESCUE

The Ark Animal Rescue & Retirement Home has been operating since 1986, started in a modest way by the present owner and gradually building up to the size it is now. We didn’t take in and rehome rabbits in the early days; that has only happened during the last seven years approximately. We originally placed hutches wherever we had space. In 2009 we converted an old barn into our rehoming cattery and fenced off the garden behind it to use as our rabbit garden.

We had hutches and runs scattered all around the garden but during the severe snow in the winter of 2010-11 we had to find warmer accommodation for our rabbits so decided to build some much more secure and sheltered pens along one fence which has proved a great improvement.

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We still have hutches and runs in the garden for summer use and well as some accommodation in the cattery for indoor rabbit’s winter accommodation.

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We can accommodate comfortably about 12 rabbits, more if they’re bonded and we can put them in pens together. At the moment we have 11 adult rabbits and 6 babies. We also take in guinea pigs and recently had 24 homeless ones brought in in two batches in as many days! That made accommodation a bit tight for a while!

We also have two resident rabbits, Roger and Pandora who adore each other and share a hutch at night but are free-roaming in the rabbit garden, except when we have to cage Roger for a few days to restrict the amount of grass he stacks away! Roger has a tremendous head tilt due to a past untreated ear infection and has had to have an eye removed due to recurrent eye infections from being on the ground all the time and never seeing the light of day. Pandora only has one ear but we don’t know what happened to her.


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We have a local rabbit lover who raises money for us through the readership of the magazine she produces called “Bunny Mad”. This is paid directly into a rabbit account at our vets and helps towards neutering and vaccination of all our rabbits which we do prior to rehoming as soon as funds allow. We couldn’t manage without this help as well as the regular “financial injections” from PaP which also goes into our rabbit vet fund.

Another local rabbit fanatic helps us with bonding our neutered does and bucks, either by giving advice and support to new owners trying to bond either a pair from the Ark or a new Ark rabbit with an existing one. She will also take in rabbits to bond and present them back to the new owner as a “fait accompli”, asking for a donation which she immediately hands over to the Ark. These two ladies are invaluable to us with their help and advice, often popping in with treats and toys to help keep our buns happy and occupied as well as donations of equipment from time to time.

We are constantly striving to improve the lot of the rabbits while they’re with us and to find good homes for them, as well as educating people on suitable housing and environments for keeping rabbits and guinea pigs. As soon as rabbits are rehomed, their places are very quickly taken by new ones and we frequently have a waiting list of those needing to come in, so the need never ends.
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Blackberry
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Joined: 09 Oct 2011 17:04
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Re: September Rescue of the Month - ARK Rabbit Rescue

Post by Blackberry »

You do a great job - love the accommodation :)
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susie bun
Posts: 3679
Joined: 14 Nov 2011 22:44

Re: September Rescue of the Month - ARK Rabbit Rescue

Post by susie bun »

I've read about ARK in Bunny Mad Magazine, so good to find out more about you. Lovely photos.
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kermit
Posts: 4787
Joined: 14 Oct 2011 22:12

Re: September Rescue of the Month - ARK Rabbit Rescue

Post by kermit »

Oh I love your residents :) They are both my kinda bunny :)
My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today.
mollyjoker
Posts: 42
Joined: 13 Nov 2011 16:39

Re: September Rescue of the Month - ARK Rabbit Rescue

Post by mollyjoker »

Keep up the good work .
Hugs and kisses to you and all your helpers and bunnies as well.xxx
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