A rabbit dumped beside bins on collection day has laid bare a post-Easter surge in abandoned bunnies.<\/p>\n
Lock Stock Self Storage stepped in to help after hearing that Rabbit Rescue North West, which operates in Cheshire, Manchester, Derbyshire and Lancashire, is overwhelmed with unwanted rabbits after Easter.<\/p>\n
Five-year-old Laurie was in a sorry state when he was found in an alleyway in a tiny cage next to the trash on bin day.<\/p>\n
According to the rescue charity, the aftermath of Easter is now one of their busiest and most challenging periods as the novelty of owning fluffy pet rabbits wears off.<\/p>\n
Lock Stock, which is expanding across the North West, is supporting the charity in its work to find new homes for the rabbits through donations of feed, bedding, blankets and toys.<\/p>\n
Site manager Richard Warner praised Rabbit Rescue North West for its work in the region.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cRabbit Rescue North West does tremendous and important work in the communities we operate in.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny animal lover would be desperately sad to hear rabbits are dumped and abandoned throughout the year and especially after Easter and Christmas.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a company we are pleased to be able to play our part in supporting the work of Jess and the team at the charity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are all volunteers and we are full of admiration for how they give love and care to abandoned rabbits until they can be found new, safe and loving homes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jess Wood, chair of trustees at Rabbit Rescue North West, thanked Lock Stock for its support.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cThe donation from Lock Stock will make a massive difference to the rabbits in our care.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be shared out between all of the rabbits which are currently in our care at the rescue.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our biggest expenses is our vet bills which on average is about \u00a320,000 a year, so any support is really appreciated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a huge crisis in terms of people buying rabbits then dumping them, especially after Easter, and also after Christmas believe it or not.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Easter, all rescues are just completely overwhelmed because people will go and buy them as Easter gifts, or go and buy them as gifts for children, then the novelty wears off or people don\u2019t realise how much care they need and how much that costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo sadly, they become dumped or unwanted after Easter and we currently have 42 rabbits in our care.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy biggest message would be \u2018adopt, and don\u2019t shop\u2019 and rabbits are not for Easter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other day, in just one day, we had 21 requests from people wanting to surrender their rabbits.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople will go out to buy them as gifts for their children thinking they are easy pets and realise they are not, or the children lose interest, and they tend to get abandoned or the rescues are asked to pick up the pieces.<\/p>\n
\u201cRabbits need to be vaccinated every year which on average is about \u00a360 to \u00a380, they need to be neutered, and they need space and companionship and enrichment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jess, who lives in Leyland, said the volunteers are alerted to dumped or unwanted rabbits through social media messages.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cPeople in the community as well will find them dumped and will contact us to ask if we have space to take them in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jess currently has three foster rabbits, and two pet rabbits, which were both initially rescue rabbits.<\/p>\n
Laurie, a lion head rabbit, was discovered in a particularly terrible condition.
\nJess added: \u201cHe was left beside all these bins in Nelson, East Lancashire, in an alleyway ready to be collected.<\/p>\n
\u201cA member of the public contacted us to say he had been put out with the trash.
\n\u201cWhen he came in he was full of faeces underneath, he had a prolapsed anus, and what the vet thinks was a broken leg which had not been treated properly and had healed badly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a really bad mite infestation as well, and was severely underweight.
\n\u201cWhen we took him to the vets they said it was kind of touch and go whether he would make it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was cleaned up at the vets, he has had pain relief, he\u2019s had antibiotics, and he\u2019s still on the road to recovery, but he\u2019s getting there.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe needs to be neutered and vaccinated yet and hopefully we will be able to rehome him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have 15 volunteers and we have currently got foster carers in the Stockport area, Greater Manchester, Bolton, over this way in Lancashire, Hyde.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole of the rescue is run by volunteers, none of us take any money from the rescue, we don\u2019t even take travel expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are always looking for more volunteers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people are interested, then they should contact us at\u00a0rabbitrescuenw@yahoo.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0”<\/p>\n Jess emphasised the charity carried out checks to make sure the homes the rabbits were being sent to were suitable.<\/p>\n Founded in 2000, Lock Stock has over 5,700 storage units providing more than five million cubic feet of space at more than 35 storage parks across North and Mid Wales, the border counties and the north west.<\/p>\n They estimate that over 70 per cent of their units are rented by people moving house or keeping treasured possessions but nearly 30 per cent, almost 2,000, are used by a variety of businesses for storing materials, stock and equipment.<\/p>\n For information about Lock Stock Self Storage including off-site container hire, contact them on 01745 817178 or go to\u00a0https:\/\/lockstock.biz\/<\/a><\/p>\n