Rabbit Rescues in Alberta?

[TreasuredFriend]

Situations like these are so sad. Irescue and rarely have time for other things although rescue angels inthe network do as much as they can. It is difficult to keepup with the numbers that don't have decent homes (are surrendered toshelters and on euth lists) or the numbers that are neglected,mistreated/abused, starved, or dumped to fend for themselves.The pictures of Panini made me sad. Thanks for everything youdid even though Panini will never experience a true person's Love andlive to her senior years. Persons like that should never havean animal if they don't intend to care for them. Somany in need, not enough homes.

 

[Kathy]

You guys, don't feel bad about this. There arejust so many 'what ifs.' He had NEVER once mentioned that the situationwas this desperate. He never said that this was between life and deathbecause simply, I assume he had no clue. Why? Because he didn't care.People have contacted him about her (I helped him put up some ads) butno one was willing to pay the adoption fee he was apparently askingfor. I found this out only afterwards. Unbelievably, he was asking for$ for some "profit," he said. Well, I now know that no one probablywanted to pay for an ill rabbit. Ill in the sense that she probably hadno energy to move much.

He's a young guy and admitted that he got her in the summer when he wasbored and had nothing else to do. This choked me. I could go on and onabout this but that wouldn't change anything.

Anyhow, I am somewhat happy that Panini's no longer starving herself tosleep every night not knowing when her next meal or drink would be.Although there could've been many years ahead of her filled with humanlove, she's in a better place.

Thanks all.

 

[Pipp]

Rabbits -- all animals, really -- need to be adopted with a contract, and not 'sold' to some impulse buyer.

We're dealing with lives here, not 'products'. They feelpain,joy, terror, pleasure and loneliness. As thesupposedly superior species, we are their guardians. We haveno right to treat them with anything other than respect.

Stephanie, I know where you're coming from about the overload at therescues, although since becoming involved with rescues -- or at leastattempting to -- I have to admit I'm becoming lesssympathetic.I don't know about your neighbourhood,but frankly the ones I'm running across here seem to spend more timebeing competitive and indignant than anything else. Icanonly hope it's just regional.

I've tried joining arescue and a network of rescuers, andboth seem to spend more time rantingagainst everybody andanybody than anything else.Opinions even slightlydifferent than their own constitute 'wrong information' that has to becorrected.So many people who want to help are beingdriven away by either naturally causticor ego-driven flamerswho seem more about attacking than rescuing. Meanwhile, thereareso many Panini's out there dying while they rant.

It's horribly sad and frustrating.

sas :cry1:

 

[Elizabeth]

Pipp wrote:

I'vetried joining arescue and a network of rescuers, and bothseem to spend more time rantingagainst everybody and anybodythan anything else.Opinions even slightly differentthan their own constitute 'wrong information' that has to becorrected.So many people who want to help are beingdriven away by either naturally causticor ego-driven flamerswho seem more about attacking than rescuing. Meanwhile, thereareso many Panini's out there dying while they rant.

It's horribly sad and frustrating.

sas :cry1:

Sas, I feel so sorry for you. You're so angry and bitter at arescue that you can't even accept or admit that they do good things;have you considered that maybe part ofyourbitternessis because they won't do things the way YOU wantthem done? You and I had a perfectly finerelationship until I refused to do something that you thought wouldmake a difference in the way a bunny was rescued and that, youbelieved, would potentially help many more. And you wouldn'tlisten when I tried to explain to you the way it really was in the cityI lived in and that what you were suggesting, in the end, wouldn't havemade a much of a difference at all. Instead, you ranted andraved about how what I was doing was so incrediblywrong.As a rescuer, I'd never felt bad aboutchoices or decisions I'd madein rescuing until thatconversation with you. I felt like a terrible personandreallyquestioned my abilitytorescue. I'm not trying to make you feel bad;justwant to help you understand how hurtfulwords can be and whythe rescue is feeling so negatively towards you right now.

You make it sound like the resuce does nothing right when they haveadopted out over 700 animals. Are they perfect?Absolutely not. But what rescue is? And yup, theycan rant and rave occasionally. But they've also adopted outa ton of animals who could otherwise have ended up like poorPanini. Please, in your rage and frustration, don't forgetthat.

And honestly, I think you should consider starting your ownrescue. With your ideas and your commitment tohelping bunnies, I think you'd be the perfect person to start up arescue. You could finally make the difference to thesebunnies that you believe SARS should be but isn'tdoing. The only problem I can see is that somepeople may not trust a rescue that also has a forum that is sopro-breeding. *shrugs* But it probably won't makemuch of a difference to most people so I really think you shouldconsider it.

Best of luck and if you do start up a rescue, let me know. I'm always willing to help out where I can.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

RO is not pro-breeding nor is it anti-breeding.We have managed to achieve a happy balance of rescues, breeders, andpet owners. The rabbit community is nothing without breeders, I can betthat every rescue has either directly or inadvertantly learnedsomething from the breeders on this and other forums. I have never seena breeder refuse to give information and help out others just becausethe person in need wasagainst breeding and I think rescuesshould take on the same approach as the breeders here have.

Just because we believe something is wrong does not mean that it is andwe need to understand that. We should be able to peacefully co-existand I do not see why the breeders are being drug into this as they havenot so much as said a word.

I just ask that we not turn this into a battle ground. If you do notappreciate the comments please limit your response to PM and do notpost them publicly on the forum. I, as well as many others, would likethis forum to continue in peace as we have done in the past quitesucessfully.

I also understand where Pipp is coming from on some of this. I believeI am a very responsible bunny owner and I love my bunnies dearly but Iwas forced to find a breeder to get my last bunny because rescues andshelters will not adopt an animal out to me. So I can see whererescues/shelters are both their own best friends and worst enemies. Ido commend them for trying to save these animals but they make it toohard for people who want to help to be able to sometimes just becausethey are not open to alternative ways of doing things. I do not meanany disrespect by this and I hope that any disagreements will be PMedto me and not publicly posted. Please do not take away from thisthread, it has nothing to do with any personal attack on anyone orassociation.

 

[Elizabeth]

I need to apologize for two things.One to Sas because she wasn't referring to the rescue I thought shewasand two because I wasn't meaning for my comment to comeout as bashing breeding.

I simply wanted to make sure that the awareness was there that somepeople will not get involved with a rescue if that rescuehasanything to do with breeding that may be considered"pro-breeding", i.e. a message board that supports breeders.Breeding is a sensitive subject for many rescuers of bunnies andtheycan and willoften consider any sort ofconnection with it to be pro-breeding. That's not a bashagainst breeding, just a simple truth.

But my apologies to those who thought it came out as bashing breeders.

 

[Pipp]

Elizabeth wrote:

I need to apologize for two things. One to Sasbecause she wasn't referring to the rescue I thought shewasand two because I wasn't meaning for my comment to comeout as bashing breeding.

I simply wanted to make sure that the awareness was there that somepeople will not get involved with a rescue if that rescuehasanything to do with breeding that may be considered"pro-breeding", i.e. a message board that supports breeders.Breeding is a sensitive subject for many rescuers of bunnies andtheycan and willoften consider any sort ofconnection with it to be pro-breeding. That's not a bashagainst breeding, just a simple truth.

But my apologies to those who thought it came out as bashing breeders.

I was referring to a LOT of rescues, all kinds of animals.The acidity and combativeness throughout the whole industry, at leastin this neighbourhood, is incredibly disheartening.

But this also goes for the global groups because of things like theattitude you mention towards breeders, and to a lesser extent, caringpeople like MBB who may want to keep a bunny outside. As faras I'm concerned people canthink what they want, but they'renot going to change anything by spitting at them, both sides will digin their heels and spendway too much time writing andresponding to diatribes like this.

This board has next to no fights on this issue becausewe dowhat we can to find common ground and work for change fromwithin. We stateanyarguments withreasonable discussion, based on thought, notemotion.To me, it just doesn't seem that hard!

There are rescuers-- lots of them -- who would rather let arabbit beeuthanized in a shelter than takeup themany offers from breeders to transport and house shelterbunnies. There are as many if not more rabbit lovers whoraise them out in the country as there are peoplewhotakethem into their livingrooms.Havingthose people in acooperativenetwork stood a far better chanceofsaving the very life of a bunny like Panini.

But no. Being rude and vile to them takes priority.Make it a fight. If even half the time spent on lambastingbreeders and imaginary dissenters was actually spent working onsolutions, a lot more progress would be made.

I'm currently emailing acommercial breeder carryingona horrible discussion aboutbutchering rabbits --I saw him post his method,which washorriblyinhumane. I know I won't get anywhere bysaying 'I'm a rabbit rescuer, don't kill your rabbits you evilhuman!' It's like telling a farmer not to kill hischickens. So I justpoint out themorehumane ways of doing it, quoting some of the majorbreeders I've come across on the boards.He assumesI'm another breeder. And he's listening. If I haveto, I'll get the US Rabbit Industry rep to reiterate.

Yes, it kills me tobe having that conversation,Ican'teven read half the email:vomit: but I really think I'llbe saving a lot of rabbits a lot of stress and pain if I keep itup. So I suck it up.


Anyway, NOW we're off track, sorry.It's just really depressing. :sad:



sas