So... 4H

[naturestee]

So, what are your local 4H rabbit clubs like? Cause one of ours just dumped a bunch of rabbits at the *overcrowded* Humane Society. Apparently a couple of kids didn't want to keep last summer's rabbit "projects.":grumpy::grumpy::grumpy:

Oh, and I spent over 4 hours grooming a Fuzzy Lop they brought in with severe mats and urine burn because the mats wouldn't let him position to pee properly.:X

I know it's very much up to the leaders, but how is this teaching kids responsibility and skills? I remember where I grew up, in another part of the state, the rabbits had to at least be clean and healthy. But at the county fair here I've seen a good number of rabbits with visible-from-a-distance urine burn (not staining, burn!) with blue ribbons.

Are your 4H groups like this, or do they actually have standards? Who brings this about and how do you change it? Being a rescue person I don't think they'll listen to me *despite dumping their rabbits on us.* Do any of you adults that do ARBA work with the local 4H groups?

FYI, I'm totally not against breeding. Just irresponsible breeding and inhumane conditions. And dumping at the shelter.:twitch:

:rant:

 

[Bo B Bunny]

The reason I won't let the kids show Tony is because of one of the leaders, one of the main parents and the lack of guidance for THEM in 4H..... Those two people see rabbits as nothing more than a commodity. They also make comments and suggestions regarding the "care" of sick, injured, and/or non-quality/teeth issue rabbits... They don't end up at the rescues......

 

[Wabbitdad12]

In our 4-H the leaders emphasize keeping rabbits healthy, they bring in vets occasionaly to talk about rabbits and even companies like Purina to talk about good nutrition.

Last year at check in for the fair, all rabbits had to pass a health inspection. They had a vet, vet tech and a couple of leaders who are very experienced with rabbits checking the health of each rabbit. They did not want any of the rabbits their infecting others. Some 4-H rabbit club rabbits couldn't be shown at the fair because of their health. When my daughter was checking in her rabbits,one was turned away, and the kids were told to contact their vet with what they thought might be wrong with the rabbit.

I never saw any rabbits that looked neglected being shown, I know several of the leaders and they would have been appalled at the conditions described. I think its the leadership and how responsible they themselves are, plus the parents should be monitoring the conditions of the rabbits too. I wish I could tell you how to change this problem, however, I think it would take a change in the clubs leadership to see any improvement. Having a couple of local vets do health checks when the kids bring their rabbits would be a good start. The leaders couldn't argue with a vet and it would hopefully highlight the problems you described.

Sorry, I know not much help.

 

[Dublinperky]

My 4-H leader is very supportive and would never let me do that. I think that is terrible that they would allow them to just dump their rabbits like that!

 

[minirexmama]

My 4-H leader would have killed us if we did this. She was hard core, and we always had the healthiest rabbits and won the most ribbons because of it. The extension office that oversees the 4-H leaders should hear about this.

 

[Erins Rabbits]

Ugh, I'm sorry. Kids. Gah. :X

Our 4-h group is responsible. We maintain standards about breeding and selling- for example- no member of our club buys at the pet store. Our humane society has had, uh, a grand total of ONE rabbit dumped there. Not one of ours because if someone didn't want it, they will at the very least give it away within the group.

And, at our fairs, a rabbit is docked severly for being in ill-state, mostly because our county SUCKS and doesn't provide a judge, so our judge is usually a post member of our 4-h club at the fair. Otherwise 4-h judges are just ARBA judges and they usually won't award a poorly cared for rabbit.

 

[BlueGiants]

It all comes down to the leaders... what kind of example are they setting for the kids, what are they teaching? We were very involved with the 4-H program around us for many years, and our kids would not be allowed to get away with keeping their rabbits in anything less than the best conditions with the best care. We had kids give up keeping/showing rabbits, but someone else was always willing to step up and take them. What a shame that they were dumped at the shelter.

Part of the 4-H program is to teach responsibility... but if the kids are not taught, they don't learn. I'd fault the leaders/parents.

 

[Bramblerose]

Well we just joined the local 4H group, its a very busy club, leaders are active in ARBA, and have classes on care etc for their members. Seems like a really nice club, lots of involved parents which is a terrific thing, as I think that is at the heart of the OP's problem situation. Quite frankly unless it was actually the leaders who dropped the rabbits off I can't see how its the 4H clubs fault. I was very active in 4H when I was a kid, youth leader and such, and saw a lot of less than ideal situations with rabbits and club members. The worst ones were always the kids whose parents had no interest in the rabbit hobby at all, and seldom participated in the club, just dropped their kids off. You can educate the child all you want but in the end its the parent who ultimately makes the decisions regarding a childs project rabbit. If the parent ignores the rabbit then yes it does not get fed or watered regularly and suffers. If they allow the child to get a breed like a Fuzzy Lop and either don't understand or care about its grooming needs then yes its going to mat horribly. Parents will allow a child to buy a rabbit with snot coming out of its nose because of ignorance, ignorance pure and simple. Often a parent does not know or care to learn about rabbits and expects the child to care for the rabbit exclusively, and that never ends well. Also most 4Her's start out with a pet shop rabbit bought as a gift, thats really kinda normal. Then they get into showing and that pet bunny isn't going to win anything and the child wants a rabbit that will win, and so doesn't want the pet bunny anymore. Most clubs try and take care of such things internally as someone esle stated, I must admit I'm surprized that 4H rabbits were actually dumped at a shelter instead of being it handled differently. If it was a leader who did this then shame on them, if it was a parent well that wouldn't surprize me. Also different clubs have different dynamics, some are still farming and agriculturally based and treat rabbits as small livestock, others see rabbits as pets only, and I could see the pet only people taking the rabbits to a shelter, hoping they would get adopted. Its a bummer regardless of motive, but it all boils down to parent involvement.

 

[wooly_queen]

That's terrible!!!! Our groups around here are very good. At our fair they have a person that checks all the incoming bunnies for things like that before they are allowed in the building. And if the rabbits have any problems with cleanliness etc. then the judges always point it out as well. And I agree...I am not against breeding because I do it myself, but I always keep my babies, sell them as show or breeders and then the others that I can't keep are given to friends or other people who will keep them as pets. I always make sure they know how to care for them and give them all the info they need. I hate when people breed just for the heck of it. I also have a purpose, like perfecting the herd. I don't just do it to make a little money at Easter or whatever... roar. People anger me....

 

[blazn bunz]

I am the rabbit project leader in our 4-H group. I start by asking my new memebers not to get their rabbit until we have gone over feeding, housing, health, and nutrition at our first couple meetings. At our fairs the rabbits must pass as inspection before they are allowed to stay at the fair to be shown. You need to contact the community leader of the 4-H club to let them know that this is happening. This is obviously not teaching the kids responsibility for their animals.

 

[DyemondRabbitry]

I hate when you go to fairs and see this. Our county rabbit barn is fairly small (about 80 usually). I've been running this barn for a few years now and I have to say we do it as closely to ARBA rules as possible. My husband and I health check each and every rabbit, any rabbit that would have an illness DQ at an ARBA show is sent home. Also, we require tattooing and care of the animal atleast every 12 hours. If the kids aren't there to feed, water and clean the litter under the cages atleast that often they're turned into the fairboard and they lose their premium checks.

It sounds harsh and the first year we took away checks it caused a lot of commotion but I'll tell you- now everybody takes care of their buns.

Oh, and if I can tell the animal has been neglected prior to the fair I will either turn away just that one or all of that exhibitor's animals. I will NOT have animals like that in my barn and will NOT allow a 4-H to receive a premium check for care like this.

 

[naturestee]

Thanks for the input, guys. I'm really glad that not all 4H groups are like this! I haven't been able to post till now because I'm still so friggin mad about it. Good thing our shelter already had lined up sending about half of our rabbits to another local shelter. Otherwise they'd have been stuck in guinea pig cages at our shelter for a long time. There was no room!

I'll be checking on the little guy again this weekend. Hopefully his skin will be healing well. I left supplies and instructions for the staff, but the vet might over rule me even though he knows I know more than him as far as rabbit health.

We do have an education coordinator for the shelter. I'll see if she can approach the 4H clubs, maybe set up a rabbit care day or at least have them tour the shelter to see what happens to their abandoned projects and the babies they sold. And how many months it takes to get them adopted!

On a good note, the matched pair of holland lop girls from the 4H club got an adoption application on Saturday. Good thing the hubby and I trimmed their massive dagger claws that morning!

 

[naturestee]

Looks like I'll be fostering the fuzzy lop for a little while. The staff is having a heck of a time putting the ointments on. Apparently she's developed an attitude now that her skin isn't wrapped around inside the mats any more.

Hopefully she settles down and heals!

I'll have pictures when I bring her home tomorrow, but she doesn't look like much. After all, we did chop most of her fur off with grooming scissors.

 

[irishbunny]

Aw poor girl, I'm sure she'll be a stunnah when she's all healed and her fur grows back! Sounds like they were just a bad 4H group.