| Every year, hundreds of pets
are abandoned by their owners. Where do they go? How do
they end up? What becomes of a cute cuddly creature after
it's left to fend for itself?
Late last year, Angie Lai, a real estate agent (and
now a HRSS volunteer), decided to picnic with her dog
at Lower Pierce Reservoir. Almost immediately after
reaching their favourite spot, three men in their fifties
passed by and told her that they had just seen three
rabbits roaming freely farther up. All thoughts of a
cosy little picnic fled from Angie's mind.
She recalls, "I was quite upset to hear of yet
another case of rabbit abandonment. My immediate reaction
was to find them before they wandered farther away into
the forest. I wanted to save them. I couldn't bear the
thought of them fending for themselves and living in
fear. These are domesticated rabbits - it's impossible
for them to survive out in the wild."
With the help of the park attendant, Angie managed
to recover all three rabbits. Even though they appeared
to be in good condition (Angie guesses that they were
abandoned only that very morning), she brought them
to the vet immediately to make sure they did not have
any communicable diseases before bringing them home.
She later put them up for adoption on the HRSS forums.
Angie's rescue of the rabbits that fateful day is not
an isolated case. Every year, over 1000 rabbits are
dumped at SPCA. Unfortunately, most have to be euthanised
because of limited accommodation space.
Many more rabbits are abandoned to die in parks, HDB
void decks and even car parks. People don't realise
that domestic rabbits can't survive in the open. They
quickly become food for everything from cats and dogs
to crows. And the "lucky" ones who don't get
eaten, get run over by cars or die from hunger or heat.
To rescue and re-home these abandoned rabbits, HRSS
runs a structured fostering programme. HRSS rescued
rabbits are kept at the homes of HRSS volunteers until
they are adopted. Every rescued rabbit is spayed or
neutered, receives individual care including toys, medical
care, healthy food and treats, and lots of love. HRSS
also works closely with SPCA to publicise bunnies in
SPCA's care.
The following articles discuss our adoption procedures
and what to do if you find a stray rabbit. And if you
are planning to get a rabbit, please consider ADOPTING
a rabbit from us instead of buying one from a breeder
or a pet store.
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