Help Needed

Crowded and dirty conditions at the confiscation.

Sunday, 9/16/12, at 3 PM,  27 rabbits (babies, adolescents and  adults) were  discovered living in very poor conditions and confiscated from a backyard breeder in Watsonville. The Animal Control officers who rescued the rabbits brought them to the safety of the Santa Cruz shelter, where they are being housed in the Sally Port. Not ideal conditions, however,  so much better than where they were.  Deepest thanks to Todd of the Santa Cruz Animal control for his good work! Rabbit Haven is working with the Santa Cruz Animal Control officers to assist in the care for these rabbits. We need everything from litter boxes and litter to hay, pellets and dishes. We need people to help clean, exercise and care for these rabbits now while they await fostering or adoption. It would particularly help to move the babies out into foster ASAP. There are 10-12 babies, gold and white and adorable; still filled with joy in spite of their miserable beginning.

Life in the Sally Port, clean towels, shiny walls and LOTS of hay.

Rabbit Haven will begin to work immediately to secure supplies, shelter rabbit care support and spay neuter services, as well as adoption. All rabbits are available for fostering and adoption now.

The rabbits need care right away 

Call Heather ASAP to schedule a time 

if you can help with care. (831) 600-7479

Email: Director@Comcast.net

We will be setting up a spay neuter transport soon as well. 

There are many way you can help.

An Agouti Cutie looking for a better life.

Donate so we can buy supplies and foster set ups 

also spay and neuter. 

http://therabbithaven.org/cash_donations.htm

 

The Situation

The Santa Cruz shelter system (including Watsonville), went well over maximum capacity two weeks ago. Even with ongoing Rabbit Haven rescue and adoption shows we have not been able to keep up and the shelters have an urgent need for rescue. Sadly, the community continues to dump unwanted animals at an alarming rate at these shelters. We have been working as fast as we can to manage the flow at this shelter, but we need fosters, rescue and adopters to make this work.

This is Meyer, he needs a home of his own

Some of the rabbit over-crowding is due to a steady flow of rabbits that started last May and has not stopped. They just keep coming in pairs or groups and we your help to get caught up. This year we are facing a much heavier animal surrender rate at our shelters.

For rabbits at the shelter, this problem has been made much worse because 6 spaces have been eliminated at the Watsonville facility and 1 in the Santa Cruz site. In addition, 6 additional spaces were lost 4 years ago when they moved to their new shelter facility. Basically, cage space at the shelters is decreasing when numbers of rabbits are increasing. A bad situation for rabbits.

The awesome rabbit advocate, Leslie, has been busy emailing and calling all the rescues near and far and to date, we have been able to get out only 5 rabbits. Tragically two more came in Saturday! Haven has contacted everyone we know in the rescue community as well to find space. We definitely have a huge task at hand. To save lives we need to secure additional rescue, increase adoptions and set up new fosters sites.

"Can you help us RABBITS? love, Harper.

There is so much you can do. We need you. The rabbits need you:

1. Foster
2. Adopt
3. Rescue
4. Help in a supportive role
5. Donate

Please see if you have space anywhere to help these little ones. Timmy & Harper need to get out ASAP. They have been at the shelter since April-May. These rabbits are having a hard time in the shelter environment. They are smaller rabbits. Timmy (pictured above) is a tiny dwarf Sable point and Harper is a small white ruby-blue eyed dwarf. Also show are Chip a luscious Rex and Bibbity.
We have only a few days to save their lives. Just fostering for three months will save a life. There are other ways you can help too. You can help transport, pick up supply, put up flyers in the community, assist at the office or even donate. Email me for a complete list of rabbits available at either shelter.
Call us at 831 600-7479 10 AM to 10 PM or email if you want to help director@therabbithaven.org

Urgent: Santa Cruz Area Rescue Needed

The Santa Cruz shelter system (including Watsonville), reached maximum capacity last week.  Even with ongoing Rabbit Haven rescue and our adoption shows we have not been able to keep up – the community continues to dump unwanted animals at an alarming rate. So we have moved into action to get rabbits out to save their lives. 

  

In all fairness, there is just not enough shelter staff to keep up with such a large animal population. Plus now we have only space for 9 and they consistently have 14 and 16 rabbits jammed up at the shelters.   We have lost so much shelter space –and adoption have been very slow. 

In addition the shelter is also receiving many dumps of cats and dogs which create a terrible overload on the entire shelter system.   It is a nightmare. 

Some of the over rabbit crowding is due to a steady flow of rabbits that started last May and has not stopped. They just keep coming in twos and threes and we never can get caught up. This problem has been made much worse because we have lost 6 spaces at our Watsonville facility and one in Santa Cruz. Add to this that we got squeezed out of 6 spaces 4 years ago when we moved to our new facility and it begins adding up to too many rabbits and not enough space.   A bad situation for rabbits. 

The numbers dumped are increasing space is decreasing. 

Our awesome shelter advocate, Leslie, got busy sending letter and calling all the rescues near and far and to date  we have been able to get out 5 rabbits- She is transporting out tomorrow – There is still room in her car if anyone wants to help rescue.  Call me 831 600-7479.   Please see if you have one tiny space anywhere to help these little ones.

I’d like to see little Timmy get out –He is a small dwarf show in this message. He is on the “list”.

Even your commitment to take one of these cuties can save their life now.  Once I let the shelter know a rabbit has rescue they are safe, as long as they will be leaving with in a few days of the commitment. 

Please help these rabbits - All of them are special in their own way. We are asking for your help, your ideas and your support for the little bunnies in Santa Cruz - 

Most rabbits in need are even spayed and neutered.  Haven spayed and neutered 5 of our rabbits that needed it at the shelter so they could be available for adoption or rescue. 

So most you might select are already spayed or neutered. 

The rabbits are very pretty and there are an assortment colors and sizes. So just ask. I will make it happen.

Thank you to the rescue community that has helped so far.  

Getting commitments in the next few days is critical to saving their lives. Transport is offered direct to you. Call me at 831 600-7479 or email if you can help director@therabbithaven.org

Thank you, Auntie Heather