Ottawa Humane Society facing a surge in rabbits for adoption
Posted Jul 27, 2023 11:51:30 AM.
It’s Rabbit Week at the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS), and the local shelter is aiming to help adoptable rabbits find their forever homes.
Stephen Smith , the communications manager with the Ottawa Humane Society, told The Sam Laprade Show with guest host Derick Fage earlier this week, while OHS has seen a rise in rabbits coming into their care over the past two to three years, numbers are peaking.
“Right now, we’re actually at the highest we’ve seen, with 30 adoptable rabbits,” said Smith. “That’s around a 50 per cent increase from where we were last year, at the same time.”
While some rabbits are surrendered by their owners, others are found outdoors as strays, he explained. The local shelter often sees entire litters of rabbits coming into their care, including families of ten rabbits and up.
The OHS is offering incentives to encourage rabbit adoption. This includes a 20 per cent discount on their adoption fee, complimentary bag of hay, and a $20 dollar gift card from Farm Boy to purchase fresh veggies for their new furry friend.
Caring for a rabbit also means purchasing an enclosure, where they can feel safe. But, Smith added, it’s important rabbits spend time outside their enclosure roaming the house, much like a cat or dog.
Those interested in adopting can browse through pets available online and submit an adoption application, he said. Their team will then arrange an adoption appointment to ensure they’ve found a good match.
According to Smith, the foster program at OHS is looking for rabbit foster volunteers, who would care for rabbits temporarily while awaiting their forever homes.
“We have foster opportunities for cats and dog as well and we’re always looking to grow the program, where you can give them a break from the shelter, even for a couple of weeks,” explained Smith.
The foster program is especially important for animals recovering from a surgery, he said, as well as others who don’t adapt well to the shelter environment and prefer to be in a home while they wait for their forever families.
More information can be found here.
