Bunny home in need of rescue

By EMMA SUN
VICTORIA’S one and only dedicated rabbit rescue is facing closure and could potentially leave hundreds of bunnies without a place to go.
Olinda based Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage is in dire need of funding and donations, requiring about $100,000 to stay afloat.
Heartbroken owners Judi and Bryce Inglis said running the not-for-profit rescue service on a full-time basis had put them under a lot of financial strain, and years of putting their own money towards the cause has finally caught up with them.
The pair, who are two of three educators for the House Rabbits Society, need about $30,000 for their special needs bunnies and to desex the current lot, and also $70,000 to remain on their current property.
Ms Inglis said she and her husband held the charity close to their hearts and put all their efforts towards helping rabbits and educating the public, which has also been to their detriment.
“Every time a bunny is sick or needs to be de-sexed, if the money isn’t in the charity account, we just throw our own money in and that’s how we came into such an unstable financial situation,” she said.
“The charity needs to now take a step up and support itself.”
Ms Inglis appealed to other rabbit and animal lovers to show their support and help bring the cash-strapped charity back into business.
She said they needed people from all sorts of backgrounds to help out, such as those with time to spare who would like to volunteer and those with expertise in running charities and fundraising.
She said more volunteers would alleviate the constant pressure on her and her husband, which would give them the opportunity to find full-time work and pay for their house.
“We’re dedicated and it’s a passion, but we don’t necessarily have all the expertise in running a charity so we need people that can help us and guide us in the fundraising and funding side and all that come with it,” she said.
“We’re just trying to take bunnies off death row, care for them and re-home them.”
The pair have stopped taking in bunnies and are working hard to get their current group of furry animals out of harm’s way and ready to go to good homes.
“To make the decision to stop taking them in and to face the reality we might have to sell the property and close the orphanage permanently is just terrible,” she said.
“We just want to make sure there are things behind us that can stop the whole thing from collapsing so we can fund it without going through our own personal finances.”
Anyone who would like to help can contact Judi and Bryce Inglis at Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage on 9751 1229.