By Derek Schlennstedt
They can bring so much joy into your life, so this National Pet Adoption Day, why not consider making your home a forever home?
Every year, around 200,000 healthy pets remain unclaimed in Australia’s pounds and shelters.
In a bid to reduce these statistics Pet Rescues around the country are holding informative pet adoption events on February 4 as part of National Pet Adoption day.
One of those rescues, Olinda Rabbit Runaway Orphanage, is reminding people of the joy a rescue pet can bring.
As part of National Pet Adoption Day, the orphanage will be streaming live from their website giving people the opportunity to meet each and every bunny.
“On the day we are having a live feed from here onto our website, where we introduce everyone to all the bunnies … they’ll be able to hear their stories and what’s happened to them – they can meet them online,” founder of the orphanage Judi Inglis said.
“These animals were all once family pets who need loving homes, adoption is a great way to give these animals a new start in life. These animals just need a second chance because they’ve just ended up with the wrong people or wrong circumstances previously.”
National pet adoption day, led by PETstock’s charity foundation PETstock Assist, in partnership with not-for-profit animal rescue organisation PetRescue is an initiative that aims to raise awareness around pet adoption.
The timing comes at a period where many rescues are inundated with unwanted or surrendered pets following Christmas.
Since late December the Orphanage has had to pick-up 40 dumped rabbits – at the same time they have turned away the equivalent amount due to lack of space and resources.
Ms Inglis said that laws surrounding rabbits have failed to keep pace with an increase in rabbit specific dumpings and that there has been a clear failure by Government to address the issue.
“As the rabbit pet owner is under no obligation to desex or microchip their pet rabbit by law, there is no recourse for them when they dump them in the bush,” Ms Inglis said.
“In 15 years of doing this we’ve only had two rabbit come in which have been micro chipped. Because the animals aren’t linked to the people who dump them, they can’t be found or held to account.”
For Lee-ann Tee, who has adopted three rabbits from the orphanage the choice was simple describing the orphanage and those who work there as caring for “every single animal and every single life”.“What I like about adoption and why I think more people should rescue and adopt is because you are changing these lives… for Judi it’s purely about improving the wellbeing and welfare of these animals.”
On February 4 the Orphanage will live stream from their rescue introducing bunnies and telling their backstory.
To find out more about adopting and to see the live feed visit https://www.rabbitrunaway.org.au/
