RABBITS IN QLD

Keeping Rabbits in Queensland

While it is illegal to keep a pet rabbit in Queensland which is very well known now, there is still confusion amongst vets and the public about whether or not a veterinarian in Queensland can legally see and treat a pet rabbit if one is presented to their clinic. 

A Vet Can Treat a Pet Rabbit in Queensland

It is not a direct offence for a veterinarian to treat an illegally kept pet that is restricted matter such as a rabbit, as the owner of the pet has legal responsibility for the animal. The veterinarian may choose to advise the owner of the possible repercussions of illegally keeping a declared pest animal. Animals can be seized and destroyed under the Act and the owner may be prosecuted. 

GIANT RABBITS FOR ADOPTION

Giant Pet Rabbits for Adoption

One of the most delightful pets you can have is a giant pet rabbit. We have some beautiful giant pet rabbits for adoption. You can apply on our website using our adoption application form. 

Below are some photos of our current giant rabbits that are available for adoption including CUDDLES and a USAGI. 

CUDDLES IS VERY CUDDLY

 
 
 

 

MELBOURNE RABBIT FOSTER CARERS WANTED

We urgently need Rabbit Foster Carers in Melbourne

We have a bunny in great need of a Foster Carer in Craigieburn Victoria.

If you would like to join The Rabbit Rescue Sanctuary as a Foster Carer in Melbourne text Kim on 0416 062 947.

We can supply you with indoor rabbit care equipment as a Foster Carer.

This little girl rabbit is now safe. We are looking for Foster Carers in Melbourne. 

RHODES GRASS HAY FOR RABBITS

FEEDING RHODES GRASS HAY TO RABBITS

Rhodes Grass Hay (Chloris gayana) is best if it is young hay, about 4 weeks old at most (15% protein) Protein falls as the hay gets older in the bale (9% average)

Image of Rhodes Grass Hay in Australia

The leaves of the Rhodes Hay contain the most nutrients. The first cut of the hay in the paddock yeilds the most leaves and is the most nutritious hay. This will be known as prime or premium top quality hay and is most expensive.  

All rabbits need nutrients as well as roughage or fibre in their hay. Newer hay is always best. As hay is stored in sheds it becomes dry and not as tasty and can become dusty or soiled by rats. 

Rhodes Hay is low in sugar which is good for rabbits however it should not be the only hay fed because although it is a good fibre source it is not high in nutritional value unless very fresh. Even when fresh it should be fed with a good quality pellet to balance the nutritional intake for rabbits. Trials with rabbits overseas showed that if given a choice, rabbits prefered other hays. (Reference:  Feedipedia.org)

Baby rabbits, growing young rabbits and pregnant or lactating rabbits  need a high protein and high calcium hay like Lucerne Hay for growth and calcium for good bones.  

Hay should be fed from a rack or hay bag hanging at the end of their litter tray. This keeps hay clean and allows them to 'pluck' at the hay rather than just collect it from the ground. In nature the rabbit has to work hard to pluck and pull the grass from the ground. This aides their digestion. 

MELBOURNE RESCUE RABBIT

Melbourne Craigiebourne Rescue Rabbit for Adoption.

Sky has nowhere to go. We need a temporary Foster Carer. Can you help us? 

She is desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, vet checked. Her poor little ear was damaged but is mended now. 

She is gentle and cuddly with beautiful blue eyes.

GRAFTON RABBITS FOR ADOPTION

Rabbits for adoption in Grafton

Grafton is the home of The Rabbit Rescue Sanctuary. We have around 100 beautiful rescue rabbits up for adoption.

MELBOURNE RABBITS FOR ADOPTION

Rabbits for adoption in Melbourne

Getz

 

Tate

 

Sky

 

MINIATURE RABBITS FOR ADOPTION

Netherland Dwarf & Mini Lop Rabbits

Snow & William are a bonded pair of miniature rabbits. Snow weighs 1kg & William 1.5kg. They are very small. They are tame & cuddly and trained to use a litter tray well. Snow is a Netherland Dwarf rabbit about 10 months old so still a baby rabbit really. William is about the same age and is a Mini Lop rabbit. 

SNOW WITH BLUE EYES 1 kg

WILLIAM MINI LOP 1.5kg

Desexed Vaccinated Microchipped 

 

 

BENEFITS OF ADOPTING A RABBIT

Adopt a Rabbit Benefits

Adopt a rabbit from The Rabbit Rescue Sanctuary and you get many benefits. One is free membership to our Bunny Parents support and sharing group. Only people that adopt a rabbit can gain access to this incredible group. Apply to adopt a rabbit now!  Read on to find out how to adopt a rabbit and the benefits.

Membership to secret Bunny Parents Support Group

7 top benefits for you if you adopt a rabbit from The Rabbit Sanctuary. 

1. All costly vet work is done
2. Your rabbits come desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, vet checked, parasite treated
3. Rabbits can be returned or swapped any time
4. Forever support & rabbit care advice
5. Vaccination reminders 
6. Membership of our Bunny Parents support & sharing group
7. Access to our vet clinics

HOW TO PICK UP A RABBIT

Picking up your rabbit - step by step method

To successfully pick up your rabbit you need to know that rabbits hate to be squeezed by hands or grabbed. The four step method below should be done with loose hands.

Stroking the rabbit and positioning him or her before picking up is important.

Prepare the bench you will use to practice picking up your rabbit

Place your rabbit on a non slip bath mat on a bench. This will put your rabbit at a good height to learn the correct method for picking up.

Step by step method for picking up a rabbit

Repeat the following many times. Reposition the rabbit each time then lift up again.

• stroke many times on head and half way down back 
• slide hand under breast 
• at same time slide hand under butt from rear
• lift
• Place the rabbit back onto the mat on the bench.

Don't squeeze the rabbit because that will cause kicking/scratching.

ADOPT A RABBIT

You can adopt a rabbit from The Rabbit Rescue Sanctuary in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Tweed Heads and the Northern Rivers.

We like our bunnies to be kept in a playpen in your home.

Meet Ghibli & Jasmin. They are cuddle bunnies looking for a loving home. Ghibli is very curious and is always there to greet you while Jasmin just loves you to pick her up and cuddle her. 

Please apply on our site if you can offer them a loving home as house rabbits. 

HARES IN QLD NOT ILLEGAL

Hares are not illegal in Queensland

Why that is so...

Hares are not prohibited as exotic pets in any state or territory - hares are specifically excluded as an Invasive Animal under Schedule 1 Part 4 of the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014.. Find out more on this link.

https://www.qld.gov.au/families/government/pets/pages/keeping-exotic-animals-as-pets-in-queensland.html

It is not well known that hares are a different species to rabbits.

It is not well known that in Queensland the rabbit is illegal to keep as a pet.

Many people refer to Wild Rabbits as Hares. This is incorrect. Hares are a different species to rabbits.

The Hare is from the same family as the rabbit but that's where the connection stops.

Hares as pets

Because hares are wild animals they can not be kept in a cage.  They tend to need to return to a natural habitat when they reach around 4 months old. 

When we rescue a baby hare we hand feed him or her and train the tiny baby leveret to use a litter tray.  We move them to The Rabbit Sanctuary to live in a natural and safe bush setting away from roads. 

Fostering a baby hare (leveret)

We get quite a bit of enquiry from Queenslanders to adopt a baby hare known as a leveret.  This is because they are very like rabbits and are not illegal in Queensland as is the rabbit.  There is provision to select 'hare' in our adoption application form on our site. It is really FOSTERING not adopting because at a certain point the young leveret will wish to return to the wild. We release them at The Rabbit Sanctuary where is is nice and safe. Sometimes it is appropriate to release them where they were originally found if there are hares in that area and it is a safe place with natural water and away from roads and houses.

Nikki O'Hare is an adult girl hare.
She was hand raised by The Rabbit Sanctuary thanks to Foster Carer Marie Tuahine in Newcastle NSW. 

RABBIT LITTER TRAY

Rabbit Litter Trays come in various shapes & sizes

A rabbit litter tray big enough for two rabbits is needed and pet litter with an odour smell reducer. You can also add a smell reducer to any pet litter. Rabbit poo doesn't smell but the urine does due to the ammonia in it. Remove wet litter daily. Replace with dry pet litter.

Position of rabbit litter tray

A rabbit litter tray should go in a corner. Rabbits naturally head for a corner to poo or wee.  Even in nature a rabbit will head for a corner like spot to toilet. 

 

ADOPT A RESCUE RABBIT

Another busy week coming up with projects at The Rabbit Sanctuary which is being inundated with calls and texts for abandoned rabbits. 

This is a time of year when people move house, change lifestyle, break up with partners, go overseas etc. The bunnies are a casualty of these situations sadly.

It's hot. I'll sleep with one ear in my water🐰💕🐰

 

HOW TO CATCH A RABBIT

The best way to catch your pet rabbit is by treat training.

Teach him to come & he'll always come.

Chase & you'll always chase!

#rabbitcare #rabbittraining #howtocatcharabbit

RABBIT ACCESSORIES

RABBIT ACCESSORIES 

We want the bunnies inside for these reasons:

1. Away from insects

(Insects carry deadly rabbit viruses)

2. Safe from predators 

(Snakes, birds, dogs, cats)

3. To be part of the family

RABBIT PLAYPENS  

To set up an area for your rabbits in your home use Rabbit Playpens for the family room of your home so bunny is included as part of the family. 

This is the playpen we use and recommend:

Cost $60
Height 30"
Opening gate to walk into the pen
To order and have delivered next business day ring Phil on 0418783555

Bunnies need to run a lot to keep their digestive system moving. Don't lock your bunny in a cage. Open the hutch door and let them move around in a large space - minimum 3mtrs x 3mtrs.

RABBIT ACCESSORIES  

LITTER TRAYS

One tray per rabbit is best and the bigger the better. 

HAY BAG

Hang on hook at end of litter tray.
Feed hay at the litter tray. Rabbits will spend time there munching & toiletting. 

HIDEY HOUSE

Rabbits need to have a place to hide. 

TUNNELS

Cat Tunnels make great hidey holes and imitate the rabbit's natural need for tunnels.

RABBIT CHEW TOYS

Gum tree branches with leaves to chew and they will crunch on leaves when dry. Keeps teeth trimmed & the eucalyptus tree oil keeps coat shiny & helps keep bunny free of internal & external parasites. Bunnies munch these daily at The Rabbit Sanctuary. 

PLAY TOYS

Plastic baby ball with bell inside from Target or pet store

Cat tunnel or child's play tunnel (fabric on wire)

Upturned plastic or wooden box to sit up on

TABLEWARE

One big ceramic bowl for water & 1 for pellets. Hay is fed on litter tray. Veges fed by hand. Bunny will look forward to this & come to you.

NAIL CLIPPERS

Small scissor types

Regards,

Kim Cooney

www.rabbitsanctuary.com.au

Sent from my iPhone

0416 062 947

VOICE FOR RABBITS ON RADIO

Listen to Jazzie McMillan. Feel her passion. Share this post. Make this go viral. We are going to lose all our pet rabbits to Calicivirus if we don't get the Govt to help us on this one issue. LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW

PET OWNERS GUTTED! GOVT VIRUS KILLING PETS!
Jazzie MacMillan from The Rabbit Sanctuary Australia

LISTEN ON RADIO LINK... & yes, you WILL BE EMOTIONAL!

In 2015 the Australian Government released a deadly rabbit virus without consideration of pet rabbit owners love for their pet bunnies and without consultation with vets or the pet industry.

Without a vaccine. The Government is breaking the law.
It is illegal to release a virus without a vaccine. It is killing people’s beloved pets.

1. There is a vaccine overseas. We want the Aust Govt to immediately allow its import. There is no cost to the government. Vets buy the vaccine. Users pay. Pet Rabbit Owners need that vaccine to protect their pets. We love our bunnies.

2. Thousands of pet rabbits have already died. Pet rabbit owners are living in fear of losing their beloved pets. If this were dogs and cats no-one would stand for it. Rabbit owners are in the minority but they love their rabbits as much if not more than dog owners love their dogs. It is wrong to release a virus that kills people’s pets without a vaccine. Very wrong. It shows that the Australian Government doesn’t care about its citizens.

3. The new virus known as RHD2 was ‘accidentally’ released by the Government in 2015. This was irresponsible. CSIRO scientists should be under stricter control. In 2017 the Government is planning to import yet another deadly rabbit virus that will kill pretty much all pet rabbits in Australia because it is carried by flies. There is no way we can keep flies away from our pets. There is no vaccine for this Korean calicivirus import. It could also jump to Australian native wildlife or other animals. There is some evidence of this happening overseas. The Korean virus is known as K5. There is also a recent report of a dog eating a rabbit infected with the virus and dying in Bathurst NSW

Conclusion

The Rabbit Sanctuary is asking everyone who cares about animals, about pet rabbit owners, about the Australian Environment to make a face to face appointment to see their local Minister of Parliament to ask the Government to stop the import of the Korean virus and to allow the importation of the vaccine that governments in other countries have provided for pet rabbit owners for the one they released last year.

POTTSVILLE TINY MINIATURE RABBITS FOR ADOPTION

Black Baby Mini Lop

Adopt cute tiny little house bunnies that love people, strokes and cuddles. 

We are looking for an indoor home.  These small Mini Lop baby rabbits are in Foster Care in Pottsville in Tweed Heads but we can deliver to other places. 

Apply to Adopt them on www.rabbitsanctuary.com.au using the Adoption Form.

#rabbitsanctuary #adoptarabbit #tinyrabbits #miniaturerabbits #minilops #rabbits #adoption #smallrabbit #Pottsville #Tweed #TweedHeads

THE RABBIT RESCUE SANCTUARY ON RADIO 2UE

The Rabbit Rescue Sanctuary is frequently in the local and national media.
Listen to Co-Founder Kim Cooney interviewed on Radio 2UE Talking Lifestyle. Here is the clip. She joined Dr Jo Righetti and David Prior on the "Talking Pets" segment to discuss rabbit rescue and how it is achieved. We received good feedback on this radio segment about the unique work of The Rabbit Sanctuary and the rabbit care information included.

LITTLE PET RABBITS FOR ADOPTION

LITTLE BUNNIES NEED A HOME
Tweed Heads
Delivery available to most places. Must get a home before Sunday 20 November 2016. Our Foster Carer's landlord says no.


My name is Jon Snow and I am in need of a loving home! I am such a small bunny and under a year old, I am always crying out for attention and bow my head down to you as soon as you come near me as I love head rubs! I have a gentle loving heart and would love to share it with you. My friend Sansa would love to come with me too. 🐰🐰 I am much easier to care for when I am around my friend as she is my bf and keeps me company ❤