While some owners are busy ensuring their rabbits are vaccinated against the deadly RHD virus, many rabbits are still living in the outdoors such as common corridors or community gardens. This is very dangerous and their owners need to be informed.
If you do see a rabbit living in the common space, the most effective way to provide immediate relief is to talk to the owners. Approach them as a friendly neighbor to inform about RHD and the danger of outdoor living. We hope they will love their rabbits enough to move them indoor.
If the owner express no interest in caring for the rabbit, they can surrender them to a rabbit rescue group such as us. However, many owners are reluctant to do that for fear of ‘getting reported’. In such cases, good neighbors do step in to remove the rabbit and pass them to us for rehoming.
If you do not feel comfortable talking to the owner, you can consider leaving our Bunny Watcher Guide outside their house. If you do not have a printer, you can write the link on a piece of paper and leave it at their door. These can be done anonymously to maintain harmony within your community.
English version: goo.gl/8GtP1s
Chinese version: bit.ly/2Y1T07Q
If you tried everything and the rabbits are still neglected, then the next best step is to engage SPCA and AVS who have full time officers who can promptly respond to such cases. Take photos/videos and document the date and observations as ‘evidence’. You can then file the report here:
SPCA: 62875355 ext 9 or http://www.spca.org.sg/form_crueltycomplaint.asp
AVS: 1800-476-1600 or https://www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/avs-feedback-form
Bunny Wonderland do try out best to talk to these owners but our team is very small and are mainly ladies. Also, as an all-voluntary group with no authority, we are unable to remove the rabbits without the owners’ consent. In short, we still have to count on authorities like AVS to step in.
Despite getting your rabbit vaccinated, they can still be exposed if your neighbor’s rabbits are infected. Since RHD can be spread through flies, the spread can be uncontrollable. We hope all owners can do their best to educate owners in their community to protect their rabbits.
Thank you very much.