ADOPTION
Where can I adopt my rabbit?

Julie Lambert, Paris, France
September 6, 2020
Are you there yet? You’ve given it some thought and you’re ready to take the plunge to bring a little rabbit into your life? Congratulations, you are sure to have a wonderful time in his company. But before that, there is one more point to deal with: Where to go to adopt a rabbit. Of course, there is the easy option of going to your nearest pet shop, which is Truff**lt, Ani**lis or Max**oo, not to name them. Although this solution is relatively practical, I absolutely do not recommend it for reasons of my own.

Pinpin is a pet shop rabbit.
Photographed by Vincent Ribet.
01 – A rabbit in a pet shop
Even though for many people the pet store is the easy way out, including myself since I bought PinPin in a pet store, I absolutely do not recommend this option. Most pet stores provide their animals with miserable living conditions. Rabbits are too often crammed into small cages. The caretakers or rather salesmen have very little time to give the animals, thus not creating the right conditions for their development. If you go there, you will quickly notice that the cages are usually strewn with litter, soiled by excrement and urine. The animals are not treated against parasites and sometimes even carry diseases. This says a lot about the competence of the sellers. Moreover, as they are not used to human hands, the animals that come out of them can be very fearful. The origin of the animals is also very unclear, often from Eastern Europe, from breeders who prefer profit to animal condition. Of course this very clear-cut opinion only concerns me, and if you are sure and have full confidence in your pet shop nothing prevents you from adopting from them.
For my part, I think that the ideal, depending on where you live and what you are looking for, is to adopt in a refuge or with a breeder.
02 – A rabbit in a shelter
Adopting an animal in a refuge is above all about saving an animal. Shelters welcome and rescue found, mistreated or abandoned animals. Too many rabbits end up in shelters after being abandoned by masters who did not take the necessary time to think about it before adoption. This leads to a very large influx of rabbits into these organisations, which unfortunately have to carry out euthanasia due to lack of space. Going to a refuge is therefore to allow an animal to live but also to find a home in which it can flourish. Another advantage is that rabbits from shelters or associations are vaccinated, sterilised and sometimes educated. I can therefore only encourage you to contact your nearest HSUS or other specialised associations.

Pipine is a rabbit from a small breeding farm.
Photographed by Vincent Ribet.
03 – A rabbit at a breeder’s
The last solution is to adopt a small breeder. Small breeders of dwarf rabbits are often enthusiasts who work in this job in their spare time. They can give you a ton of advice in addition to their passion for these animals. However, beware of rather large breeders who do not love rabbits but only profit. The best way to get an idea is to contact the breeder, talk to him and of course go directly to the farm to observe the treatment reserved for small animals.
0 Comments