It happens every year, especially around Easter: a family gets a rabbit for a pet only to find it’s more work than they bargained for.
Too often, this scenario ends with the rabbit being turned loose, something domesticated rabbits are virtually incapable of surviving because they have been bred to rely on humans for food and shelter and don’t have the instincts to thrive in the wild.
This problem is why Caroline Gilbert founded Rabbit Sanctuary Inc. in Simpsonville in 1967. Since then, the problem has only grown worse as more people choose rabbits as pets.
“They don’t make it out there on their own,” she says. “They’re not like the eastern cottontail.”
Eastern cottontails are common in the Upstate and their brown coloring and skittishness around people help them survive.
On the other hand, domestic rabbits come in a variety of colors — including black and white or a combination of the two — and readily interact with people. Gilbert says many of the rabbits housed at the sanctuary were found in neighborhoods where they made no efforts to evade people, pets or wildlife. She explains this lack of fear lowers their chances of surviving the wild.
Becky Hummell, Gilbert’s daughter, helps run the sanctuary and says every year they try to spread the message through public outreach that domestic rabbits are “not the Easter bunny, but a 10-year commitment.”
It’s a widespread, national problem according to a 2017 National Geographic article. It describes domestic rabbits behind only cats and dogs as the nation’s most popular pet. They’re also one of the pets most likely to be surrendered to shelters, according to the article.
That’s interesting
- The average lifespan of a domestic rabbit is 10 years. They are dependent on people for food and shelter.
- A growing problem for rabbit health is the highly contagious rabbit hemorrhagic virus serotype 2 (RHDV2) affecting both wild and domesticated rabbits. It is almost always fatal.
- Even though domesticated, rabbits at the sanctuary retain their instincts to dig and socialize with other rabbits.
- Although they interact readily with people, domestic rabbits generally don’t like to be handled or held.
- The number of veterinarians specializing in rabbit care is limited as rabbits are still classified as “exotic” pets.
- Domesticated rabbits are still widely used in animal testing, especially in the cosmetics industry, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Gilbert and Hummell say the trend of impulsively getting a rabbit for a pet has only increased and continues to drive demand for space at the sanctuary. They say the problem is exacerbated because animal shelters in Greenville do not take rabbits, which makes the work of the sanctuary all the more necessary.
According to Paula Church, community relations coordinator for Greenville County Animal Care, the decision not to take rabbits came down to the best use of limited resources to meet the greatest demand. She says the demand for humane housing for dogs and cats far outstripped the need for the small number of rabbits being brought to them.
Hummell says, despite the need for housing rabbits that are surrendered or turned loose, the biggest challenge is educating the public about rabbits as pets.
“The answer isn’t more rescues and sanctuaries — but more responsible pet owners,” she says.
The Rabbit Sanctuary sits on 30 acres along Simpsonville’s bustling Fairview Road, a location that was rural when it was started more than 50 years ago. Now the bulk of the property is devoted to wildlife refuge while the sanctuary proper houses two predator-proof “rabbitats,” a separate health and intake building, and the home where Gilbert still lives.
She says the sanctuary provides a home for life for the rabbits housed there. They are spayed or neutered on arrival and given a thorough health check before eventually being paired with another rabbit and assigned a territory or yard within the habitats. There are typically about 40 rabbits living at the sanctuary at any given time.
As a registered nonprofit, the Rabbit Sanctuary Inc. relies on contributions from the public and is run by a handful of volunteers. Gilbert says the operation costs about $30,000 annually but that contributions usually fall short and that she and other volunteers end up contributing out of their own pockets.
Hummell adds that the sanctuary has been recognized by the S.C. Secretary of State’s office as an “angel” nonprofit where the bulk of donations go to the sanctuary’s core mission of caring for the rabbits. She says 98% of donated funds go to rabbit care and the upkeep of the facilities.
Although the sanctuary does not adopt out the rabbits, people can sponsor a rabbit for $40, which helps underwrite the cost of care.
Hummell explains the organization is the only animal sanctuary in South Carolina certified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the only one for rabbits in the U.S.
The sanctuary welcomes visits from the public. For more information about the sanctuary or to schedule a tour, visit rabbitsanctuaryinc.org.
