Brindleweb Pet Rescue Board: http://www.brindleweb.com/rescuebb/

There is a lot of chatter on Brindleweb about rabbits that may be killed for space at the Richmond SPCA. Some excerpts:

Zanes zoo Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 2:59 am Post subject: Small rodents need your HELP
I assumed that we had a NO KILL policy out here but I guess it is only for the cats and dogs...If they are to be destroyed then something needs to be done. If the local pet stores can sell the animals then why do they (the Richmond SPCA) not give them to the pet stores instead and have them sell the ones that need homes first, instead of meeting there quotas and buying them from other places to replace there stock. What kind of world do we live in? Any animal large or small, they are not disposable like a pair of socks. You do not dispose of them because you no longer want the responsibility, tired of them .
If the SPCA is over crowded then they should be placed in local pet stores. Why KILL the animals, they have done nothing wrong. Why should the pet stores continue to sell these animals if they will just end up at the local shelters and then be destroyed. If anyone can help, these animals should not be destroyed.
Please spay or neuter your pet today...Zane @ Zane's Zoo

MIA Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:16 am
I personally would put a call into head office and ask what's going on. This is totally unaceptable IMO. If they are simply going to kill the little ones they shouldn't be taking them in PERIOD.

Rabbit Hutch Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:20 am
I did call head office the day I found out and posted about the 12-14 rabbits.....not even a call back....very disappointing indeed

....sadly this is *why* I got into small animal rescue....I never had a small animal....I was a dog walker.

Rabbit Hutch Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 1:57 pm
I have emailed many times to certain shelters to offer to help with starting up a foster program for the small animals but I was always told, they are fine and dont' need the help.... I've also written a letter to all the managers offering our services but it wasn't taken up. I also offered it to the municipal animal shelters and all of them got back to me saying that working together is imperitive. Some of the managers have been AWESOME and have allowed us to help and trust me, we have helped them place HUGE influxes (40 guineas, tons of rats & hamsters) but other don't want our help.

Seegs Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 4:38 pm
From the few SPCA shelters I have been in and seen personally, the SPCA does say no to owner surrenders (dogs & cats) when the kennels are full. I have seen this in Surrey and Maple Ridge. As for rabbits and small animals, I don't think the SPCA should take them. They don't have the right environments for them. No one adopts them and they just sit in cages. How sad is that?

Rabbit Hutch Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 5:15 pm
exactly. That's why we are trying to work with them so we can at leat get them into homes where they can have one on one attention. We have the network for the small animals and people actually seek us out. In less than a year we have adopted out about 250 or more small animals....so it can be done....they don't need to die.