April 17th saw the CAS team attending our second year at the Three Counties Showground’s family-friendly agricultural event, CountryTastic.
The event was a jam-packed day for children and parents to experience the wonders of the British countryside through various activities, but CAS were excited to be a part of the deeper message on rabbit welfare.
Forming our very own ‘Rabbit Ranch’ zone, we were able to showcase what good rabbit housing and welfare standards are, as well as providing educational advice on appropriate rabbit care and enrichment toy-making for children to take part in.
Two of our gorgeous rabbit residents, Domino and McCoy attended and were the perfect models to showcase what a happy bunny looks like when they are provided with good quality housing, enrichment and lots of space!
Sadly, despite being the third most popular choice of pet in the U.K, rabbits also remain the most neglected. Many live a life of solitude in inappropriate housing such as hutches and indoor cages, which do not meet the minimum housing requirements for their welfare considerations.
**A rabbit should freely have access to a living accommodation area of 10ft x 6ft with a minimum height of 3ft **
Our attendance at this agricultural event was driven by our partnership with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) campaign in 2023, a movement to boycott agricultural rabbit displays. RWAF set the precedence to help end the typical largescale event showcasing of rabbits, who are held in small, meshed cages for hours to be viewed by the public, holding no consideration of the rabbit’s welfare or comfort.
A step was made to change this at the Great Yorkshire Show, followed in quick succession by the Three Counties Showground in 2024, a change we hope can continue to grow across the country.
As an organisation we look forward to supporting better rabbit welfare and helping to break the myths many people sadly carry about rabbits.
If you are in need of any advice or support about rabbits or to better understand your bunny, you can talk to our team at smallanimals@gawa.org.uk
