You may be asking yourself; how did I end with the responsibility of caring for up to 100 rabbits at any one time, building a rescue centre and maintaining the grounds along with the entire set-up.  Well, when I was 4 years old I saw my first ever rabbit. I remember seeing this black animal hopping freely around a neighbour's garden, having never seen anything like it before, not knowing what it was. I was intrigued. It was so funny and entertaining, so clever and very cute looking. I asked my mum what it was- it was a rabbit!! A black female straight eared adult. My fascination and love for this rabbit made me constantly want to visit. For my 6th birthday, my Nana asked me what I  wanted for a present. I wanted a rabbit just like that one and so that's what I got. Nana purchased a 4ft  by 2ft hutch, the standard size of today, though we now recommend 6ft by 2ft hutches. These facts have always stood out in my mind as I could have easily had the image of a rabbit caged in a 3ft hutch, with no freedom to exercise. I named my rabbit “Twitchit” and she was to change my life. I know all children experience having pet rabbits and usually neglect them or have parents that don't value the life of the rabbit, out of sight out of mind, then don't care when they find it dead one day. But my years with Twitchit are so vivid. I used to dream of her at school, and never forgot her.  She was the light of my life till the day she died. Of course mistakes were made and knowledge wasn't known. We fed her crappy mix and didnt know about hay. We got her pregnant and she had 6 kittens. This also greatly influenced where I am today. I kept two of the kittens, but the other four were given to other children. I felt a deep instinct that something wasn't right, but was helpless as a child. One ran away, after being kept in a hutch with a hole in the chicken mesh front- this I vividly remember. Two died of myxi and the other did ok. Mine of course lived the longest, “Lucky” and “Bambie”, till 9 years. The day those little rabbits were given away, I made a promise to myself that I'd make a difference when I was old enough, and so that is what I did.

This is where the story really develops. Since a young child I'd wanted to be a vet, but was also interested in caring for people/ working with children. In 1995, at 16 after my GCSE's I unusually had a gap year to help me decide  what route to take. I worked with children with cerebral palsy and at Wood Green Animal Shelter. Here I was put in charge of the small animals  where I learnt that over 33,000 rabbits were abandoned each year and I was at the front line of the problem, many rabbits having to be euthanised,  many taking over a year to find a new home and not enough space to cater for all of them. So many excuses for giving them up. Most apparent and  frustrating was that if people had been educated about the true responsibilities  involved in keeping pet rabbits and that they were not cuddly toys as they appeared, many would not have bought them, so to a great extent this problem of catering for abandoned animals could be made much less  intense. Within that year I had adopted 12 rabbits myself. They were all rabbits that were difficult  to rehome, due to old age or unsociable behaviour. To begin with they lived in my parents back garden but soon moved onto a plot of land behind  my parents' house, which they rented for my sisters horses.  Sept 1996 I started A level college, where I studied to go onto university to study as  a vet. Unfortunately I didn't do much studying, but spent my days with my rabbits, creating exercise areas, environmental enrichment and  studying their behaviour.  In 1998 I went to university as planned. My love for rabbits still dominated my life, where I took  them all the way to My Gloucestershire University. I had found a farm to stay on, where I was allowed to keep them.  My passion for rescuing rabbits was so strong 3 more came my way while there, and after 6 months  I stopped my course and came back home to concentrate  on caring for unwanted rabbits. By this point my sister had moved away from home along  with her horses. Once again I settled my rabbits back down the field,  where I set about designing a more permanent rescue set up. I now had 30 rabbits. In 2001, the owner of  the land threatened to throw me off, unless I bought the land for £5000.  Neither my parents nor I could afford this. Was I to find homes for all my dearly beloved bunnies and end my vocation forever? I advertised for help through the Rabbit Welfare Association, Rabbit and Rodent Enthusiast  club and local newspapers. Some were rehomed, but then came  an angel  who changed the course of things. A dear lady contacted me and said  she wanted to donate the money to buy the land and save the rabbits.  I couldn't  believe my ears, it was like a dream, but it was true,  and so by the end of 2001 I owned the land and The Rabbit Residence  Rescue as it is known to day was born.  No longer just a retirement  home for elderly rabbits and ones with health concerns, I now had to  run things properly. I set my maximum number to 40, had a waiting list,  and was continually making plans to improve facilities, when  each goal  was achieved; another was soon desperate to be achieved. Hospital, office,  isolation unit etc. And so today I  am busy with daily practical duties, much paperwork, appointments with  many people wanting rabbits, giving up rabbits or kindly donating their  time, skills, products and cash, which there is never enough of,  with my vet bills often up to £800 a month, along with food, bedding, cleaning materials, and of course new equipment and facilities.  I really feel like a  one-man band, so exhausted and drained at times. The volunteers who help so precious, but when I have a minute to think and see the  happy  bunnies and the difference I am making, I know I'd do anything for them.

If you would like  to help in anyway, please contact me via the contact details page.

Best wishes,

Caroline