Background:
Every single rabbit you see running in the street, is a domesticated rabbit. Whether born feral, escaped or dumped, they are domestic. Our country’s indigenous rabbits do not enter into towns and cities, as they are quite scarce and very localized per their specific natural areas.
In 2019, when Coniglio folded, large numbers of rabbits suddenly appeared on the streets. Home farmers and backyard breeders could no longer keep up with feeding them. Contracts had stated that they were not allowed to sell, and many, lacking either the heart to kill their own rabbits or the funds for abattoirs, simply opened their gates and let them go. Breeders who had been contracted to supply Coniglio were scammed out of their funds. They were told they could not sell elsewhere and clung to promises of repayment that never came. Eventually, they could no longer keep their rabbits. Colonies started to explode everywhere, it was no longer the small and far-inbetween colonies that was usually seen.
Soon after, rabbit meat was secured again for dog food factories, but by then, huge numbers of rabbits were already roaming free. Colonies began forming, especially in towns along the Garden Route, where there were no abattoirs for rabbits. Just as the dumping began to stabilize, COVID-19 lockdowns arrived.
During lockdown, many families were advised to get rabbits to keep their children busy. Breeders bred specifically for this demand, and pet shops ensured a steady supply. Children often received four-week-old babies—far too young—just to distract them and keep them out of their parents’ frustrated reach.
When lockdowns ended, these rabbits were no longer wanted. Most were dumped in fields, as there were no rehoming options and everyone already had rabbits. The markets were oversaturated.
By 2021, large numbers of rabbits were once again seen roaming the streets, especially in Johannesburg and KZN, but the majority appeared along the Garden Route. Huge colonies began forming everywhere, as dumped rabbits bred uncontrollably.
Rabbit rescues were overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed Rescues and Lack of Support
More and more people contacted rescues to take in their rabbits. Rescues were forced to decide whether to accept them—risking yet another colony forming—or turn them away.
No help was received from government, municipalities, or even other rescues. Many SPCAs simply turned their backs on rabbits, ignoring them and assuming they could look after themselves. They showed no concern for the immense suffering these animals endured.
The cruelty faced by dumped rabbits is immense. They can never rest properly and many die from sheer fright, their hearts failing from constant fear. They are always prey—hunted by owls, eagles, hawks, dogs, cats, and even humans. Because indigenous species began preying on rabbits—the “fast food of nature”—instead of their natural prey, ecosystems became imbalanced. At the same time, rabbits grazed on protected plants, causing further disruption.
Frustrated nature lovers, impatient with the lack of official intervention, began taking the law into their own hands: poisoning rabbits, shooting them with air guns, or setting dogs on them. Maimed and injured rabbits appeared everywhere. Even schools began calling for help.
Rabbit rescues realized they had to act, as nobody else would. Local authorities ignored pleas for assistance. When the Garden Route SPCA was contacted, they refused to act against donors who allowed rabbits to keep breeding.
Adoption, Overpopulation, and Costs
Rescues began catching as many rabbits as possible to remove them from the streets and control populations. At first, adoptions went well—many of these rabbits were tame and adjusted quickly. But the adoption market soon collapsed. Most interested homes had already adopted, while lockdown rabbits were still breeding out of control.
Calls poured in from desperate owners whose “few lockdown rabbits” had multiplied into 50 or more due to uncontrolled breeding and inbreeding.
Then came another crisis: **the cost of euthanasia.** It became unbearably expensive to humanely put down excess rabbits. At the same time, global politics and economic instability caused donations to dwindle. Wars, elections, and local inflation made basic supplies like cooking oil and fuel skyrocket. Rabbit rescues received almost no financial support, as rabbits were not viewed as companion animals but as dog food.
This forced many rescues to close intake, leading to another surge in dumping.
RHDV and Further Collapse
Just as rescues adjusted to their new reality, another disaster struck: **Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV).**
Suddenly, more people dumped their rabbits because they did not want their children to witness them dying. Others handed them over to rescues, claiming the facilities had better protocols and biosecurity than they could manage at home. But many of these same people later returned, saying they had gotten new pets—usually dogs or cats—and no longer had a home for their rabbits.
Rabbit rescues became more overloaded than ever, their finances once again collapsing.
International donations dropped further as the global economy faltered. Locally, fundraising often failed—or worse, ended in fraud. Meanwhile, the cost of euthanasia continued to rise. Building enclosures for colonies was cheaper than euthanizing, but funds were scarce.
Rescues tried to do what they could: feeding, sterilizing, separating, and selectively catching rabbits to manage colonies. But the burden only grew.
Ongoing Lack of Support and Speciesism
To this day, there is still no official support.
* Not from government.
* Not from municipalities.
* Not from most SPCAs.
Some SPCAs and other Organisatons made false promises, emotionally manipulated rescuers, or even bullied them, further harming their mental health. Instead of helping, they judge rescues harshly while doing nothing themselves.
Yet, rescues take on the very burden that SPCAs would otherwise face: calls about street rabbits, abuse cases, and public complaints.
The fact remains: rabbits are domesticated animals. Leaving them on the streets to suffer disease, abuse, harm, and death is deliberate cruelty. Pounds—or in some areas, SPCAs acting as pounds—are responsible for removing colonies. By ignoring them, authorities knowingly condemn domestic animals to daily terror.
Rescued rabbits often sleep for days after capture, finally safe enough to rest.
Unique Struggles of Rabbit Rescues
Unlike cat and dog rescues, rabbit rescues constantly battle:
* Scarcity of hay (seasonal and hard to source).
* Enormous cleaning demands (one rabbit produces up to 300 droppings a day).
* Endless sterilization needs (almost all rescued females are pregnant or nursing).
* High costs of rabbit spaying, which only a few vets can perform.
Five newly rescued rabbits can turn into 40 within weeks.
Rescues face public criticism, sarcasm, and even accusations. Many rescuers experience depression, burnout, and compassion fatigue, worsened by the very organizations that should be helping.
At the root of the problem lies speciesism: dogs are prioritized, then cats, while rabbits and other small animals are dismissed as unimportant.
Many SPCAs directly enable cruelty by leaving colonies unchecked, delaying sterilization for weeks, and ignoring the suffering of rabbits on the streets.
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A Call for Support
How a society treats its smallest, most vulnerable animals reflects whether it functions as a first-world or third-world nation.
Rabbit rescues in South Africa desperately need your support. Please:
* Look out for the rescue nearest to you.
* Be supportive.
* Donate if you can.
Rabbit rescues have it far harder than cat and dog rescues. They face constant shortages of hay due to droughts and floods, costly sterilizations, and relentless biosecurity demands.
Rescuers are exhausted. Beyond rescue fatigue, they endure relentless cruelty, lack of support, and the devastation of seeing rabbits suffer in a country that does not recognize them as companions. Rescuers that keep fighting for their Rabbit Rescues show a dedication that is far beyond this world.