Set up as a pet sitter and think a rabbit has been abandoned with me!

thewildthings

I advertised in our village newsletter for pet sitting and someone contacted me last Wednesday for care until Saturday.

Saturday came and went. Contacted them Saturday night- number disconnected. Went round to the address they provided- not known at that address. Nobody in the village knows the name i've been given
So it looks like they aren't coming back.

I'm a huge animal lover don't get me wrong- but i've already turned down 2 families since Saturday evening as I only have one hutch at the moment.

Is there anything I can do? RSPCA is full as are local independent rescues.

sabretoothtigger

I hope they paid in advance. You better advertise a rabbit for rehoming

thewildthings

Least of my concerns if i'm honest- we were chatting and she has other pets so god knows what she is doing/has done to them

Is there nothing I can do- might seem stupid but can the police track the number? I though animal abandonment was illegal after all.

Marshmallow82

I might be tempted to wait a couple of days in case their trip has gone on longer than expected. If you don't hear you will have to advertise for a new home.

What a sneaky, nasty thing for them to do!

scaredy_cat

call a rabbit rescue centre, give them the details. i'm sure they will wait a decent amount of time before rehoming. if the people can't be bothered to ask you to look after the rabbit for a bit longer if something happened then they don;'t deserve the rabbit.

gettingready

From the OP post - it is not a case of "few days longer". Number given disconnected, address given - people not known there, clearly someone just dumped the poor rabbit on OP's head for good.

meritaten

I would contact RSPCA - its abandonment.
gettingready - did you just take a 'booking' over the phone? you need to ask for contact details and then check them out. because to offer pet sitting and not check out that the client is who they say they are, is asking for trouble. as you have just found out.
at least its just one harmless bunny - it could have been worse, you COULD have been left with a 'dangerous dog'.

gettingready

ermmmm - this is not my thread....

(wondering where could I squeeze a part time pet sitting business looking after rabbits in my 2 bed flat with 40 kg dog, 4 cats, working full time)

meritaten

rofl - oops - I dunno why I thought it was yours gettingready! prob because yours was the post I read last! I DO apologise! slip of the brain there!

moggymutt

Sadly this is what happens in a lot of catteries etc.
Don't think it will be easy to prove abandonment, owners can just say that you agreed to keep the rabbit for longer, or that you wanted it for yourself. Doubt any rescue has got the means to trace the owner, and at the end of the day, it was left in a place of safety, and not chucked out to starve or be eaten by foxes.
Sadly the majority of people are !!!!!!!s. They'll probably be lying to their kids that they found a nice home for the rabbit.