guinea pigs living with rabbits at rescue centre

[tinso]

i went to mistly place park today were they rescue animals and rehome some if they can has horses ,goats ,cows as well as guinea pigs ,rabbits ,rats ,mice etc there was a guinea pig i fell in love with i asked about but was a permanrent resident there due to age so not for rehoming anyway the animals are clean and have bedding though they use straw and mixture in there bowls and water however they have guinea pigs and rabbits living together including permanent residents the girl in charge of them told me they get on fine together and they often see the guinea pig sitting on the rabbits backs groming them i told her why rabbits should not live with guinea pigs and she said it depended on the tempermanent of the rabbit the animals for rehoming seem to some times be in over crowded cages another guinea pig i asked about was in an indoor plastic based cage with the metal lid like a large hamster cage living with two rabbits guinea pig had to go with both rabbits as they are aparently happy together i would of only kept two guinea pigs in that cage and that would of depended on size of guinea pigs do you know if rspca are supposed to check these places ?

 

[sarsmccabe]

I don't know if the RSPCA is supposed to check these places but I am sure if you gave them a call they would go and check what you found. Worth a try, thats should not be happening. x

 

[choloe]

from what i have read on this forum and the UK the rspca have passed a law saying rabbits and guinea pigs should not be living together :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff: not only is it dangerous for the guinea pig to get trampled on etc but rabbits have diseases that are harmless to the rabbit but can be fatal to guinea pigs. either go back to the rescue and tell them they are breaking the law or report them to the rspca as they are clearing breaking the law. :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff: good luck O0

 

[starla]

I believe rabbits and guineas can set up good friendships, but I still don't think it's right for them to live together. I would give the rspca a call. There's no point calling yourself a rescue if you can't give the animals the best possible standards of care, and at the very least that should mean the correct hutch/cage sizes for the relevent animals.

 

[Juniper]

The RSPCA advice is not to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together but it is not illegal.

 

[Vikki]

Quote from Animal Welfare Act 2006...

9 Duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare
(1) A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable in
all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he is
responsible are met to the extent required by good practice.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, an animal’s needs shall be taken to include—
(a) its need for a suitable environment,
(b) its need for a suitable diet,
(c) its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns,
(d) any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals, and
(e) its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
(3) The circumstances to which it is relevant to have regard when applying
subsection (1) include, in particular—
(a) any lawful purpose for which the animal is kept, and
(b) any lawful activity undertaken in relation to the animal.
(4) Nothing in this section applies to the destruction of an animal in an
appropriate and humane manner.
10 Improvement notices
(1) If an inspector is of the opinion that a person is failing to comply with section
9(1), he may serve on the person a notice which—
(a) states that he is of that opinion,
(b) specifies the respects in which he considers the person is failing to
comply with that provision,
(c) specifies the steps he considers need to be taken in order to comply with
the provision,
(d) specifies a period for the taking of those steps, and
(e) explains the effect of subsections (2) and (3).
(2) Where a notice under subsection (1) (“an improvement noticeâ€) is served, no
proceedings for an offence under section 9(1) may be instituted before the end
of the period specified for the purposes of subsection (1)(d) (“the compliance
periodâ€) in respect of—
(a) the non-compliance which gave rise to the notice, or
(b) any continuation of that non-compliance.
(3) If the steps specified in an improvement notice are taken at any time before the
end of the compliance period, no proceedings for an offence under section 9(1)
may be instituted in respect of—
(a) the non-compliance which gave rise to the notice, or
(b) any continuation of that non-compliance prior to the taking of the steps
specified in the notice.
(4) An inspector may extend, or further extend, the compliance period specified in
an improvement notice.

Housing a guinea pig with rabbits contradicts all of the points listed in 2, therefore an inspector could advise and make an order for changes in an improvement notice. So they do have some legal rights to make changes to the ways animals are housed.

 

[mackpossum]

I find it amazing that the news still hasn't spread that guinea pigs and rabbits are not suitable hutch companion. Unfortunately there is no "law" to govern that really, just "recommendations" which can be interpreted differently I guess.

I have a pet shop in the area that are still housing them together for sale and believe me the cages are very small for such large rabbits and tiny piggies in the midst. I've told them that it is cruel for the piggy to be housed like that because they are fearing the rabbits, especially when bunny tend to jump on top of them to tell who's boss.

 

[tinso]

i have rung the rspca asked about guinea pigs being kept with rabbits and in small cages and was told that guinea pigs and rabbits being kept together was not recommended and that i should contact the council for that area as they should hold a license for the sanctuary and that the rspca can not go and check on my concerns without being invited