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Demand stronger protection laws for rabbits

We’ve rescued over 4,000 rabbits from abandonment and mistreatment in just two years — and rescue centres across the UK are facing the same overwhelming crisis.

But together, we can change that. Support us and the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) to demand stronger laws that end cruelty, abandonment and neglect, by starting a conversation with your MP about rabbit welfare now. 

Three tri-colour rabbits beside a silver bowl, from which two are eating leafy green food

Start rabbiting: Speak up about rabbit protection laws

We want rabbits to be as respected and protected as cats and dogs.

Rabbits face a growing welfare crisis, yet unlike dogs, their breeding and care isn’t properly regulated. Help us call for equal protection.

Use the RWAF’s quick letter template to write to your MP and support key legal changes that will help end neglect, ensure proper licensing, and make welfare standards enforceable.

Rabbits deserve better standards of care 

Rabbits are one of the most misunderstood and neglected companion animals. They’re often kept in inappropriate conditions, housed alone, or subjected to poor diets and lack of veterinary care. 

Between 2018 and 2024, over 30,000 advertisers posted nearly 117,000 rabbit sale listings online — an estimated 350,000 rabbits for sale — highlighting the scale of unregulated trade fueling the UK’s rabbit welfare crisis. 

In 2024 alone, one well-known animal selling platform featured over 35,000 rabbits for sale. Yet as of early 2025, only six local authorities have issued licences for rabbit breeders or sellers — a shocking lack of oversight in a market this vast.

We fully support calls for stronger, enforceable laws for rabbits that:

  • Establish clear welfare standards
  • Introduce breeder licensing
  • Protect rabbits from cruelty, neglect, and abandonment
We’re urging policymakers to work with organisations like the RWAF, to ensure rabbits are no longer treated as second-class pets.

There’s a significant gap between the legal protections afforded to rabbits and those given to other pets such as dogs. This disparity reflects outdated perceptions and leaves rabbits vulnerable to neglect and mistreatment. We urgently need to see these intelligent, social animals given greater protection under law.

Rae Walters, RWA&F CEO

In 2024, one well-known animal selling platform featured over 35,000 rabbits for sale, yet as of early 2025, only six local authorities have issued licences for rabbit breeders or sellers.

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