Essex Guinea Pig, Rat & Rabbit Rescue (1086639) is a small Essex based charity dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation & rehoming of rabbits, fancy rats & guinea pigs.
It is funded purely by adoption fees & public generosity and staffed by a fabulous band of hard working, animal loving volunteers.
Founded in 1995 by Stuart & Lesley Morgan, for the purpose of helping guinea pigs & rats in need, the charity was originally known as Essex Cavy & Rat Rescue. Wendy Fisher & her husband, Darren, joined the mission in 2005 as the ever-growing demand for rabbit rescue space grew, and the charity became Essex Guinea Pig, Rat & Rabbit Rescue as it is known today.
With Rabbits one of Britain’s most neglected pets and their excessive breeding rate, the demand has become too much for many UK rescues who have closed under the strain in subsequent years, and we now find ourselves in a position where our main focus is the rescue of this Rabbits, with a smaller facility taking in Guinea Pigs & Rats as space allows.
As the RSPCA do not have any dedicated Rabbit facilities, we are often also their first port of call to assist with hoarding cases, etc.
Though we try our hardest to accommodate as many needy souls as possible, we do have limited space, and there is often a waiting list for animals to come into our care.
While, over the years, we have helped many in heart breaking situations find a loving resolution to their unavoidable inability to keep their beloved pet, the majority of animals come to us due to:
• Child boredom – “the novelty wore off”
• Lack of knowledge & understanding about keeping small furries as pets – “We thought they’d be an easy pet and ok at the end of the garden in a hutch”
• Their health needs – annual vaccinations, dental issues, gut stasis. Did you know – Rabbits are still classed as Exotic animals in the veterinary world?!
• Accidental breeding (“the pet shop said they were both girls!)
• Allergies – “we didn’t know my husband was allergic to rabbit fur” is more common than you’d think!
If you are considering a pet rabbit, click here!
The charity is operated from Lesley & Wendy’s homes, not a public building, and so all adoptions & visits are by appointment only. Please see our Adoption page for more information on the rehoming process, requirements and available animals.
In 2024 ‘Rabbit HQ’ (Wendy & Darren’s family home) was lucky enough to move from its original home in Eastwood, Leigh on Sea, to its forever home in Hockley, where we have converted the barn & stables into purpose specific rabbit facilities.
We are working our way to providing larger, more enriched enclosures for our permanent residents who cannot be rehomed due to illness or injury, and to give them the best lives we can.
If you’d like to know more about how to can help us in our mission, you can follow these links:
• Adopt
• Donate
• Volunteer
• (Sponsor a Sanctuary Bun)
• RWAF Campaigns & petitions https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/campaigns-overview/
Our mission is to provide veterinary care to all animals who come through our doors & rehome then when/where appropriate.
All rabbits are vaccinated against Myxomatosis, RVHD1 & RHVD2 and neutered to prevent unwanted future pregnancies and uterine cancers in does.
With the current rate of rabbit breeding in the UK and the public’s lack of knowledge, we know that we have a long slog ahead of us, but with the Rabbit Welfare Associate & Fund at the helm of campaigning for better, and the fabulous supporters we reach through our social media, the hope is that one day everyone will Adopt not shop, provide better accommodation & enrichment and stop the breeding tidal wave, until eventually, our little rescue would become redundant.
We can but dream…..
Chief Vet
Shelter Owner
Leading Volunteer
