Suggested Donations
Beloved Rabbits depends entirely on the generosity and kindness of our volunteers, supporters, and services users.
Rather than apply fixed fees to the provision of our services, we operate on a “Suggested Donation” basis – a suggested minimum value associated to each service that reflects the charity’s finance obligation for providing those services to you.
In most cases, the actual costs are greater than our suggested donation value, and the delta between service donations and our true costs is covered through additional donations and funding provided from other supporters and funders.
This page seeks to explain our suggested donations and our true costs, intended to provide you with a better understanding to base your own assessment and determine how much you may wish to donate to our cause when using our services.
Gain an understanding of our suggested donations and associated charity expenses when you surrender rabbits in to our care.
When adopting rabbits from us to welcome into your home, understand what preparing a rabbit costs the charity, and may cost you too.
Contribute any amount to make a real difference and help us build up funds towards our ongoing operating costs.
Adoption Donations
Our suggested donation amounts for adoptions varies depending on the circumstances and timing of the adoption in question.
These can be categorised in one of the following three ways:
Applies to rabbits that still require procedures to be undertaken, typically neutering, but the cost of these procedures have already been covered by another supporter’s donation.
Our default and preferred model applies to rabbits that are considered “Ready To Go” – that means they are fully vaccinated, microchipped and neutered with no ongoing investigatory treatment.
Where selected rabbits not considered ready for adoption (typically due to requiring neutering not yet funded), a larger donation can allow them to be prioritised and any procedures undertaken whilst still in our care.
Understanding Priority Adoptions
Due to unprecedented rescue demand and budget constraints, we are forced to operate on exceptionally tight monthly budgets for our vet expenses. This means we can only progress a limited number of neuter procedures each month from our standard funds based on regular and reliable donations from supporters.
Because of that, we cannot offer reservations for rabbits who still need to be neutered, as we cannot give a reliable date for when they will be ready for adoption.
We always encourage adopters to consider our “Ready To Go” rabbits first. Giving these rabbits a home will mean you can welcome them into our family soonest, and it frees up a desperately needed space within the rescue for another rabbit.
If you would still like to reserve a rabbit, you can choose one of these options:
- Cover the cost of the neuter
If you are able to cover the cost of the neuter, we can reserve your preferred rabbit(s) for you and book the procedure as soon as possible. Typical costs are around £180 for a male and £240 for a female. - Choose an already neutered rabbit
If you would prefer not to cover the cost, we can help you reserve a rabbit who is already neutered and ready to progress sooner.
What a Neuter Costs
These are our current veterinary prices. A female costs more because spaying is abdominal surgery, which takes longer and needs a more involved recovery.
£180
Male Castrate
This pays for castration of a male rabbit, including the pre-operative check, anaesthetic, surgery, pain relief and post-operative care.
Give £180 →
£240
Female Spay
This pays for abdominal surgery on a female rabbit, including the pre-operative check, anaesthetic, surgery, pain relief and the longer recovery period that follows.
What's the £90 For?
We are often asked why there is a suggested donation of £90 per rabbit where the rabbit has already been neutered or supporter donations have provided full funding for any procedures still due.
In real-terms there are a lot of additional costs associated with preparing a rabbit for adoption.
Microchipping
All rabbits are microchipped prior to adoption. We administer the microchip and register on a national database to ensure they can be reunited with their owners in future should they ever escape or be stolen.
Costs ~ £10
Vaccinations
All rabbits receive TWO vaccinations prior to adoption to protect them against all known variants of Myxomatosis and RHD (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease).
Other Costs
Food & Bedding costs typically come in at around £90 for the full duration a rabbit stays with us, whilst many of the rabbits in our care have additional veterinary costs that can spill into several £100s in additional costs.
Costs £90+
Surrender Donations
We appreciate the financial challenges faced by many during the current economic climate and the impact of the Cost of Living crisis.
We also appreciate that the range of circumstances that can bring a rabbit owner to us for help with rehoming their rabbits can make the prospect of a financial contribution overwhelming.
There is no minimum suggested donation in order to benefit from our Rehoming Support Services.
If you are in a position to support our work there are various ways you can do this.
saves a rabbit, start to finish
£55
Full Vaccinations
Myxo-RHD PLUS and Yurvac, the two vaccines every rabbit needs.
£180 - £240
Neutering
£180 for a male,
£240 for a female.
≈ £90
Food & Bedding
Around £1.50 a day across a typical stay of around 60 days in our care.
Not taking on a challenge? A single gift still saves rabbits. Give any amount in a couple of taps, or choose exactly what your donation pays for.