HELP: how to find schools that adopt pets???

[merkaba]

several people have mentioned to me that there are schools that adopt pets for their classrooms, or have a farm on the premise. the only problem is: how do you find them?

i have tried numerous searches on the internet, which frustratingly return any web site that has the words "indiana schools adopt pets rabbits farms etc. etc. etc." contained anywhere in the pages, usually in a news article of some sort.

so i opened up the phonebook and just started calling schools. i was very nice and not pushy at all, simply saying "Hello, i'm calling to find out if there are any teachers at your school looking to adopt a pet for their classroom." Out of the 30 or so schools i have called so far, i have been met with irritation from ALL of them. some have given me a flat-out "NO," while most have opted to take a message and allegedly have someone call me back. yeah right - ZERO is the number of returned calls i have gotten in regards to my question.

but apparently, these schools are out there somewhere, just waiting to take these rabbits off my hands.

can anyone help me and direct me in the proper way to continue this search????

[K1OWidow]

I'm not sure why you are looking? Are you trying to find a school to adopt your rabbit? Why not find a shelter to help you out, if that is what you are looking for?

[Danielle7577]

Did you already try posting your rabbits on here to see if someone was interested in adopting them?

[merkaba]

i've posted on here several times before... NOTHING. i've been trying to get rid of these 2 rabbits for months and months now... i'm reaching the end of my rope.

[merkaba]

..................

[MangoLaska]

A classroom is a terrible home for a bunny. It's far too loud and active, and the poor rabbits will be constantly stressed out. Rabbits don't do very well being handled by constantly handled by children. Most house rabbits live their full 7 - 12 years, while classroom rabbits survive for only 1 - 2 years. Don't do this to your rabbits!

Do you have a rabbit rescue nearby that would take the bunnies?

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/classroom.html
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/classroom.shtml

[merkaba]

the shelters won't take in rabbits; the Humane Society only takes lost, stray, etc. the Indiana House Rabbit Society only takes lost, stray, or rabbits from the Humane Society.

i've researched this for months upon months, and my only option is to find someone to adopt them. YET NO ONE WILL ADOPT THEM! I can try posting them on here AGAIN, but no one ever replies with any interest. same experience on other forums - i've posted them several times and nothing ever happens. it would seem the only way out of this situation IS to give them to a school, as soon as i find one. I AM DESPERATE. i've been exhaustingly at this for what feels like forever, and if the trend continues, it will be forever.

[Pantamallion]

Okay I have a suggestion. You said you tried teh direct aproach of calling them on the phone. Thatt I suppose I must point out is not the direct approach. The direct aproach would be to go to the school, a local school or wherever. And then have your rabbits info with you, you know whether they're spayed or nuetured, or female or amel ect. And then also a picture. Put in a cheap folder, teh manilla ones. Then ask if you can schedule something with teh school counsler. Tell her stuff liek you think that it would be a good way to help promote the care and thinking skills of children. You know blah blah blah, get creative. Most counsleras will suck that info up and BAM! You've got homes for you're rabbits. And as a matter of fact I dissagree, schools are great homes for rabbits. My teach had a rabbits, then two rabbits, then babaies and so on :o) They're great classroom pets. :) Good luck!

[Deavon]

Hmmm, have you tried ads in the paper, or flyers at a petstore? Get the word around, maybe there could be homes for them with families right under your nose. There are bound to be kids who want pet rabbits, and will ask their parents, especially around xmas.

Or, if you can even find a nice mom & pop petstore (not a chain like petsmart/co), you could give the rabbits to them. While most petstores aren't usually all that great, I know of 2 in my area that actually care about their animals and take good care of them. There could be some in yours, too.

Maybe even go to a rabbit show and try to find people who would keep them as pets even if they aren't show-quality. I really wish I could be of more help, but even if they could be shipped over here, I couldn't take them. Good luck, I hope you can find them good homes soon.

[merkaba]

thanks all, they found a home last week

[Mischa Lop]

yeah i dont like the thought of buns in classrooms

[RitzieAnn]

Call the HIGH SCHOOLS and ask for the Ag department. ESPECIALLY if there's an FFA Chapter at the school. Rabbits are GREAT FFA/SAE projects. You could also ask the Ag instructers if they know of 4-H groups. Rabbits are also great 4-H projects. I was part of an FFA Chapter in WA until I graduated last June, and I was in charge of our FFA Newsletter, and I got several calls from other people who needed to rehome animals. Most of them got new homes! Let me know if it works!

[RabbitMage]

The issues with donating rabbits to FFA chapters and the like, is they need to be (generally) purebred.

[RitzieAnn]

Ha, you are half correct. If the kid wants to take the rabbit to fair, then it needs to be purebred, but lots of kids just want a pet, and rabbits are accepted in most housing situations that allow cats. Also, us FFA kids have to do a thing called an SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) It's sorta like a big report/journal thing... and rabbits are great for it!

[RabbitMage]

I was in FFA for five years, rabbits were my main SAE. :-)