Beside our veterinary practice, we have always had an affinity with animal welfare work. During our visits to the animal refuges we realised that these places were well equipped for dogs and cats, but neither for rabbits, nor for guinea pigs. These creatures were kept in small cages, mostly in dark rooms, sometimes a few cages piled one on top of the other.
We decided to establish a place just for these animals, the Rodent and Rabbit Refuge. We home animals that are not wanted anymore or cannot not be kept for some reason, and we look for a new place for them. During the negotiation we want to show the clients beforehand in the refuge an example of how the correct care can make the animals as well as the owners happy and contented.
The echo was enormous and the phone calls were so numerous that the phone line to our veterinary practice was constantly occupied by these requirements and our clients complained. We created the Rabbit and Rodent help line, which is a pay phone only available in Switzerland.
For the last twenty years, the many consultations concerning acquiring, husbandry, feeding, health, social behaviour etc. gave us a huge experience and knowledge which brought us a much acknowledgment within our country and abroad.
With satisfaction we can see that most refuges have updated their equipment for rabbits and guinea pigs. Even specialised refuges like ours have been founded in the meantime. This means that we can concentrate more on spreading our knowledge, which we do with our books and giving lectures or writing articles.