From only £17.50*, you can help rabbits and help yourself. Join online now using our safe and secure payment methods.
Welcome to the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF)
The RWAF is primarily an animal welfare organisation working to improve the lives of domestic rabbits, but it’s also the largest and most successful club for rabbit lovers in the UK. Our members all have their own reasons for joining - some sign up to be part of a community sharing a common bond of loving rabbits, and there are those who get actively involved in fundraising and spreading the message that rabbits deserve better, and there are those who join simply for our great quarterly magazine Rabbiting On. Whatever suits you and your circumstances, you’re more than welcome to join, so please hop on board!
I joined the RWAF about 4 years ago and have been incredibly impressed with their helpfulness, dedication and professionalism. Rabbiting On - the members magazine, is a well judged combination of owners contributions, veterinary information, and discussion. The helpline provides prompt and helpful service on a range of issues and the pamphlets which the RWAF distributes on rabbit welfare reach schools, pet centres and vets, so that an increasing number of people are aware of what rabbit ownership really entails.
Twigs Way, Cambridge
Twigs Way, Cambridge
If you join the RWAF, you’ll not only be helping domestic rabbits across the UK , but you’ll also become part of a fun, friendly and informative club for people who share your love of rabbits. Here are just some of the benefits of membership…
- ‘Rabbiting On’ our free quarterly magazine
- The best benefit of all…. knowing you are helping rabbits
- Retail Therapy!
- Jaffa Club - our great kids club
- Helpline
- Fabulous New members pack
- Health Liaison Team
- Out and about
- Bunny Boarding Coordinator
- Hopper Groups
- RWF - the charity
- what else do I need to know?
If you think you’d benefit from joining the RWAF, or would like to help us to make a difference, then join today for only £17.50 per year*.
The sooner you join, the sooner you'll be helping give a rabbits the life they deserve.
Join today and receive this fabulous Jingle Ball, absolutely free** – ideal for keeping your bunnies entertained.
*Fees start from £17.50 for an annual adult subscription. View further prices.
‘Rabbiting On’ our quarterly magazine
RWAF members automatically receive our fabulous quarterly glossy magazine, ‘Rabbiting On. Inside, not only will you find all the latest information on keeping your hoppers healthy and happy, but you’ll also find it packed with fun and informative features on healthcare for example, news, the latest bunny goodies for sale, readers’ letters, information on rabbit rescue centres and RWAF campaigns, rabbit-friendly gardening advice and of course plenty of adorable pictures of our furry friends!
You’ll find everything you need to give your rabbit the life it deserves, and you’ll be giving yourself a fantastic read into the bargain.
Rabbiting On is only available through the RWAF, so join now to start receiving your free copies.
"Woe betide anyone who disturbs me whilst I am reading it..." Toyah Wilcox
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The best benefit of all - knowing that you are helping rabbits
ust by joining the RWAF you’ll be making a difference. Your membership fee will go to good use helping us do vital work to improve the lives of pet rabbits. We are a deceptively small organisation, run almost entirely run by volunteers so we need all the help we can get.
You may just wish to sit back and enjoy the benefits of membership includinga great magazine, some fantastic members-only resources and plenty of good advice for you and your bunny – that’s fine, you’ve helped us just by joining. Or, like many of other members, you may feel that you would like to become actively involved in fundraising and promoting our message that 'a hutch is not enough'.
People can help in all kinds of ways, from holding a raffle in their workplace to manning a stand at an event to raise awareness of how rabbits should be cared for. You don't have to make a big or regular commitment, some people can only spare a few hours a month, some just help when they can. Please see the Get Involved page to see if anything takes your fancy.
Rabbits can’t speak for themselves, so we have to make plenty of noise for them! Let's give rabbits the space, exercise, companionship and stimulation they need to live a happy and healthy life.
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Our online shop is an Aladdin’s cave of rabbit goodies. You’ll find practical and fun things for your bunny, treats for you, fantastic gifts for your rabbit loving friends and family, as well as some wonderful surprises!
We at the RWAF are obsessed with rabbits, so we make it our business to find all the latest bunny products. This means that the RWAF shop is constantly updated with new and exciting goodies. We reckon you won’t find a better range of rabbit products anywhere. Not only that, members can use our special shop discount vouchers.
You can buy online, by mail order or by telephone so why not take a peek – we bet you can’t resist the delightful range of fun and practical items we have for you, so hop to the Shop!
Everytime you buy something from our shop, you will be helping make a better life for rabbits – a good excuse to go shopping? We think so!
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Rabbits are often seen as children's pets, but many kids (and parents) don't know the responsibilities needed to give a rabbit the life it deserves. As a result the child gets bored and the rabbit is left cooped up in a hutch. We have set up the Jaffa Club to give kids a fun resource to show them how to get more out of their pet, and in turn give their rabbits a happy and healthy life.
Jaffa Clubbers will be the envy of their friends with their great members pack, access to a fantastic interactive website, games, a (secure) chatroom and a whole lot more. Click on Jaffa Club for more information.
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Need advice? Need a rabbit expert? Then ring the helpline! The RWAF helpline provides our members with general rabbit advice, help with locating a rabbit friendly vet, finding the nearest rescue centre and essential bereavement support.
Call 0870 046 5249 whenever you need to hear a rabbit-friendly voice***.
***lines open between 10am – 2.30pm Daily. For our joint protection calls may be monitored and/or recorded. Please note that the helpline does not replace the need for a veterinary expert. If you have any concerns about your rabbit’s health then you must seek the advice of a vet immediately.
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Join the RWAF and you'll find two vital handbooks in your New members pack.
The Rabbit Welfare Association Handbook is your complete guide to the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund; how it works, how we can help you, and how (if you wish) you can join us in working to promote a better deal for pet rabbits in the UK . Plus, you'll also find a copy of "Top to Tail", produced in conjunction with Pet Plan. This great book will help you understand your rabbits and care for them better.
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Rabbits have traditionally been the ‘forgotten’ animals in terms of health and medicine, but in recent years - not least because of the active involvement of the RWAF – great strides have been taken in understanding and treating the range of complex medical conditions that affect rabbits. There is still a long way to go though, and ‘rabbit friendly’ vets are still hard to come by, as is good up-to-date information on rabbit health and medicine. That’s where the RWAF Rabbit Health Liaison Team comes in. We can help you find a suitable vet, and also help vets find specialist colleagues to whom they can refer difficult cases. Our team of veterinary advisors enables us to give members the latest rabbit health information, either through direct requests from members, or through our leaflets, the website and Rabbiting On magazine.
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The RWAF frequently stages conferences, assembling the best expert speakers on all manner of rabbit-related topics. These conferences fulfil several of the main aims of the RWAF: To educate, inform and to push back the boundaries of knowledge in rabbit care and medicine. Members receive a substantial discount on the conference fee
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The 2006 Gala Dinner held at Gatwick was a fantastic success, where over a hundred members enjoyed a three course meal and a fun packed night. The charity auction hosted by Chris and Ingrid Tarrant raised thousands of pounds for the fund. We hope to stage more national gala dinners in future, and are also looking into regional events so members can get together in their local areas.
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Going away and struggling to find care for your rabbit? If you're an RWAF member, our Bunny Boarding Coordinator can come to your rescue. With a database of private individuals, rescue centres and commercial establishments all offering bunny hotel or pet sitting services at her fingertips, she can help you find the right place to look after your pet whilst you’re away.
Of course, it remains your responsibility to check you are satisfied with any establishment you choose to use.
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We found through calls, letters and emails that many of our members were keen to get together with other members in their local areas to share their love of rabbits. Out of this enthusiasm to share a passion for rabbits, 'Hopper' groups were formed. The first groups had a purely social function but members quickly realised that they could give something back, so the groups started developing a much more active role in fundraising and education and publicity.
Of course, the social element hasn't been forgotten - Hopper groups still give you the opportunity to link up with fellow rabbit-lovers (and swap bunny holiday sitting services) in your own area. Hopper groups already exist in many areas and if there isn't one in your town already, we'll help you start one, and of course we'll let other members know! Hopper Groups are just one way to Get Involved.
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The RWAF consists of the Rabbit Welfare Association – a club for rabbit lovers (and anyone else interested in rabbit health and welfare) and the Rabbit Welfare Fund, which is the charitable trust that handles the education and welfare work of the Association. The Rabbit Welfare Fund was registered as a charity (Reg. No. 1085689) in March 2001.
Many members choose to make a donation to the fund on top of their membership fee, which is gratefully received and allows us to do much more to help rabbits.
The most visible activity of the RWF is the production of thousands and thousands of educational leaflets each month distributed to rescue centres, vets and pet shops, on a variety of rabbit-related topics. On top of this, we are also funding some vital rabbit health research projects. The use of the words ‘research’ and ‘rabbit’ in the same sentence may ring alarm bells in some ears, but you can rest assured that RWAF money will never be used to harm a bunny; any research we pay for is humane and is for the sole purpose of improving rabbit health and welfare.
We have a string of ideas for future projects, but we need to recruit more members and supporters to bring these plans to fruition. Get more information.
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The RWAF is a politically moderate organisation. We believe in education and co-operation, not confrontation.
We're always thrilled to work with organisations and individuals who share our commitment to the welfare of pet rabbits. And, if we think we can further the cause of rabbit welfare by doing so, we'll try to open constructive dialogue with organisations and business who may have different ideas about rabbit issues.
Our policy statement states the position of the RWAF on a number of issues, and is revised regularly. Please note, our constitution specifies that RWAF resources can only be used to promote the welfare of rabbits kept as pets. Issues relating to laboratory or meat rabbits are outside of our remit.
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Join the RWAF today from only £17.50 per year, and receive a free jingle ball** for your bunny as a gift.
*Free jingle ball - conditions
The RWAF has teamed up with Supreme Petfoods to offer new members a free jingle ball for their rabbit. This offer is subject to availability and agreement to pass name and address to Supreme so they can despatch the free ball to you. Please note that the free gifts will be despatched by Supreme and will arrive separately from the main membership pack. Offer available to residents of UK only.
