Providing opportunity to the feral and abandoned rabbits of Calgary.
About us.
Our purpose.
Sometimes people purchase a rabbit without fully understanding the responsibility caring for one entails. When they realize that caring for their new rabbit is beyond their abilities, they will often resort to abandoning the rabbit outside. As a result, thousands of domesticated rabbits have been born feral, left to fend for themselves. Many rabbits know a safe life as pets, where they will be loved and cared for by their precious person. Feral rabbits have only experienced a life of fear; they are vulnerable to many dangers such as predation, dehydration, hypothermia, and untreated wounds left by other rabbits. Rabbits have been domesticated and carefully bred for hundreds of years. A couple of decades of living outside does not erase the countless years of selective breeding.
Calgary’s feral rabbit problem started with a few individuals who dumped their rabbit after realizing the cost and maintenance that comes with ownership. They can now be seen in every quadrant of the city and have become a nuisance to many. Rabbits eat people’s precious gardens and burrow through their lawns. Because the municipality and most organizations/companies are not concerned about the rabbits, people are left with little to no options to handle them humanely. The increasing population also results in predators (such as coyotes and bobcats) drawing closer into the city, which creates risks for homes with children and pets.
Our mission.
As of right now, WRRR seeks to provide feral rabbits with an opportunity to be accepted into loving arms. Rabbits are truly misunderstood which is how the feral rabbit issue arose. All rabbits are deserving of safety and affection. We hope to not only help as many ferals as we can get into safe homes but to educate the public and work to end the neglect of rabbits altogether.
Wild Rose Rabbit Rescue hopes to eventually be a humane solution to control the feral rabbits. But, this is a daunting task and will not be possible without support from the municipal or provincial government. WRRR would support a TNR and push sanctuaries for any lucky groups. Friendly rabbits encountered through the TNR would be fostered and adopted out.
The founder
Gizelle Becker founded Wild Rose Rabbit Rescue in January of 2021.
One October afternoon, Gizelle had left work for an hour to grab some lunch on Macleod Trail. After parking her car and walking to the restaurant, a young black rabbit approached her and sat at her feet. After interacting with the sweet rabbit for a few minutes, Gizelle couldn’t resist walking away and leaving her there. She scooped up the black rabbit, named Momo, and was on her way.
After a single week with Momo, Gizelle was amazed how personable and affectionate these animals were. It was then that she became hyperaware of the poor situation the feral rabbits were forced to face. Fending for themselves and vulnerable to many things including extreme weather, predators, starvation, and injury. Gizelle made a goal to help at least a few of the feral rabbits as best she could. After months of planning and building the organization, she rescued WRRR’s first bunny in May the same year.