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Basil\'s Story
Basil is a big, beautiful French Lop who came to us as a rescue many months ago now.

Sadly, Basil was very badly treated in his previous home. He was kept outside in a tiny covered hutch that was far too small for him to even move properly.

Rabbits kept outdoors are extremely vulnerable to the elements and can easily die from hypothermia or heat stroke. Basil's hutch was covered, which kept him warm enough to survive but unfortunately exasperated another problem with outdoor hutches. Wooden hutches are terrible for soaking up urine and becoming sodden and dirty, they are difficult to clean and rarely cleaned out often enough. Because of this, Basil's feet were scalded and raw from standing on urine-soaked ground for so long, and his lungs were badly affected by the ammonia that was building up in the air, leading to chronic pneumonia.

When Basil was first rescued, his eyes could not even cope with natural sunlight after so long in the dark.

He has needed extensive veterinary care costing over Ł1,400 so far, and will continue to need care for the rest of his life. His teeth were damaged by years of poor diet and not having anything to chew and so he now needs dental surgery 1-2 times a year. His eyes will always be affected, requiring frequent checks and special eye drops. His pneumonia is treated with daily nebulisation and anti-biotics when needed.

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UPDATE: Due to infection and damage caused by this early neglect, Basil has recently had to have part of his jaw removed. It was a frightening prospect, as our vets were unsure whether he would be able to eat again after the surgery. However, with infection in the bone, it was our only option.

Fortunately Basil is a fighter, and bounced back from his operation. Within just a few months he is now eating fully on his own. However, his vet care has been extensive and has left the shelter financially stretched to breaking point, and there is still several hundred pounds to pay. If you can make a donation to help us meet these vet costs it would make a big difference to the work we're able to do to help badly neglected rabbits like Basil. You can make a donation here and every penny helps!

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Basil's feet were badly damaged, eaten away by the urine scalding. For the first few weeks they had to be bathed and treated with a special cream several times daily, and protected with socks.

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Because of the level ongoing care that Basil needs, he is considered a permanent resident and stays permanently with foster carers Marie and Andy.

The most frustrating thing to us is that Basil's health problems could all have been avoided had he been lucky enough to start out with a good, indoor home. Read more about why it's important for pets to live indoors here.

But his story is also a happy one, full of hope, and for this reason I love telling it. Basil is doing so much better now than when he first arrived, he is thriving in his new home and, gradually, recovering from the bad experiences in his past. When he first arrived, Basil was only able to walk a few short, halting steps due to his sore feet and muscle wasting from being unable to move properly for so long. With much support and encouragement, he is now moving much more freely. He is even able to bounce up and down the stairs in his new home!

And moments like this have made it all worthwhile. Here is a picture of Basil's first steps outside on the grass, in the sunshine.

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Basil has been given a second chance. This is what we try to give all of our rescue pets.

Sponsor Basil here. Your sponsorship will help us to pay for Basil's ongoing vet costs. Thank you.