OAR - Otautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust

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OAR - Otautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust

Ōtautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust Ltd - OAR, an exotic pet refuge and educational charity, based in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Please help by donating, adopting, fostering, or even sharing our info. For even one it can mean everything. RABBITS

Ōtautahi Animal Refuge (OAR) only adopt our rescues out to the most loving forever homes, therefore our rabbits are conditioned to live indoors*, alongside you and your family, much like your cat and dog**

If you are interested in adopting from OAR, please message us and we will s

end you an Adoption Application. If you are interested in a particular rabbit please organise with us to see them. Please contact us for an update on available rabbits for adoption. Please note that this page is run by volunteers, and while we try our best we all have commitments outside of this. If you wish to surrender a rabbit to us, please note that there maybe a wait time before we can take them. You can speed this wait time up if you have your pet desex and vaccinated before surrendering them. We are always in need of donations. Though we appreciate anything you can give, we prefer you to give a smaller sustainable amount, over a long time, so that we can create long term lasting change in these animals lives. If you have items to donate, please see our list of much needed items.

*We train our rabbits with litter trays, but do expect some territorial messing when you initially have them becoming comfortable in your home, this should stop fairly quickly, if you find it becoming a problem, please contact us.

**Unfortunately in some cases the family dog maybe not be suitable to live alongside a rabbit, this may be due to a high prey drive. If you would like some help introducing your new bun to your existing pets, just let us know.

10/06/2026

We have some devastating news to share with you all. Our darling Tina, who we've cared for since she was just 8 weeks old, has passed over the rainbow bridge. She developed GI statis on Sunday. After being rushed through to afterhours care, she spent the next 24 hours being doted on by our team and examined, treated and tested by veterinary staff, which didn't improve her condition. The second our regular vets opened their doors she was there, being cared for and readied for surgery. She didn't make it, and her death is a shock to our team. Tina was young, not even a year old, vibrant, healthy and an amazing member of our family. She was our youngest resident, and her death has broken our hearts. In rescue, when it rains it pours. At the opposite end of the spectrum, our old man Stark, who is well into his teens, has just developed a mystery illness, and has been rushed to the vets. His treatment will most likely be ongoing, and his new illness, as well as Tina's, has had a drastic impact on our finances. If you can donate, it would be more appreciated than you know. We need to pay for Stark's treatment, as well as regular medical bills and procedures such as desexing and vaccinations so our other residents are ready for forever homes. Anything you can spare helps, so please consider donating.

OAR Bank TSB
15-3976-0186947-00

29/05/2026

It's sweet Yeti's last day as Bunny of The Week. We're quite surprised that there hasn't been a single enquiry for him, as he is such an adoptable boy. He's snuggly, handle-friendly, a dream to groom, brave, good at the vets, adapts to new environments quickly, adorable, young, healthy, smart (he's learning to follow commands), a great friend and will even give you kisses when you cry. He's still very much up for adoption, and would absolutely thrive in a home of his own. If you're interested in this beautiful boy, please private message us. We'll be back soon with more bunny content, but for now, please enjoy some Yeti cuteness

28/05/2026

Our Bunny of the Week, Yeti, is a healthy young lad. He was given a clean bill of health at the vets, as well as a certificate of cuddliness and several treats for being such a good boy. When he was desexed, he didn't even act like he'd just had surgery, and continued to leap and play as soon as he returned to his foster home. Most importantly, he took his pain medicine well. He was, in fact, almost too enthusiastic, and behaved each and every time like it was a prized treat. He seems a bit sad now that he doesn't need them, but we give him lots of snacks to make up for it. Healthy, cuddly, handle-friendly, good with other pets and simply adorable. Could he be any more perfect? If you're interested in adopting our wonderful Yeti, please direct message us.

cuerabbitsofinstagram

27/05/2026

Our Bunny of the Week, Yeti, is a remarkable bun. He's cuddly, confident, handle friendly, great with other pets and is just an all around charming man. Which makes it all the more astounding that he (and his identical brother) were dumped. They were found wandering at a wildlife park, close to a popular spot for abandoning pets. They were both in rough physical shape, so thin that they had fistfuls of loose skin, covered in fight wounds, and had tennis ball sized mats in their beautiful fur. It's not the first time we've heard about animals being dumped out there, and it almost certainly won't be the last, but it is one of the first times the animal has been found alive. People have even been so bold as to dump their unwated pets in the wildlife park's enclosures, putting both their abandonded animal, and the animals of the park at risk. Sometimes they are put with animals of the same species, other times people have dropped their unwanted pets in with predator animals in the hope that they get eaten. Yes, people are that callous. There is also a notion that if someone dumps their pet near a zoo, a wildlife park, or any other animal centered business, that the animal will be found and rescued by the animal lovers who work there. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Yeti's outcome, of being found and surrendered to a rescue, IS THE RARE EXCEPTION. Most likely, the animal that has been dumped will die, usually painfully. Either caught is a pest trap, from exposure to the elements, lack of food, or attacked or eaten by other animals (such as the huge feral cat population near where Yeti was found). Dumping your animals, no matter where you do it, or with what intention, is cruel. Luckily for Yeti, he was found, but his future could have been incredibly different. If you're interested in giving our beautiful Yeti a new start in life, please private message us.

26/05/2026

Our Bunny of the Week, Yeti, is a delight to groom. He is very patient with brushing, especially when he has snacks to distract him, and will only occasionally put up a fuss if you're tugging on a stubborn knot or trying to get between his back legs (his version of 'a fuss', is to just walk away, and eat on the other side of the snack bowl, while you readjust and continue to brush him). He's even better when clipping his fur, and he is happy to sit on your lap and munch away while someone shaves him down. He loves the attention, and sometimes even purrs while you're shaving him. He sits very well for 15 or so minutes, then gets a bit bored and wants to explore, but can usually be coaxed with a differemt treat. Unlike a lot of bunnies, he's great at being picked up and held, and has never kicked out or tried to run away while in someone's arms. If you're interested in adopting this super handle friendly boy, please direct message us.

25/05/2026

Meet our Bunny of the Week, Yeti! This fluffy wool-producer is practically perfect, and is one of the friendliest bunnies we've ever had. He's confident, cuddly, very handle friendly, loves meeting new people, is a dream to groom and we didn't even have to teach him to use the litterbox, he just did it on his own! He's a cheeky boy, who loves to chew and cause a bit of chaos, but he does it in the most courteous way it's impossible to be mad at him. We don't know exactly how old he is, but due to his boundless energy we think he's still a young bun. If you're interested in this truly wonderful boy, please private message us.

19/05/2026

The dumping of animals has always been a problem in Aotearoa, but recently, it seems to be getting worse. In the past month alone we have had multiple people contact us about animals that they have found abandoned. Near schools, on the side of the road, out near a wildlife park to name a few places. We have taken on as many as we can, but we simply do not have the space for all of them. Our regular foster homes are full to the brim, and we need more if we are going to be able to help the backlist of animals that have been found. These animals deserve better, they deserve a chance at a good life, and we cannot do it without help. If you have ever considered fostering, now is the time. We pay for everything, all you need is the space and time. If you're interested, or would like to know more, please direct message us (our email is not working currently). Here are some photos of some of the dumped animals we have been able to bring in, but there are so many more out there that we cannot help without you.

18/05/2026

Hi everyone, just an update to say that our email accounts are giving us some grief at the moment. We are unable to reply to emails currently, so the best way to reach us at this time is through direct messaging. We are hoping to get it sorted soon, but it's proving to be slow going at the moment. We will endevour to get back to you as soon as possible, even if it takes a little while. So sorry for any inconvenience this is causing and thank you all for your patience.

cuerabbitsofinstagram

14/05/2026

Our Bunny of the Week, Wiremu, is an energetic bun. He is an expert jumper, and we have had to find some work arounds to keep him contained. He would make an excellent candidate for agility training, as he is a speedy wee man who loves to run and is quite food motivated. His other state of being is 'lounge'. He loves to lay down and relax, and he's doing just that in most of the pictures our social media director has of him. Sometimes he won't even get up unless you have treats or are actively annoying him. Perhaps it's because of all his athletic endeavors that he delights in resting. If you're interested in this beautiful energizer bunny, please private message us or email us at otautahianimalrefuge.co.nz

13/05/2026

Many people ask us what breeds certain rabbits are, and our answer is mostly the same: "we're not sure, but we think it's a bunny". To us, the breed of a bunny is only relevant if it's associated with certain medical issues, or if it means an animal requires specialized care. In the case of our Bunny of the Week, Wiremu, we have no idea what breed he is, we just know he's a wool producing bun, and that comes with the need for regular grooming. Like most of our wooly buns, he came to us matted, and had to be shaved for his own comfort. We'll admit, it was a terrible haircut, but it was a necessity, and he will need regular haircuts to keep that level of comfort and mobility. Grooming may not be his favourite task, but with the help of treats he is quite tolerant of it, and he enjoys the attention he gets. We are always happy to teach people how to groom and care for these beautiful bunnies, especially potential adopters. We want both the animal and the people caring for them to be comfortable and confident with the grooming process, and are happy to have a hands on demonstration. If you're interested in our wooly boy Wiremu, please private message us or email us at otautahianimalrefuge.co.nz

cuerabbitsofinstagram

Address

60 Sandyford Street
Christchurch

Telephone

+64277722248

Website

http://oar.co.nz/

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