Couple to close Dewsbury rabbit rescue service

Sue Horton and her partner, Michael Robinson, are finding it too hard to continue caring for and re-homing unwanted bunnies.

But before she bows out, Sue has decided to keep one baby rabbit found dumped in a cardboard box in Dewsbury.

“She has settled in well and will probably stay,” said the 51-year-old who has been running Sue’s Rabbit Rescue from her Beckett Lane, Dewsbury, home for 12 years.

In that time, she and Michael, also 51, have seen thousands of rabbits needing help or homes. “But we are both getting older and finding it more difficult to continue,” she said.

“The rescue has been well-used. We have been able to help a lot of them and some have stayed with us.”

The rescue started when the couple helped out with another rabbit rescue in North Yorkshire. “We would foster the animals and as word got round, we gradually started to do the job on our own. It just grew from there,” said Sue.

“I would like to continue but it’s not feasible. It has cost us thousands as we try to get all the rabbits neutered and the cost of the operations has been met from our own pockets.

“It’s sad in many ways.”