OAR - Otautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust

OAR - Otautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust Ōtautahi Animal Refuge and Education Trust Ltd - OAR, a charitable organization creating awareness and change for abused and neglected domestic pets.

You can help by donating, adopting, fostering, or 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 send

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.

We need foster homes! We are sadly at maximum capacity for bunnies, and simply cannot take on any more without help. We ...
30/06/2025

We need foster homes! We are sadly at maximum capacity for bunnies, and simply cannot take on any more without help. We have several wonderful animals, all of whom would love to spend some one on one time in a home. If you're able to open your heart and home to a bunny in need, please email us at [email protected]

We are sad to say that this past week has been a week full of loss for our refuge. As many of you know, our brave little...
27/06/2025

We are sad to say that this past week has been a week full of loss for our refuge. As many of you know, our brave little Mina has had respiratory issues her whole life due to her being a Netherland Dwarf. She never let them slow her down, and was an absolute firecracker of a bunny, always causing mischief and mayhem. She was a valiant escape artists and tiny but mighty. Sadly, her breathing issues became too much for her tiny body, and despite fighting bravely, we had to say goodbye to our sweet wee girl, who was so loved by all of us. Only a few days later, one of our long term residents Cookie, had to be rushed to the vet. She passed shortly after arriving, leaving us broken hearted when hers stopped. She was a brave wee piggy, the leader of her troop of sisters, always the first to try new things and meet new people. She put a smile in everyone's face with her enthusiastic antics, especially when she would stand up on her back legs only to fall over in excitement. She was a reassuring presence to her sisters, who have understandably taken her death hard. Both will be sorely missed by us all. Goodbye sweet girls, we love you.

Surrendering a pet is never easy. It can be embarrassing, feel shameful and is a heartbreaking experience. We understand...
13/06/2025

Surrendering a pet is never easy. It can be embarrassing, feel shameful and is a heartbreaking experience. We understand that people give up their animals for a variety of reasons, and we know it is never an easy decision. In an ideal world rescues wouldn't need to exist, and all animals would be a perfect match for every household. But that is not reality. Please do not be ashamed to ask for help. You are incredibly brave to contact a rescue and try to do what is best for your animal. Asking for help is a good thing! While yes, we and many other rescues are at maximum capacity and may not be able to take on your animal, we are happy to talk about your options. Maybe we keep you on a wait-list and take on your animal when a spot opens. If you are overwhelmed or unsure how to care for your pet, maybe we give you the education and tools to let you keep your animal. Please don't ever be ashamed for asking for help, we all make mistakes and take on things we can't handle, but what's important is what we do now for the lives we are responsible for. Please do not do anything drastic like dumping your pets, that will only worsen the situation.

It's Thomas and Lucille's last day as Bunnies of the Week, and what a cute week it's been. We've been campaigning to get...
13/06/2025

It's Thomas and Lucille's last day as Bunnies of the Week, and what a cute week it's been. We've been campaigning to get these youngins a foster home where Thomas can wait for and recover from his neuter. If you're interested in looking after these sweeties, please email us at [email protected]
We'll be back soon with more bunny cuteness, but for now, please enjoy some pictures of this sibling duo.

Foster Failure isn't something people talk about much. It's when someone fosters and animal with the intent to get them ...
12/06/2025

Foster Failure isn't something people talk about much. It's when someone fosters and animal with the intent to get them ready for a new home, but adopt them instead. We often hear people say "I could never foster, I'd fall in love and want to keep them". And we have to ask, is that a bad thing? We challenge you to think of foster failing as just one possible outcome, and a good one at that. If you foster an animal and find out they're you're new best friend, isn't that a wonderful thing? It means you have a new friend and have saved a life! If you don't fall in love and are happy for the animal in your care to find another home, you've also helped save and have given an animal a new start. If you've been interested in fostering, don't let the fear of failure stop you from doing something truly wonderful! If you're interested in fostering, we just so happen to have two amazing young bunnies in need of a temporary home, just email us at [email protected] for more information.

Our Bunnies of the Week, Thomas and Lucille, are named after the siblings from Crimson Peak. Like their namesakes, these...
11/06/2025

Our Bunnies of the Week, Thomas and Lucille, are named after the siblings from Crimson Peak. Like their namesakes, these two have a questionable relationship, although theirs is arguably much cuter. While Thomas hasn't fully reached maturity yet, it certainly hasn't stopped them from trying to extend their family. This is just one of the many reasons it's so important to desexed your bunnies. Unfortunately, we have to wait for Thomas to finish puberty before he can be neutered. We would love for these two to wait in a foster home, where they can be loved and socialized while they're still young, and have a quiet environment for Thomas to recover from surgery in. If you're interested in fostering these misguided but adorable youngsters, please email us at [email protected]

Our Bunnies of The Week, Thomas and Lucille, had a rough start in life. They were just two in a litter of babies, who we...
10/06/2025

Our Bunnies of The Week, Thomas and Lucille, had a rough start in life. They were just two in a litter of babies, who were left in an outdoor hutch. The owners had taken their parents and left the unwanted kits behind, where they were rescued by a wonderful citizen. Their rescuer found homes for all of the siblings, yet despite their best efforts, they could not find a home for Thomas and Lucille. As a bonded pair, they have to be adopted together, and it can be hard to find a home willing to take on two bunnies. Right now, they are not old enough to be formally adopted, as Thomas still needs to be neutered but has not yet reached full maturity. That's where fostering comes in! If you're interested in fostering this adorable duo, please email us at [email protected]

Meet our Bunnies of The Week! This identical duo is comprised of Thomas and Lucille, two twins who are unfortunately too...
09/06/2025

Meet our Bunnies of The Week! This identical duo is comprised of Thomas and Lucille, two twins who are unfortunately too close. We're looking for a foster home for these younglings, as they are not yet ready for adoption. At only a few months old, Thomas isn't old enough to be desexed yet, so we need to wait until her reaches full maturity before he can have his operation. These two cuddle buns are confident and social, and refuse to do anything without each other (including eating, and are sometimes literally in each other's mouths). As they are a bonded pair, they need to stay together for life, and must be adopted as a pair. If you're interested in fostering the youngest buns in our refuge, please email us at [email protected]

It's sweet Cyndi's last day as Guinea Pig of the Week! She's a little rockstar and we hope she'll find a forever home th...
01/06/2025

It's sweet Cyndi's last day as Guinea Pig of the Week! She's a little rockstar and we hope she'll find a forever home that loves her as much as we do. If you're interested in adopting this firecracker, please email us at [email protected]

Our Guinea Pig of the Week, Cyndi, is a spirited wee thing. She loves to climb on her hidey house and make copious amoun...
31/05/2025

Our Guinea Pig of the Week, Cyndi, is a spirited wee thing. She loves to climb on her hidey house and make copious amounts of noise. She's a chirpy girl, who will let you know if she's displeased. She's certainly spunky, and can sometimes make a bit of a racket when getting her nails done, but who doesn't love a talkative pet? We love how boisterous she can be, and it adds to her unique brand of charm. If you think this squeaky baby is right for you, please email us at [email protected]

Cyndi's origin story is a sadly common one here at OAR. Guinea Pigs need at least one other companion in order to thrive...
30/05/2025

Cyndi's origin story is a sadly common one here at OAR. Guinea Pigs need at least one other companion in order to thrive, and in some countries it is illegal to have just one. Cyndi was bought as a companion for another solo piggy, but sadly her friend passed away. Left alone, her owner surrendered her in the hope that we could find her a new home, hopefully with a new friend. This happens a lot with bonded animals sadly. When one dies, the one left behind needs a new companion or they can easily fall into a depression, so a new one is obtained and bonded with the animal left behind. This can take a toll on the owner, and we are often asked to accept surrenders of animals who's partner has passed on. We think Cyndi will make a great companion, and add some cheerful exuberance to her new household. If you're interested in adopting Cyndi, please email us at [email protected]

Our Guinea Pig of the week, Cyndi, has a very unique coat pattern. She is an Abyssinian Guinea Pig, a breed characterize...
29/05/2025

Our Guinea Pig of the week, Cyndi, has a very unique coat pattern. She is an Abyssinian Guinea Pig, a breed characterized by their fur pattern. It is divided into naturally forming 'rosettes' that appear across the body, making their fur stick out in delightful ways. As they have such a unique coat type, they do require more grooming and maintenance than the average Guinea Pig. We love Cyndi's unique fur, and think it adds to her charm. If you're interested in adopting this special girl, please email us at [email protected]

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Christchurch

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Our Story

Ōtautahi Animal Refuge (OAR) – non-profit organisation, originally Ōtautahi Rabbit Rehoming, was established in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) Aotearoa (New Zealand) in September 2017. In 2019 we underwent new Management and a Mission, to provide a sustainable service devoted to creating real lasting change for the lives of domestic animals, particularly rabbits, in the Christchurch and surrounding areas.

Our Community Outreach Programme plays a vital role in our mission; with education through a direct hands-on approach, we can reduce the breeding, abuse and neglect of domestic animals.

If you are considering surrendering an animal, would like to adopt through us, or have some questions regarding your existing pet, you can arrange a free appointment with a friendly professional volunteer.

This is a free service to work with you directly, helping you achieve the best outcome possible for both you and your pet. If you would like to take advantage of this, we also offer nail trimmings and limited first aid care within this service.