dodgy hutch advert u/d

Have just seen a advert from Sharples 'n' Grant in small furry pets magazine (p.11) which shows a pic of their 'chalet' hutch which is a 3ftx2ft (approx) hutch with under run (in which the ramp seems to go right to the wall of the run) and the caption is 'run rabbit run... in our 5 star accommodation'. Obviously I don't think this is 5 star at all and am going to write to them about it. Should I also write to advertising standards?

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:Have just seen a advert from Sharples 'n' Grant in small furry pets magazine (p.11) which shows a pic of their 'chalet' hutch which is a 3ftx2ft (approx) hutch with under run (in which the ramp seems to go right to the wall of the run) and the caption is 'run rabbit run... in our 5 star accommodation'. Obviously I don't think this is 5 star at all and am going to write to them about it. Should I also write to advertising standards?

I would CC the RWAF into your e-mail, they are having a lot of success converting suppliers. I would also CC the magazine, who should know better.

I dont think TS will be any use, '5 star accommodation' is a subjective term, and the minimum recommendations are just that - there's no law to enforce it, but I guess it's worth a try, to at least establish a precedent and find out whet they will act on and what they won't.

This is what I have written.

I am getting in contact to say that I have concerns about your current advert which I have seen in small furry pets magazine. In the advert you have a picture of what I believe is your chalet hutch with the tag line ‘run rabbit run … in our five star accommodation’. Elsewhere in the advert you refer to your hutches as ‘luxury’. I completely disagree with both these claims. From looking at your website I believe the hutch pictured is approx.. 3ftx2ft. As I am sure you are aware, the RWAF recommends that a rabbit should be able to take 3 hops in it’s hutch – this equates to an average rabbit needing a hutch size of at least 6ft. In addition to this a run of at least 6ft is also recommended. This enables rabbits to move around and display natural behaviours as well as preventing boredom and deformity. Looking around you website I struggled to find any hutches that meet the RWAF recommendations. So I don’t think the hutch as advertised is ‘five star’ or ‘luxury’. After all I am sure you would be very disappointed if you were to book in to a five star hotel to find that the room was only the size of a small family bathroom.

Love the last line It's all good, let us know if they get back to you

Perfect Cheryl!

I have had a reply to the email which is both a little a bit f a dissapointment.


Dear Cheryl

Thank you for your email. I have spoken with our marketing department and they have agreed to not run this particular flyer again. I am sorry you have issues with the content but we have been selling these hutches for a number of years and never receive any complaints about the size of them.

Please do not hesitate to contact me again should you have any further queries.

I am sending the details to the rwaf now as well. I have emailed the mag editor as well but no response yet.

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:I am sorry you have issues with the content but we have been selling these hutches for a number of years and never receive any complaints about the size of them.

I suspect because many people don't actually realise these aren't hugely suitable and rabbit welfare is only now coming to light in a much more prominently

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote: I am sorry you have issues with the content but we have been selling these hutches for a number of years and never receive any complaints about the size of them.

thats because people don't know, and buns cant tell them.

Just because something is historical doesn't make it right. In January, old skool battery hen cages were made illegal and replaced with more enriched accommodation - this is progress.

And they have recieved complaints - yours. If yo're going to reply, perhaps you could send them this: http://www.hoppingmad.org/E1/HoppingMad1.htm

or if you'd like to PM me the e-mail, I can

I have replied thus;

'Thank you for your prompt reply and your decision not to use the advert again. As for hutch size – as I said in my original email 6ft is the recommendation from the RWAF and is the guide used by many rescues. Rabbit need to be able to hop around, periscope (stretch to their full height on their back legs) and lay out fully in the hutch or else they can get all sorts of health problems related to being confined. Most rescues now ask for owners to have these bigger sized hutches – I am sure if you ask your local RSPCA rescue in Southport they will reiterate this. So responsible owners are out there looking for these bigger sized hutches and are often reporting they are struggling to find them at a reasonable price. I have passed the details of our correspondence onto the RWAF in the hope they will contact you. I know in the past the RWAF have had good success in working with companies to produce hutches that are much better for rabbits. I feel quite strongly that rather than waiting for public demand that this is an area where suppliers should lead the way. Most new rabbit owners are fairly clueless about the needs of their pets and will pick hutches by local availability not because it is an appropriate size. By providing larger sized hutches I firmly believe a demand can be created. At the moment lot of knowledgeable owners will buy shed for their pets to live in as they are the easiest available option but I think not all would do so if more alternatives were available. '


I am hoping they will take this positively.

Good reply, and I'm glad that they won't feature the ad again although it doesn't really stack up if they don't see they are doing anything wrong does it

That's the company that do those awful small plastic novelty hutches that are shaped like a train and a house ( I think it is a house)

I will just add that in my email to the magazine editor I said I felt if they are wanting promote animal welfare that they need to acknowledge that they are responsible for the content of their adverts as they are for the content of their articles.

You could suggest that these hutches are not marketed for rabbits, but for smaller furries, where they are apt. - that way they can climb down without loosing business, as such?

Small problem Jay - I don't believe that. The 'chalet' hutch and others from the company are here - http://www.sharplesgrant.com/Products/Pages/SMALLPET.html#46.

When my pigs had a 2 tier hutch they used to spend a few seconds in the space at the bottom of the ramp gathering mental momentum (I think) to get them up the slope. As you can see they would not be able to do that in this hutch. And because they ideally need to be kept in groups they also need a 6ft hutch really. And as I have discussed before, there are big problems with piggies falling off ramps so ideally they shouldn't have them.

Oh OK, I couldn't see what you were talking about, that's completely reasonable

Great email to them Cheryl. I wouldn't be too despondent by their reply as it is a standard practice for a company to state that they haven't had any other complaints. This is done to make you feel that you are the odd one out. Very often the people replying to your email haven't a clue how many other complaints have been made and are just taught to say this in the hope that you will just quietly disappear.

Well done Cheryl