The organisers of Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) have released a wide range of materials and handy how-to guides for veterinary professionals to help them organise and promote their own digital events for this year’s virtual RAW campaign, taking place from 10 to 23 August.
Rabbit Awareness Week is the UK’s largest welfare campaign for rabbits and this year’s campaign will take place digitally as a virtual festival, featuring educational videos, live streams, and Q&As from rabbit welfare experts and veterinary professionals. All of this content will be shared digitally across the official RAW and RAW partners’ social media channels to help educate rabbit owners and improve standards of rabbit care in the UK.
Thousands of veterinary practices take part in RAW every year and while physical events won’t be possible this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the downloadable vet packs provide all of the information veterinary professionals could need to run their own virtual RAW campaign, including guides to making video content and how to engage with rabbit owners online.
In cases where physical interaction with rabbit owners is still required, veterinary surgeons can consult the RAW care guide, which provides advice on how to treat rabbits in practice. Created by Dr Richard Saunders (Hons) BVSc MSB CBiol DZooMed (Mammalian) MRCVS, this guide contains information on neutering, vaccination, preventative health care, dentistry and many more topics.
Holly Ackroyd, Senior Brand Manager at Burgess Pet Care, who organise RAW, said:
“During these challenging times, we want to do as much as we can to support veterinary professionals as they continue to provide essential care and support the wellbeing of the nation’s pet rabbits. We understand that a move to a digitally-focused campaign may be unfamiliar territory for some vets but we’re confident the information in the RAW vet packs will provide vets with all of the ideas and advice they need to host their own digital events and engage with rabbit owners in their area.
“Research continues to show that rabbits are one of the UK’s most neglected pets and the most effective way of addressing this is by campaigning to educate rabbit owners on the welfare needs of their pets, from the importance of a hay-led diet to always keeping rabbits in pairs. Taking part in a RAW is a great way of building relationships with new and existing clients and we can’t wait to celebrate the efforts of vets across the UK as part of this year’s campaign.”
The biggest addition to this year’s RAW vet packs is a handy how-to guide for social media that explains how to host a successful digital campaign by utilising social media platforms. A RAW care guide for rabbit owners is another new addition, packed full of practical advice on how to provide excellent rabbit care. Every care guide includes the RAW Better Bunnies Programme, a 28-day pull-out checklist to encourage regular interaction between rabbits and their owners. The RAW vet packs also include:
- A post-mortem protocol guide
- Vaccination certificates
- Rabbit MOT Sheets
- BSAVA paper on the RHDV2 epidemic in rabbits
- Colouring sheets for children
- Marketing collateral to decorate waiting rooms
Any veterinary professionals that are interested in brushing up on their rabbit knowledge in advance of this year’s virtual campaign are able to take part in free CPD from the RAW website. These videos contain useful information on preventative healthcare, covering diet, infectious diseases, neutering and sudden death.
The RAW website also features case studies from veterinary practices who have run successful RAW campaigns in the past, with veterinary professionals and practice owners sharing their top tips on how to engage with rabbit owners and grow the online presence of their business.
Vets can download their free vet packs now and are encouraged to register any events that they are planning to make them publicly discoverable on the RAW website, which will help them reach rabbit owners in their area.
