It has not been an easy process to scan in the newspaper cuttings in such a way that I could transform them into a format that would be readable on the website, and in some cases I have found it easier just to retype the articles word for word. Click on any of the images and newspaper text images to bring up an enlarged version that you will be able to read easier. I have not included the forty plus articles that have appeared in various magazines such as Rabbiting On, Pet Focus, Paws 4 Rescue, Nibbling News, VN Times and Wild About Animals, as the information from topics covered has been incorporated and updated within specific articles on the website.
TV film clips
Before you have a look at the cuttings you may first like to have a look at the following video clips that were filmed during the early years:
CottonTails on TV – the early years, part 1:
CottonTails on TV – the early years, part 2:
CottonTails on TV – the early years, part 3:
CottonTails on TV – the early years, part 4:
CottonTails on TV – the early years, part 5:
Press Cuttings
THIS IS THE CUTTINGS PART, AND I WILL ADD IN NEW CUTTINGS AS AND WHEN THEY APPEAR! Since our start in 1993, there has been a lot of press interest for one reason or another, and below you will find a selection of the press cuttings that made it onto the local or national newspapers or magazines. It certainly took me on a trip down memory lane during the compilation and preparation of this article, and it was lovely to remember all the people that I have met over the years who have helped to make CottonTails what it is today. I hope you enjoy them!
1994
14th OCTOBER 1994 
Also 14th OCTOBER 1994
“Refuge Boss Only In It For The Bunny!” There are so many rabbits and birds at Mairwen’s Fishponds home that there’s hardly room for her family! Now Mairwen plans to move to a bigger house where there will be space for all. Mairwen offers refuge for injured and unwanted animals at her CottonTails Sanctuary, a charitable organisation, at her terraced home in Staple Hill Road. She is currently looking after some 50 rabbits, a couple of starlings, blackbirds, a sparrow (all cat victims) and two chinchillas. And she is not very happy about it. “It makes me very sad. I would be delighted if I didn’t have to do this. It would mean there was not a need for it” she said. “But I cannot turn my back on it”. Mairwen says the number of unwanted rabbits has escalated in the last two years. “Too many people have been breeding them, thinking it is a good way of making money, and not caring too much about what sort of home they go to” she said. New owners lose affection for their baby bunny when it grows and scratches, kicks and bites. Some let them free on a common, thinking they will survive. “But they won’t” said Mairwen. “Dogs or foxes will attack them and children throw stones at them. They face a very nasty death”. She expects numbers at her sanctuary to increase in the next few weeks when owners cannot be bothered to look after their pets in bad weather. ORPHANS – Among her patients when I called were six orphaned rabbits, just two days old. Mairwen was caring for them in a hospital cage, kept at a controlled temperature of 85 degrees F. “It is very difficult if they need hand-rearing from birth as they need mum’s milk” said Mairwen. But she admitted there was enjoyment too. Mairwen cannot remember a time when she did not take in needy animals. She used to work with a vet and also various organisations including Edinburgh Zoo and the Dogs Home, as well as having a background in animal behaviour research. CottonTails survives with the help of a rota of volunteer helpers, a £2 donation from anyone who offers an animals a home, support from the local vet and xxxx Property Services. Mairwen would like to apply to Trusts for grants but cannot until she registers as a charity. But she has been told not to register until she has bigger premises. “We are in a catch 22 situation” she says. She would like to find a house with a bigger garden and a back entrance. There are also plans for a Friends of CottonTails and a quarterly newsletter. If you would like to help, contact Mairwen on …..
23rd DECEMBER 1994
“Adopt a rabbit plea by owner” A Bristol animal sanctuary has been flooded with unwanted bunnies in the run up to Christmas. The CottonTails shelter in Fishponds is caring for more than 100 rabbits – and more are arriving every day caring for more than 100 rabbits – and more are arriving every day. 
Owner Mairwen is appealing for people to adopt one of the rabbits rather than buying one from a pet shop. She said “We’ve got so many lovely rabbits coming in and it’s proving almost impossible to find homes for them. It’s got to the stage when I’m going to have to start turning them away.” The Staple Hill Road sanctuary is based at Mairwen’s two-storey terraced house. It takes in injured wild birds, guinea pigs and chinchillas, as well as rabbits. Mother-of-two Mairwen, said: “The garden and conservatory are full of hutches and the dining room has been taken over by chinchillas and injured animals. “We’re desperate for more space and more volunteers. A rabbit isn’t the right pet for everyone – sometimes I advise people to get a guinea pig instead, but if people do want a rabbit, please can they come here and take one of these – I’ll match them up with the most suitable bunny.” Anyone who would like to volunteer to help at the sanctuary or make a donation should ring Bristol ….. 
1995
22nd JANUARY 1995
A Killer disease which is wiping out wild and pet rabbits in England appears to be spreading towards Scotland as inexorably as myxomatosis did years ago. VHD (Viral Haemorrhagic Disease) is so virulent that it’s been declared a notifiable disease and veterinary experts are urging pet owners to have their rabbits inoculated. One animal lover who has good reason to be worried is Mairwen, who has 130 rabbits in her Bristol animal sanctuary, CottonTails. In the past year, Mairwen, who hails from Edinburgh, has taken in 700 rabbits plus hundreds of other small animals and birds. “VHD is killing a lot of rabbits”, says Mairwen. “I’m inoculating all ours, but it’s costing a fortune. I’ve had reports that the wild rabbit population in some areas has been decimated. Of course, farmers are delighted as they class them as vermin. I’ve even heard that infected carcasses have been taken to places where the problem isn’t so great, just to spread the disease.” A senior veterinary officer at the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department in Edinburgh says “there are signs the disease has broken out among wild rabbits in England. If that is the case it could spread quite rapidly.” Worried owners, particularly those who take their rabbits to shows where they come into contact with others, should seek advice from their vets.
13th APRIL 1995 “Dumped rabbits find new homes” More than 40 white rabbits found abandoned in a barn near Bristol have new homes. RSPCA officials mounted the Great Easter Bunny Rescue when 43 rabbits were discovered at a remote spot near Dundry. It is thought they were dumped by somebody who had been rearing them for meat. Mairwen, founder of CottonTails Sanctuary in Fishponds, said many had been in poor condition. “They have all done pretty well and responded well to the care” she said. Among the last of the New Zealand White rabbits to leave was a baby female whose front leg had to be amputated.
14th APRIL 1995
“New home appeal for Easter bunnies” A rabbit sanctuary is in desperate need of a new home to house all the unwanted rabbits which end up on their doorstep. CottonTails Sanctuary in Staple Hill Road, had 126 rabbits in their hutches a few months ago but, due to the seasonal Easter demand, many of the rabbits have now gone to new homes. Sanctuary worker Mairwen said: “We have been trying to move to larger premises for some time and we must find somewhere by winter. We are also trying to set up a National Rabbit Welfare Association along the lines of the Cat Protection League. There is no one who can stand up for the animals when they are mistreated.”
15th APRIL 1995
“Save a hot cross bunny” If they look a little unhappy in the blazing Bank Holiday sunshine, these Easter bunnies have good reason. They were abandoned by their owner in an isolated barn. The animals were found at Dundry, near Bristol, by a woman checking on her horses which were stabled nearby. RSPCA officials took them to the city’s CottonTails Sanctuary and now hope to find them a home. Anybody who would like to look after one should telephone …
Also 15th APRIL 1995 “Blitz on bogus animal welfare centres” A pioneering scheme to crack down on bogus animal sanctuaries has been launched in Bristol. The South West Association for Bird and Animal Welfare (SWABAW) has set up a register of sanctuaries. Only rescue centres which stick to certain rules are allowed to join the new scheme. The guidelines include a policy of never breeding animals, high standards of care and annual inspections from a vet. The sanctuaries are also expected to charge reasonable prices for their animals, such as £20 for a neutered cat. SWABAW was founded by Mairwen Guard and is being run by five trustees including Chris Sperring of the Hawk and Owl Trust. Co-ordinator Mairwen of CottonTails Rescue in Fishponds said “Some animal centres are making a lot of money by pretending to be animals sanctuaries. People give them donations and feel obliged to to buy an animal if they visit, however high the price. These bogus sanctuaries are all about money, not animals, and it’s a big problem in this area. We want to stop them being able to call themselves rescue centres by encouraging all the genuine centres to register with us”.
8th MAY 1995
This cute little bundle of fur has to be fed with a tiny bottle after his rabbit family was rescued from its bulldozed home. He and his six brothers and sisters escaped unscathed when their warren was accidentally smashed during roadworks in Bristol. The baby rabbits – who still had their eyes closed – were rescued in the nick of time. They were dug out of the wrecked warren in Patchway and taken to Mairwen who runs a rabbit sanctuary at her Fishponds home. Now Dopey, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy, and Doc – named after Snow White’s seven dwarfs – have doubled in size. They fit snugly into Mairwen’s hand as she feeds them with a special formula feed designed for kittens. Mairwen has turned her living room into an intensive care unit. When the rabbits are old enough, Mairwen hopes to keep them in an artificial warren. As they are hand-reared they would not know how to survive in the wild but they would not make good pets.
21st APRIL 1995
“If you go chasing rabbits …” Animal lover Mairwen had her work cut out over Easter – caring for 43 orphans which arrived on her doorstep. She gave shelter to white rabbits after they were found abandoned in a barn. Mother of two Mairwen, who runs CottonTails in Staple Hill Road, believes the rabbits were being reared for meat. They were found hungry and in poor health by horsewoman Maria of Dundry, who keeps horses at a stable block near to her home. Maria was suspicious when she found a gate had been taken off its hinges and saw tyre tracks leading up to the barn. When she looked inside, she saw the rabbits in the hay. RSPCA inspector Richard Masling checked the rabbits and helped to transport them to the sanctuary. He believes they are New Zealand Whites, which are legally bred by a number of farms for their meat. Mr. Masling said the owner could have sold them at Winford MArket instead of callously dumping them. They would not survive long in the wild, he said. An inquiry is now underway to find out who dumped the rabbits, which were adult and young males and females. Mairwen was inundated with phone calls from all over the country after the story was published in national newspapers. Now homes have been found for almost all of them.
23rd JUNE 1995
“Bunnies need playmates too!” Homeless bunnies are looking for furry playmates to liven up their stay at a rabbit sanctuary in Fishponds. The unusual appeal for cuddly toys for rabbits comes from Mairwen of CottonTails Sanctuary. Mairwen wants any cuddly toys, not only toy rabbits. “They are very popular playthings, especially with the males. It really makes their day!” she said. The toys should be an appropriate size and washable. The sanctuary is also looking for homes for very old rabbits to spend the rest of their days in comfort. At the moment Mairwen is hand rearing new born rabbits with a dropper. This is the first time this very difficult procedure has worked. If you can help the rabbits at CottonTails Sanctuary with toys or homes, please contact Mairwen on …
22nd JULY 1995
These are just some of the homeless bunnies at a Bristol rabbit sanctuary. Mairwen, who runs CottonTails sanctuary from her home in Staple Hill Road, is trying to find homes for more than 60 rabbits. She said: “We have just had so many brought in it is unbelievable.” Some have been found in streets, others were taken to the sanctuary by the RSPCA, and others were left there while owners went on holiday – and never returned to pick up their pets. Mairwen said: “People buy rabbits as pets and do not realise the responsibility they are taking on. Other people buy them thinking if they breed them they will be able to make money from selling the babies. Pet shops need to be more responsible when they sell the rabbits. They should brief people properly when they buy them.” Mairwen opened the sanctuary two and a half years ago at the home she shares with her husband and their two sons, Matthew, eight, and Ben, five. She runs it as a charitable trust. A nominal fee is charged for the rabbits.
31st JULY 1995
5 
Four baby rabbits have beaten the odds and survived after their mother died giving birth. The bunnies were just inches long and were cared for in an incubator at the CottonTails sanctuary in Fishponds. Mairwen said it was the first time she had managed to hand-rear baby rabbits so young. She said: “It is notoriously difficult to raise rabbits who haven’t had any of their mother’s milk. We weren’t very confident that they would survive. We put them in an incubator and I made up a special milk with supplements and powdered milk, which we normally use.” Owner Simone Noonan of Oldbridge Road, Whitchurch, said she would take two of the baby rabbits – now six weeks old – back home. She said: “I was staggered that the sanctuary had managed to save them as I was told there was not much hope. I have decided to call them Flopsy and Mopsy.” The two other baby rabbits will be given to a new owner.
1996
9th FEBRUARY 1996
Seven baby bunnies at a Bristol sanctuary need new homes. The five-month-old rabbits have been taken in by CottonTails Rabbit Sanctuary in Fishponds. Sanctuary owner Mairwen says it will be difficult to find them a home because the rabbits are half wild. The four females and three males were born after their mother escaped from their cage and mated with a wild rabbit. The mother is a rex breed with a moleskin-type coat. Her offspring have the colouring typical of wild rabbits. They are brown with white markings and are much smaller than domestic rabbits. Mairwen said: “These are a very special case.” She is currently giving shelter to 100 rabbits at her Staple Hill Road sanctuary. If you would like to give a rabbit a home, telephone Mairwen on …..
23rd FEBRUARY 1996
“Radstock’s resident Rabbit rescues rabbit!” A group of pet bunnies has been spared an ill-fated end thanks to a kind-hearted man called Mr. Rabbit. He discovered the nine rabbits alongside two guinea pigs in a hutch after his elderly neighbour who owned them died. The man, from Radstock, enlisted the help of some neighbours, and transported the animals to CottonTails Sanctuary in Fishponds. Sanctuary owner Mairwen said she was amazed when the good Samaritan told her his surname, and praised his actions. Now she hopes to find all the bunnies, which are various colours, new homes and is appealing to the public for help.
18th June 1996
2nd AUGUST 1996
Meet baby hedgehog Spike, who is being cared for a a Bristol animal sanctuary. He was one of six baby hedgehogs discovered among a pile of old socks ina city garage. The tiny bundles of prickles are only two inches long. They were discovered among a make-shift nest of socks by a man cleaning out his garage. He accidently disturbed the mother who left her babies to fend for themselves. They were taken to CottonTails rabbit sanctuary in Fishponds. The brood is now being kept in an incubator and reared on kitten milk. Sanctuary owner Mairwen is using a syringe with a small rubber tube to feed them. She said: “Really we look after rabbits but this man turned to us for help. When a hedgehog is disturbed it will often leave the babies. They were new-born when brought to us and haven’t opened their eyes yet.” Mairwen said it was unusual for the sanctuary to take care of nedgehogs. She said: “We are a rabbit sanctuary. We are so inundated with them that it would be impossible to start taking in every kind of animal. She said at the moment there were 80 rabbits being cared for at the sanctuary in Staple Hill Road with more expected to come in over the next few weeks. Anyone who wants to adopt a rabbit should ring the sanctuary on … Mairwen hopes the hedgehogs will become fat enough to hibernate throughout the winter. If they do not put on enough weight they will be looked after indoors and reintroduced into the wild next spring.
7th AUGUST 1996
An animal sanctuary in Bristol is playing host to new guests – a group of 23 weak and weary rabbits. The animals are being nursed back to health by staff at CottonTails Sanctuary in Fishponds. They were picked up after being dumped in a forest in the Welsh Brecon Beacons. The RSPCA said they did not have room to look after the rabbits. Now staff at the Staple Hill Road sanctuary are looking for people to come forward and offer loving homes for the rabbits. Owner Mairwen said: “The rabbits were dumped in a forest and they would have all died as they are not accustomed to living in the wild. They were in such a state that many died before they reached our sanctuary. The rabbits that are left are all fighting back to health and will lead normal lives. All we need now are people to come forward and offer them some tender loving care.” To purchase a rabbit, call CottonTails Sanctuary on …
26th SEPTEMBER 1996
This odd couple are among the latest arrivals at a Bristol rabbit sanctuary. The grey squirrel Squiggle and the cuddly white lop-eared rabbit Snowy have become firm friends since they ended up at CottonTails sanctuary in Fishponds. Sanctuary owner Mairwen is also looking after another young squirrel and seven of the baby bunny’s brothers and sisters. She said: “They don’t live in the same cage, but Snowy and Squiggle are quite happy to sit together.” Four week-old Squiggle is doing just fine after being found at the bottom of a tree in a Bristol park recently. And five-week-old Squigglette was brought in after she was spotting dodging traffic on a busy road. The pair have been fed milk through a syringe and will soon be enjoying a more traditional diet of nuts and conkers. The rabbits were born at the sanctuary, just after their parents were found dumped in a cardboard box on Durdham Down. Mairwen said: “The two squirrels will stay with us through the winter and then they’ll transfer to another sanctuary in Chippenham. The rabbits are all doing very well and we will start looking for homes for them a bit sooner. Dumping them like that was an incredibly heartless thing to do, because the litter would have had no chance of surviving. If you would like to offer a home to any of the animals at CottonTails sanctuary, contact … 
12th NOVEMBER 1996
DECEMBER 1996
Although the plight of unwanted dogs and cats looking for new homes received increasing publicity, a distressingly high number of rabbits are also in the care of dedicated people who rescue and take in unwanted rabbits. National Rabbit Aid (NRA) set up and run by Mairwen of CottonTails sanctuary fame, is carrying out a national survey of the number of rabbits taken in by shelters and so on, to show just how serious the problem is. NRA’s aims are:
- To promote good rabbit keeping
- Provide health and care sheets for owners
- Discourage indiscriminate rabbit breeding
- Inform and educate the public
- Produce a list of vets specialising in rabbits
- List NRA-registered rescue sanctuaries
- Encourage rescuers to communicate and support one another
Thanks to Bev Weekes for the bunny drawing!
18th DECEMBER 1996
Mairwen and her two sons have only one Christmas wish – to save their threatened animals Single mum Mairwen is looking for a new home for herself, her two children – and around 140 rabbits. Since soft-hearted Mairwen turned her mid-terrace house into a bunny sanctuary, sons Ben and Matthew have got used to having breakfast next to baby rabbits being kept warm in incubators. But the sanctuary – called CottonTails – is now under threat because of complaints from neighbours and planning officials have told Mairwen, who split up from her husband recently, that she must find a new site for her animals by the end of next year. Mairwen says: “They admit the place is well run, but say that a small house isn’t a suitable environment for the sanctuary in the long-term. I agree – but we provide a valuable service and it’s frustrating that this work may have to stop. Since my husband left, money’s been tight. At the moment, we run the place on about £10,000 a year. Cash comes from donations and the sale of rabbits and hutches.” Mairwen also has a few chinchillas and a couple of pet dogs and provides a refuge for a whole host of birds, guinea pigs and hedgehogs. I can’t afford to move”, she says. “So unless we get help, we’ll close and the animals will have nowhere to go.” Mairwen adds: “Rabbits sometimes suffer from PMT and can be moody, so they often don’t make suitable pets for young children. But I still think there’s something rather special about them.” The rabbits are kept in 6ft hutches in the garden – with all the males and females strictly segregated. But the hand-reared baby animals are often brought into the house to keep them warm. Mairwen adds: “We rescue about 900 rabbits a year, and I also give advice to people who keep rabbits of their own.”
1997
17th January 1997
Homeless rabbits Charles and Camilla are desperate to find loving families. Unlike their namesakes, they do not have a cosy palace to go to – they are being looked after at CottonTails Sanctuary in Fishponds. “We’ve got about 120 here at the moment. The situation is absolutely desperate,” said Mairwen who runs the sanctuary. Anyone who can help is welcome to pop in or call …
Sanctuary owner Mairwen hopes some animals lovers will be willing to treat Charles and Camilla like royalty
FEBRUARY 1997
A Bristol animal sanctuary has launched a desperate appeal to buy a new home. CottonTails Sanctuary has to move out of its present site by the end of the year. Mairwen founded the sanctuary for rabbits at her terraced home in Fishponds four years ago. But planners have told her the sanctuary cannot stay there and have given her a December deadline to find somewhere else. Mother of two Mairwen has applied for charitable status for the sanctuary and is preparing a bid for National Lottery money. She also plans to make a public appeal for more than £100,000 to buy new premises. Mairwen of Staple Hill Road said: “My home is not suitable for a long-term sanctuary. A former cattery or kennels would be ideal. If I could find a place for sale, it would give us a goal to work towards. I would like to find somewhere in the Bristol area – that is where we are needed.” CottonTails takes in about 900 rabbits a year and finds new homes for them. Mairwen and her 20 volunteer helpers are currently looking after 110 rabbits with another 40 waiting to be taken in. They have to raise £10,000 a year to cover running costs, which include rabbit food, veterinary and heating bills. If you can help, telephone Mairwen on …
APRIL 1997
“Cops save life of stolen bunny” Two police officers have saved the life of a baby bunny. They tracked it down, after it was stolen, with two others from a Bristol animal sanctuary. PC’s Stuart Burbridge and David Eastman took the four-week-old rabbit back to CottonTails sanctuary in Staple Hill Road in Fishponds. Mairwen, who runs the sanctuary, said the tiny Dutch rabbit would probably have died if it had not been rescued. The constables went to a home in Fishponds on a tip-off. One bunny was dead and the other lost. Mairwen said: “We were delighted to have the baby back. If it’s a boy, we’ll call it Stuart after the policeman who carried it in his hands.” PC Burbridge, aged 25, said: “The rabbit was cute. It didn’t bite or scratch me. It was very calm.”
17th APRIL 1997
The CottonTails Rabbit Sanctuary in Fishponds takes in approximately 900 unwanted rabbits each year. This year they had an unexpected Easter Bunny surprise – Armitages visited the sanctuary on March 18th to present them with £1,500 worth of their new care range Peter Rabbit. The gift included food, rabbit treats, water bowls and feeding bottles, and was presented to Mairwen by Armitages Product Manager Richard Mulford. Mairwen told Fur & Feather Magazine: “We were very grateful to Armitages for this donation. We really appreciate the gesture and can assure everyone concerned that the rabbit food and the bowls and water bottles will be very well used.”
29th MAY 1997
Rabbits everywhere. Last year CottonTails Sanctuary (part of National Rabbit Aid) took over 900 unwanted rabbits – the highest number of rabbits taken in by any rescue centre in the UK. Now CottonTails needs urgent help to secure new premises so its work can continue. In conjunction with National Rabbit Aid (NRA), CottonTails are launching the first annual “Carrot Awards” which will be presented by Trude Mostue (of the BBC Vets School/Vets In Practice programme) on Wednesday 25th June 1997 at 10.30am at Bristol Zoo Gardens. Founder of CottonTails/NRA, Mairwen says: “If we can help people develop a more realistic view of what owning a pet rabbit is all about we will be well on the way to making rabbit rescues redundant.” Carrot Trophies will be presented to the winners and runners up who describe in 100 words or less their rabbit using one of the following categories:
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22nd August 1997
31st October 1997
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1998
18th February 1998
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1999
23rd January 1999
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2000
7th JANUARY 2000
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3rd FEBRUARY 2000
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2001
2nd APRIL 2001
2nd APRIL 2001
11th July 2001
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2003
27th November 2003
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2004
9th April 2004
13th May 2004
Above: Mairwen Guard with some of the rabbits needing homes. More rabbits than ever before are finding themselves at CottonTails Sanctuary in Westbury as owners lose interest in their once prized pets after Easter. The rescue centre takes, on average, over 600 unwanted rabbits and guinea pigs every year but has recently seen a sharp increase in the number of rabbits and is full to capacity.Mairwen Guard, who runs the sanctuary explained: “We have had an unprecedented number of rabbits this year and currently have 70 on the waiting list to come into the rescue centre. The situation appears to be the same throughout the Southwest. I think rabbits are becoming more popular perhaps because of TV coverage and as more are bought, then more are abandoned. “People buy rabbits for their children at Easter and the novelty wears off when they realise how much work is involved. It is a very busy time for us. I never condemn anyone for bringing their rabbits or guinea pigs to us. At least they have made the effort to do their best for the animal rather than just dumping them”.
Mairwen says obtaining a rabbit from the sanctuary rather than a pet shop provides excellent value for money. “We ask for a minimum donation of £25 for adoption and all rabbits are neutered and vaccinated prior to being re-homed” she said. “Rabbits are not ideal pets for young children and they should only be bought if the parents have an interest as well. It is important never to buy a rabbit on impulse or as a gift for someone else.” “We always need good permanent homes for our rabbits and guinea pigs. Potential new rabbit owners need a hutch which is at least 5’ long with a run permanently attached. Two guinea pigs can be accommodated in a smaller hutch, and they enjoy using a run in the spring and summer but it need not be attached.” The rescue centre is a registered charity which is almost entirely self funded and constantly struggles to keep afloat. “We have been running for 11 years but this could be our last, because we have less than £1000 in the bank. The centre costs £14,000 to £16,000 a year to run. If we don’t attract funding, that will be it. We desperately need a major boost.” CottonTails Sanctuary takes in rabbits and guinea pigs of all ages and breeds and also specialises in finding companions for lonely rabbits offering a match-up service. Mairwen has over 30 years experience and is always happy to give advice on health and behavioural issues. She also runs an informal health clinic for rabbits and guinea pig owners, where teeth and claw clipping and grooming and de-matting is available. Contact Mairwen Guard on 01373 864222 if you can offer a good home to a rabbit.
10th September, 2004
13th September 2004
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2005
8th December 2005
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2006
5th January 2006
6th January 2006
9th January 2006
19th January 2006
20th January 2006
26th January 2006
2nd February 2006
10th March 2006
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2007
26th April 2007
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2008
3rd July 2008
6th November 2008
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2009
2nd April 2009
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2010
April 2010
December 2010
16th December 2010
December 2010
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2011
9th June 2011
March 2011
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2012
29th March 2012
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2013
Unknown date in 2013, we make our appearance in Google Maps! You can see “CottonTails Rescue” right in the middle. 
14th March 2013
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2014
October 2014
The Buddy, local magazine. CottonTails was featured in an article about pets, and we were given a useful plug regarding where we are and what we do. 
1st October 2014
BBC Radio Wiltshire, live interview about a recent report regarding the reasons why rabbits should live in pairs – fun! Live interview for around 10 minutes at 9.15pm.
16th October 2014
Live interview in the studio in the lunch time show – Graham Seaman, BBC Radio Wiltshire, 17 minutes interview, starring Trevor the rabbit! General chat with Mairwen Guard MBE about CottonTails. 
2016
March 2016
Story about CottonTails in The Buddy magazine.
Spring 2016
Article appeared in Rabbiting On Magazine
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2017
Nominee for Petplan Animal Charity Awards 2017
2018
February 2018
Major story in local Lifestyle magazine West Country Life with full page photo on front cover! Magazine included in Western Daily Press edition 24th/25th February
July 2018
Radio Wiltshire interview, discussing CottonTails and rabbit welfare.
2019 to date
Various press and radio interviews to discuss issues related to rabbits, and discussion regarding the decline of the Brown Hare.