Buffy was found shivering in a field. Pete was beaten to a pulp. Janette was dumped on Baildon Moor. And Harley was found in a box on the doorstep.

They’re all rabbits at the Bunny Camp Sanctuary in Heaton, where they’re lovingly cared for by Sonya McDonough and her volunteers.

Sonya set up the sanctuary in 1997 with husband Jim, and now cares for 40 rabbits that have been mistreated, neglected or dumped. The sanctuary is sprawled out across the family’s garden, converted into a series of rabbit houses and spacious runs.

Bunny Camp relies on fundraising and needs £660 a month to keep going. “We’re down £800 this year. We need funds for vets’ fees, insurance, food, hay, bedding and maintenance,” says Sonya, who holds annual fundraising events. “There’s been a rise in unwanted rabbits due to the recession; when people tighten their belts, pets are the first to go. I get calls from people being evicted who can’t take pets with them, it’s heartbreaking for those who adore their rabbits. We had five brought here in one week.

“We’re not supported like dog and cat charities. At a supermarket bag-packing recently, people said things like, ‘I’d just put rabbits in a pot’.”

Many rabbits Sonya takes in have been abandoned. “Rabbits are dumped more readily because people assume they can survive in the wild, but they’re not bred to live underground.”

Inside a shed housing several large hutches, I meet Buffy, a beautiful black and white bunny – and her nine babies. “She was spotted in fields in Cullingworth,” says Sonya. “She’d mated with a wild rabbit. She’s still underweight and shabby, but she’s recovering. She’s an English Bunny – they have lovely black markings and are fun-loving and intelligent. I had one for several years as a house bunny. Rabbits can be house-trained and live loose around the house. A big percentage of those I re-home go as house bunnies.”

Some rabbits are available for re-rehoming and others are permanent residents on sponsorship schemes. “Sponsorship is ideal for people who like rabbits but can’t keep one. They can come and visit it,” says Sonya. “Some rabbits can’t be re-homed because of health problems.”

Outside, in the permanent residents’ area, I meet Bonny and Blossom, two nine-year-old white rabbits Sonya calls ‘the old girls’. There’s Saskia, rescued by the RSPCA from a place where 90 bunnies were kept in appalling conditions. Janette, found crawling with mites and unable to hop properly because of infections, and Starsky, a lovely black rabbit suffering from cuniculi, a condition affecting the nervous system.

When Sonya is alerted to an abandoned rabbit, she uses run panels to corner them. One of the worst neglect cases was a rabbit whose ears had been glued to its back. “Kids did it for a laugh, the poor thing died after ingesting the glue,” says Sonya. “Another had been kept with chickens which had attacked her – 75 per cent of her body was decaying. She survived and lived here for several years.

“Rabbits tend to be cooped up in hutches or attacked by other animals. Male rabbits, kept together, fight. We’ve had several with broken limbs and other terrible injuries.”

There’s a misconception that rabbits are low-maintenance pets. “They’re in the top three of the UK’s most popular pets, but people don’t always realise the commitment they’re taking on,” says Sonya. “They can live as long as a dog or cat. They need hours of daily exercise and should be cleaned out every day.

“They’re sociable animals; they shouldn’t be left alone. I do home checks and if someone already has a bunny, I try to bond one of ours with it. It takes between three and seven days here at the sanctuary. We’ve had a big success rate. It’s best to keep a male and female together – as long as they’re neutered! That’s the first thing we do.”

Rabbits are prolific breeders, andcan breed every four weeks. “Buying a wrongly-sexed rabbit is common. You can end up with a litter on your hands. I’m often called to remove babies,” says Sonya.

The sanctuary needs more volunteers. “People spare whatever time they have; it all helps,” says Sonya. “It’s physically demanding and not for those who don’t like getting their hands dirty, but it’s rewarding. Not only will you be helping to keep our bunnies happy and healthy, you’ll get to know them and their personalities and help with grooming, socialising and exercising. The rabbits relish play time; it’s a wonderful sight. Some play football and hide-and-seek!

“People think rabbits are silent creatures that do nothing, but they have a range of expressions and methods of communicating.”

Hopping around our feet are two magnificent giant rabbits, Giovanni and Lucinda. They’re kept at the sanctuary and have the run of the shed and garden. “I take them out to schools for educational programmes,” says Sonya. “I visited some awful rabbit farms when I was looking for big rabbits. Some were kept in hutches so small they couldn’t lie down. A hutch should be big enough for a rabbit to stand on its back legs.”

Giovanni hops over to a bed of hay and a pretty long-haired rabbit called Michaela snuggles up to him. “They groom each other and follow each other around,” says Sonya. Her pet dogs, Sophie and Martha, mooch about, unfazed by the bunnies. Sonya shows me how to hand food to the rabbits. Giovanni nibbles away and lets me stroke him, but unlike some smaller rabbits, he and Lucinda don’t like to be picked up.

“Some will take food from your hand, and others bite, so be careful,” says Sonya. “Rabbits should be fed on pellet feed, dried grass and hay. Carrots are full of sugar and lettuce upsets their digestion, but spring greens, broccoli and occasional bits of celery are OK.”

Cuddling a white and brown rabbit with fur as soft as snow, it occurs to me how contented these animals seem. I’m full of admiration for Sonya; she’s clearly devoted to the rabbits and works tirelessly caring for them.

“I love seeing them go to new homes,” she says. “Some owners keep in touch and send photos. It’s great knowing we’ve made a difference.”

l For more information about Bunny Camp Sanctuary, ring (01274) 821665, e-mail bunnycampsan@blueyonder.co.uk, or visit the website bunnycampsanctuary.