Mairwen Guard Awarded MBE For Services To Animal Welfare

Mairwen Guard was recently awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours. Mairwen runs CottonTails Rescue (formerly in Bristol) where it has moved to Westbury, Wiltshire. Her MBE was awarded for services to animal welfare. The award recognises the significant contributions she has made throughout her life and the valuable work she has done through CottonTails Rescue. Mairwen was the first person to carry out extensive surveys, the list of rescue centres and the number of rabbits abandoned. She has also carried out projects on rehoming, matching up pairs to live together, the importance of the social well-being of a rabbit and welfare related issues. Her knowledge and experience stems from the years she worked at Edinburgh Zoo, the Dog and Cat Home, local vets and her academic qualifications into Endocrinology and Behaviour in animals at degree level. Ill health cut short a promising scientific career. In 1993, another vocation opened up when a local vet brought her a very young brain-damaged wild rabbit for hand rearing. It was while making enquiries about finding the wild rabbit a companion that she discovered the plight of unwanted rabbits and CottonTails was born. During the first few years CottonTails took, on average, 900 unwanted rabbits and 200 guinea pigs plus varying numbers of chinchillas and birds. The numbers continued to grow. As a result of this work, Mairwen felt the need to run an informal health clinic for rabbit and guinea pig owners where: a telephone advice line, first aid treatment, general advice, teeth and claw clipping are offered. CottonTails also works closely with other animal welfare organisations including the RSPCA and the Rabbit Welfare Association (RWA) in order to promote rabbit welfare. Currently, Mairwen’s work is involved with the syndrome of Mucoidenteropathy and Dysautonomia which affects a great many rabbits and often has fatal results. No one really knows the causes and little research has been carried out. She hopes that her survey into this condition will show how widespread and serious it is. If you can help Mairwen with information i.e. how many cases your surgery sees annually and any related information, she would be grateful email ([email protected]). On receiving the MBE, Mairwen says, “ I am thrilled, delighted and very honoured to have been awarded the MBE.  I am also very pleased that at last rabbits have got the recognition that other companion animals have enjoyed in the past.”    Mairwen has always been generous with her knowledge, support and advice. Her dedication to rabbit welfare goes beyond the do gooder stage and anyone who has ever met her will know how sincere and passionate she is about the work she does.  If there is one person who deserves an MBE for services to animal welfare, it is Mairwen.

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