Supreme's Small Furry Friends is a Big Attraction at the Pets Pets Pets Show

The Supreme Small Furry Friends marquee proved a runaway success at the first of this year's Pets Pets Pets Shows at Harewood House, Leeds on 1st-3rd May. Supreme, the UK's leading manufacturer of premium Small Animal food, bedding and accessories, was the organiser's first choice to sponsor an exhibition to promote the well-being of Small Animals. The result, Supreme's Small Furry Friends, attracted long queues and was inundated with animal lovers of all ages throughout the busy three-day event.

The attraction has been designed to educate visitors on all aspects of responsible pet ownership, not just nutrition, but also the many other factors that influence a pet's well-being. One of the main focuses of the display is a "garden rabbit" enclosure, designed by Supreme (featuring hutches donated by The Hutch Company) to incorporate simple but effective methods of environmental enrichment and stimulation.

Supreme's PR Manager Lindsay Meader explains, "Houserabbits have undergone a meteoric rise in the last few years, amid much publicity, and this has done much to raise the profile of the 1.5 million pet rabbits in the UK today. However, there's nothing wrong with keeping a rabbit in the garden - as long it's hutch is a decent size and is a home and not a prison. What we're trying to do at Pets Pets Pets, is to fire the imagination; to inspire people to go home and take a fresh look at their own rabbit's house and lifestyle. Through our "garden rabbit" enclosure, we're giving bunny owners some simple, low-cost ideas for ways in which they can dramatically improve their rabbits' environment. The same goes for other Small Animals too. By encouraging people to consider the animals' needs in the wild, we're hoping to give them a greater appreciation of their own pets' needs."

As part of the educational process, Supreme is running a children's petcare quiz at each Pets Pets Pets Show, with the winner from each venue winning a Furby - a small furry friend of their own.

Supreme's Small Furry Friends is hosting a different rabbit rescue at each of the five shows. The rabbits lodging in the "garden rabbit" enclosure are all in need of a new home. Visitors are given the chance to take away an application form, and, if after careful consideration they are still keen, to apply to rehome a rabbit in need. All applicants from Pets Pets Pets Shows are required to go through the rescue centres' own checks and procedures. Lindsay explains, "Taking on a new pet is a very big commitment, so we don't want people rushing into things on the spur of the moment. We also have a responsibility to the rescues, not to waste their time sorting through a long list of unsuitable applicants. So far, the system has worked extremely well. Our Harewood House rescue was Bunny Burrows, run by Gwen Butler (winner of Pet Rescue's Award of the Year). Bunny Burrows have already rehomed 8 rabbits within 10 days of the show and have received over 50 enquiries."

Channel 4's Pet Rescue Roadshow filmed several items in the Supreme's Small Furry Friends marquee at Harewood House, featuring both Wendy Turner Webster and vet Anna Meredith, and the film crew look set to be regular visitors for the next four shows, where resident furries will include rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and gerbils.