No matter the region, the need is great. Rabbits everywhere need your help! Here are some ways you can help rabbits in your local community as well as get involved in volunteer work with House Rabbit Society.

Volunteer at Your Local Shelter

One of the most direct ways is to volunteer with your local shelter! City and county shelters are often overwhelmed with the number of animals in their care, and many don’t have staff or volunteers knowledgeable about rabbits

The needs vary between shelters, but you will likely be able to help with tasks that will keep the rabbits happy, healthy, and more adoptable:

  • Socialize the rabbits, by hanging out and teaching them trust. (Holding them is not the goal.)
  • Clean the rabbits’ enclosures.
  • Groom them, including brushings and nail trims.
  • Bag hay.
  • Wash greens.
  • Feed the rabbits.
  • Help with laundry. (There’s always a lot of blankets to wash!)
  • Sanitize litterboxes and other items.
  • Offer to provide enrichment, such as toys and hidey boxes.
  • Become an adoption counselor.
  • Be a foster parent! (More on that below.)

Shelter volunteering usually requires making a regular scheduled time commitment. This is because the shelter needs to be able to depend on their volunteers fulfilling specific roles.

Online volunteer options may also be available, such as responding to adoption inquiries and rabbit-related questions.

Let the shelter know if you have specialized skills such as photography, marketing, or social media that you are willing to share. They may need your assistance in these areas:

  • Take photos of the shelter’s rabbits for their website, marketing, and social media: Tips on Humane Photography
  • Take videos of the rabbits being their real selves.
  • Write content for shelter marketing, social media, or educational materials.
  • Provide narrations for videos.
  • Write profiles for the adoptable rabbits: What is each rabbit’s individual personality?

A perceptive cage/enclosure card:

  • Educates staff and the pubic about that specific rabbit
  • Helps shelter staff better know how to approach each rabbit
  • Helps find that rabbit the right home with the right person or family
  • Help with outreach events.
  • Counsel potential adopters on special adoption days.
  • Make toys for the rabbits.
  • If you have access to a car or other vehicle, you may be needed on occasion to transport rabbits to/from the shelter to foster homes and other appointments.
  • Purchase and donate fresh greens for the rabbits–since shelters often don’t have the budget to buy greens. (Check to find out what the shelter needs first!)
  • Spread awareness by reposting adoptable rabbits on your personal social media.
  • Hand out shelter materials at high-profile places in your community, such as coffee shops, community centers and churches, grocery stores, etc.
  • Purchase supplies for the rabbits from the shelter’s Amazon or Chewy Wish Lists.
  • Share links on forums to HRS articles on proper rabbit care, health needs, and behavior.
  • Sign up to be available to help out in emergency situations such as when there is a large confiscation.

If you have the time, space, and bandwidth, consider fostering a rabbit for your local shelter, rescue group, or HRS chapter! Fostering provides:

  • A shelter or rescue the capacity to rescue additional rabbits that they may not have space for onsite.
  • Rescued rabbits time away from the stress of a shelter, which is a public space and can be quite stressful. (Fostering a shelter rabbit is kinda like going to camp for a few weeks).
  • A rabbit time to regain their health or come out of their shell (especially after a traumatic past).
  • A way for you to live with a rabbit for short times, during those periods when you are traveling frequently or not able to settle down with a forever friend.
  • A great way to find out whether a rabbit is a good fit for you, your family, and your lifestyle before you make a lifetime, 10-year commitment to adopt.

Many shelters and rescues will provide you with the supplies you need to get started, such as an x-pen, litterbox, litter, pellets, hay, pellets, and water bowl.

** Please note that not every shelter offers fostering as an option. As a shelter volunteer, you may be able to gain enough trust that they would let you foster, and perhaps a foster program will follow.

HRS Chapters

Many of these same volunteer opportunities are available with HRS local chapters.

HRS Educator Program

Want to become well-versed in up-to-date rabbit knowledge and share HRS’ philosophy that all rabbits are wonderful? Bringing experience with their own house rabbits as well as knowledge gained by working with rabbits who are not their own, such as rescued rabbits, HRS Educators are trained in up-to-date rabbit care information and rabbit-rescue issues.

  • Who should apply?

    If you want to use your experience and knowledge to educate the public about house rabbits and rabbits in need, and you…

    • Have experience working with multiple rabbits who are not your own (such as volunteering at a shelter or rescue).
    • Have fostered rabbits in your home.
    • Have an intermediate knowledge about house rabbits.
    • Seek out additional information to learn even more about these special companions.
    • Agree with and want to share the HRS philosophy.
    • Want to use your knowledge to educate others and help rabbits.
  • Timing

    HRS will begin accepting new applications for the Educator Program in 2024. Please contact HRS by email if you are interested in more information. Please put “Education Program Application” in the subject line.

Fundraise!

In Lieu of Gifts…

Instead of shopping for a gift for you, encourage your friends and family to help the rabbits by making a tax-deductible donation in your name to House Rabbit Society or one of its chapters. To request a description of HRS to include with your holiday greeting card, contact us by putting “Greeting Card Text” in the subject line.

Throw a party!

Host a party to raise awareness and celebrate your rabbit roommates! Ask your friends to donate funds to HRS and bring toys for the local shelter rabbits instead of gifts.

Got a grand house? Offer its use as a location for a fundraiser.

Host a Facebook Fundraiser

Whether you want to celebrate a birthday or other important milestone, you can create a Facebook fundraiser to raise money for HRS or an HRS chapter. Share your fundraiser with friends and family, get donations, and reach your goal to help the rabbits!

Start your HRS Facebook Fundraiser

Sell on "Sell for Good" on Nextdoor

Sell items through Nextdoor’s Sell for Good program and help the rabbits! All you have to do is select HRS or an HRS chapter as the organization to benefit from the proceeds. When your items sell, the proceeds support us.

Get Started

How can kids help?

  • Dedicate their birthday party to the rabbits, by hosting a toy drive or crafting safe toys for shelter rabbits.
  • Lead a fleece blanket drive for the needy rabbits. (50x60-inches works well)
  • Host a bake sale or sell lemonade for the rabbits.
  • Draw pictures of shelter rabbits for their adoption profiles to help the bunnies find their forever homes.

Other Ways

Be on the lookout for other ways you can help rabbits on a state and national level—such as signing and sharing petitions and legislative bills about fur sale bans, cosmetic testing, and ceasing rabbit sales in pet stores. Sign up for the monthly HRS e-newsletter to stay current on the latest news in rabbit advocacy and how you can help.

The rabbits thank you!

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