2024 Impact Report
Your support makes a difference in the lives of so many rabbits and the people who love them. Thanks to your generosity, we accomplished so much in 2024, and with your help, we can do even more to help rabbits in 2025!
We hit so many incredible benchmarks last year, and one that we’re most proud of is that we spayed/neutered 398 rabbits at our rescue facility in Richmond, California, which helped prevent more unwanted rabbits from ending up at overcrowded shelters. Our medical team is truly incredible!
In May, we also set a record for the number of surgeries done on site at our surgery suite—36 rabbits were spayed in a single day! Spays are far more invasive and time intensive than neuters, making this achievement even more remarkable. Marin Humane, one of our shelter partners, took on a challenging case where a household with a few unfixed rabbits quickly ballooned into 110 rabbits. Throughout the month, we had two visiting veterinarians and four visiting RVTs to assist with surgery prep, recovery, and the procedures themselves. All 110 rabbits were successfully spayed and neutered at our facility.
We also vaccinated 900 rabbits through our monthly low-cost vaccination clinics. By making the vaccine accessible and to safeguard Bay Area rabbits against this deadly virus, this greatly increases the number of rabbits protected and helps prevent unnecessary illness and tragic loss of life.
In 2024, we hosted 12 veterinary training participants at our facility as part of our veterinary training initiative. Our dedicated medical team is working to ensure veterinary professionals across the U.S. can receive first-hand experience working with rabbits. Our goal is for these professionals to return to their communities with enhanced skills and knowledge, leading to an increase in quality rabbit-specific medical care nationwide—a critical need in the rabbit community. As the only rabbit rescue in the country with a staff veterinarian and on-site surgery suite, we feel it is our responsibility to help make a world in which people have access to quality rabbit vet care. Pre-vet and vet students gained valuable experience in post-surgery recovery, taking rabbit temperatures, and monitoring techniques. Two students came as far as Scotland, from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh! Veterinary technicians trained under Grace Santos, our staff registered veterinary technician (RVT), learning protocols for anesthesia and intubation, which many are intimidated by. Veterinarians—both those familiar and unfamiliar with rabbit care—learned surgical techniques under the guidance of our staff veterinarian, Dr. Christine Austin.
Our monthly rabbit essentials pantry continues to be a vital resource to the Bay Area community. In 2024, the pantry was utilized by 137 households which kept 572 rabbits in homes. This allows families facing economic hardship to continue to care for the rabbits they love and prevent these rabbits from the threat of rehoming, abandonment, or ending up at overcrowded shelters.
Through our corporate, youth, and shelter outreach programs, we reached over 3,200 people through outreach events in 2024. These programs raised awareness about adoption and provided educational materials to people who may not otherwise have had access to them. Our new youth outreach program inspired children to learn to love and appreciate rabbits and, hopefully, become future adopters!
We held 167 free Zoom classes in 2024, including the new pet loss support group and the new rabbit behavior class, with people from around the globe in attendance. We’re committed to making learning about rabbit care accessible.
Through our new shelter assistance program, we assisted 41 animal shelters in 2024, providing valuable educational resources to shelters so they can help rabbit owners resolve common issues, preventing surrenders, and enhancing the well-being of rabbits in their care. Already we have shared 28,000 copies of our educational flyers in both English and Spanish. We hope to offer additional materials in Spanish as well as in Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Mandarin soon.
Every gift to House Rabbit Society—no matter the amount—helps us create a brighter future for rabbits in need.Your support isn't just a financial contribution; it's a powerful statement of compassion and commitment that makes a profound difference in what we do. To donate, visit houserabbit.org/donate. Together, we can continue rescuing, educating, and advocating for these wonderful animals. We look forward to partnering with you in the year ahead!