Celebrate National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day with HRS
Cronus (left) was transferred to House Rabbit Society from a local shelter last year and is currently available for fostering or adopting!
It’s National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, a perfect time to open your heart and home to a furry friend in need. If you’ve been thinking about adding a rabbit to your family, please start your search at your local rabbit rescue or shelter. There are so many rabbits waiting for a second chance and a loving home.
At House Rabbit Society, our adoption process is foster-to-adopt. That means you’ll get about a week to see how your potential new rabbit fits into your home and lifestyle before making a final decision. Once you submit an application and attend our free Zoom class, Rabbit Care 101, you’ll be able to schedule a pickup (usually Thursday through Sunday) and bring home a rabbit to see if they’re a good match for you and your family.
There are so many advantages of adopting from HRS!
All of our adoptable rabbits have been medically cleared by our staff veterinarian. Upon arriving at HRS after being transferred from a local shelter, every HRS rabbit receives a full health exam from our staff veterinarian and is spayed/neutered (if they aren’t already), vaccinated against RHDV2, microchipped, and given topical and internal anti-parasite medication. Just their baseline medical care alone is valued at over $250!
We’re fully transparent about any known medical conditions and provide adopters with their rabbit’s medical records. If you adopt a rabbit who is currently receiving medical treatment, we’ll send you home with any needed medication.
Adopters of our Golden Ears rabbits get a little extra love: we provide essential supplies like an x-pen, litter box, and carrier, plus ongoing support such as complementary veterinary care for routine matters at HRS from our staff veterinarian, free annual RHDV2 vaccination, free lab work, free medications, and a 15% discount at the HRS Hop Shop.
Simone (left) is a special needs rabbit with a splay leg. She’s currently being spoiled in a foster home.
Our support doesn’t stop at adoption. We’re here for you and your rabbit, long after the adoption papers are signed. We have a wealth of resources available to our adopters and the general public, including:
Grooming services
Free Zoom support for rabbit bonding (contact us for help with behavior issues)
Monthly low-cost vaccination clinic
Monthly rabbit essentials pantry, offering free supplies to Bay Area residents in need
The HRS Hop Shop, stocked with toys and treats
Boarding services, for when you need a safe place for your rabbit to stay
And if you ever have questions, our volunteers and staff are just an email or phone call away. We’re a small team, doing the best we can with the high volume of calls and emails that we receive, but we always try to respond in a timely manner. We’re all about setting you—and your rabbit—up for success.
Once an HRS rabbit, always an HRS rabbit. Life happens. If circumstances change and you’re no longer able to care for your rabbit, we’ll always welcome them back, whether it’s been two months or ten years. Please contact us if you need to return your rabbit.
Once you’ve thoroughly done your research, attended our free Rabbit Care 101 Zoom class, and made the decision to adopt a rabbit, the next step is making sure your home is ready for your new furry friend. Check out houserabbit.org/shopping-list to help you prepare your space for your new rabbit.
Brioche Bun (left) came to House Rabbit Society with a severe eye injury earlier this year. She needed to have emergency surgery to have the eye removed. Now, she’s recovering in a foster home!
Not Ready to Commit? Try Fostering!
If you’re not quite ready to commit to a rabbit for a 10-year (or more!) journey, try fostering first. It’s a great opportunity for someone new to rabbits to decide whether rabbits are really the right pet for them long-term and helps us make space at our facility for more bunnies in need.
Even short-term fosters make a big difference!
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, visit houserabbit.org/foster to learn more about fostering with HRS. We just ask for a two-week commitment, and we’ll provide everything you need to get started.
Live outside the Bay Area? Check with your local shelter or rabbit rescue to find rabbits available for adoption or fostering near you. You can also browse rehoming websites like Home to Home where rabbits in private homes are looking for new families.
Whether you’re ready to adopt, open your home as a foster, or just help spread the word, thank you for supporting shelter pets today and every day.
