Veterinary Training Initiative

We’re making strides with our medical training program, where the next generation of veterinary professionals—pre-veterinary students, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinarians—are trained on best practices in rabbit medical care. 

Provided at our rescue facility in Richmond, California, 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 United States 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 veterinary care.

HRS Staff Veterinarian Christine Austin, DVM conducting hands on TPR training with 3 pre-vet students

Carolynn Harvey, DVM showcasing rabbit tear duct flushing for a practicing veterinary assistant.

Anne Swartzwelder, DVM and Dayana Sharma, DVM working with HRS special needs rabbits.

Participating veterinary professionals who come on site for hands-on learning, gain skills in rabbit handling, medical treatments, best spay and neuter practices, anesthesia protocol, intubation techniques, enucleations, dental procedures, and preoperative and postoperative care. Remote resources, such as best spay, neuter, and recovery videos as well as dosage charts, treatment recommendations are available to participating veterinary professionals who are not able to learn at our facility. 

As we continue to formalize the program, we’re looking forward to welcoming more veterinary professionals at all levels - pre-vet students, veterinary techs/assistants, and practicing veterinarians - to our facility, fostering a growing interest and passion for rabbit care within the profession. Together, we can save and improve more rabbit lives.

  • "I am glad to have started out my rabbit training at HRS, since they provide the gold standard of care and attention to their rabbits. I will be able to use the techniques and lessons that I learned for the rest of my career."

    - Vet student Kashvi P, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Scotland

  • "I’ve always wanted to learn more about rabbit medicine and do more rescue work, which encouraged me to reach out to HRS, and I am so glad I did! Dr. Austin, Grace RVT, and the rest of the HRS staff have been nothing but welcoming. They all make HRS a wonderful learning environment. I’ve been able to witness and assist on a typical surgery day (pre-op, intra-op, and post-op). I’ve been able to shadow Dr. Austin for routine spay/neuter surgeries and dental procedures. With her help and guidance I now feel comfortable performing spay/neuter surgeries in rabbits! My comfort levels are always taken into consideration, again making it a great learning environment, and I am always encouraged to learn/try other surgical techniques and procedures (and I have!)."

    - Dayana Sharma, DVM

Interested in expanding your rabbit experience and skill set in order to better serve rabbit patients at your clinic? Currently in veterinary school and in need of clinic hours? Let us know! Contact us at rabbit-center@houserabbit.org for more information.