I'm sorry it didn't work out.
Finding a New Home for Your Rabbit
Thank you for caring enough to contact the House Rabbit Resource Network and making the effort to secure your rabbit's future. Due to the overwhelming number of unwanted rabbits surrendered to local shelters, we are committed to rescuing and fostering those rabbits who risk being euthanized. Consequently, our foster homes are caring for 150 to 200 rabbits at any given time.
Although HRRN is unable to take your rabbit directly into foster care, we hope to make you aware of what your options are with regards to finding a loving and caring home for your rabbit.
Option 1: Keep your rabbit
HRRN is committed to providing the necessary information to rabbit owners so that they can provide the very best care for their rabbit. There are many reasons why individuals are not able to keep their rabbit. If you feel your rabbit's behavior is the problem, please let us know. Often, with a little information or advice from experienced rabbit owners, the problem(s) can be alleviated or overcome altogether. Many behavioral problems are corrected with spaying or neutering. Additionally, we can provide you with a wide range of materials depending on what your specific question or problem may be.
Option 2: Be your own foster
Continue to care for your rabbit until you find the right home via advertising (see information below).
Option 3: Surrender your rabbit to a shelter
While many people have differing opinions on this option, it remains a viable one for many others. The Town Lake Animal Shelter in Austin (1156 W. Cesar Chavez, 972-4738) and the Williamson County Humane Society (3737 CR 272, 260-3602) are shelters which accept rabbits. Please keep in mind that while HRRN does its very best to rescue all rabbits from the Town Lake Animal Center and has an excellent "track record" (more than 450 rabbits rescued to date), every animal surrendered to a shelter does risk being euthanized. It is not our intent to mislead or misinform you on the realities of pet overpopulation. Simply stated, there are many more wonderful rabbits than there are loving, caring, permanent homes.
If you feel this is an option for your rabbit and you utilize the Town Lake Animal Center, please be sure to complete the Rabbit Personality Profile at the time of surrender. Any and all information you can provide gives your rabbit a better chance of either being adopted or rescued. Please let us know if you plan to take your rabbit to this facility so that we may be looking for him/her. Please do not release your rabbit to the wild to suffer injury, starvation, or death. Domestic rabbits do not have the same insincts as wild rabbits. We receive calls all the time from individuals who have found, stray, injured, or malnourished rabbits.
Preparing the rabbit for his/her new home
The following is information which we feel is necessary to find your rabbit a good home and which also closely follows our organization's policies regarding adoptions. There are two major steps to finding homes for rabbits. The first is to prepare your rabbit for adoption. The second is to advertise and screen callers for suitability.
If you have not already made them, these are the preparations:
- Spaying/Neutering for health and behavior reasons
It improves the chance of being adopted as an indoor companion (so that your rabbit will enjoy a life that is safe and social). Unneutered rabbits tend to "mark territory" and are prone to cancer. It also insures that no more unwanted rabbits will be produced. These veterinarians routinely spay/neuter rabbits for our organization and are very experienced: Dr. Riggan at White Rock Veterinary Hospital, 2700 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville, 670-5400, and Dr. Lusk at Westgate Pet and Bird Hospital, 4601 S. Lamar, 892-4463. Please read the handout on Surgery Considerations for your rabbit.
- Litterbox training
Box training can be achieved by placing a litterbox in the corner of the cage where the rabbit uses the bathroom. Once (s)he is using the box, try giving your rabbit the run of one bunny-proofed room with one or more litterboxes (usually placed in corners). Usually in a matter of days, a neutered rabbit can be advertised as house trained.
- Socializing
Spend some social time with your rabbit, petting, sitting on the floor. Roll wire cat balls or cardboard tubes for him/her to play with. Being used to people will make your rabbit more appealing.
- Know your rabbit
Understand your rabbit's health status and personality so that you can tell an interested person what to expect.
Advertising and Screening Callers
Place ads in local newspapers such as the Austin American-Statesman (445-4000) at $9.99/week in category 7020 Birds and Misc. Pets; the Austin Chronicle (454-5767) has free ads in category 625 Pets if faxed to 458-6910 on Fridays; the Greensheet (454-0606) has free ads placed on Tuesdays. Flyers can be placed on veterinary, pet supply, supermarket or restaurant bulletin boards.
- State your rabbit's strong points: spayed/neutered, house trained, friendly, etc.
- Requesting a $15-25 fee in the ad excludes callers wanting a free rabbit for the wrong reasons (examples: snake food, research, backyard breeding). People willing to commit to giving a rabbit a home will readily pay a fee. Consider offering your rabbit and his/her cage as a "package deal."
- To screen people who answer your ad, ask the caller questions about their previous pets (what happened to them), current pets, why (s)he has decided to get a rabbit ("for my little 4 year old" - rabbits rarely do well in households with children under 10 years old; "I want a low maintenance pet" - rabbits are not low maintenance if cared for properly), and the type of living arrangement the caller would provide. Explain that you are asking questions because you want the person and the rabbit to be happy. Many people who call will have given little thought to what it is like to live with a house rabbit or have one as a pet.
- Define bunny-proofing if you want your rabbit to go to a good indoor home (or if the rabbit will be kept outside, but will be brought in for socializing). Whether housed inside or outside, the rabbit should have a cage but be allowed some supervised freedom daily.
- Say no if you feel the home is not suitable - make an excuse. Politely tell the caller that your rabbit doesn't do well with children (if your children became uninterested in the rabbit, tell the caller why), isn't used to being outside, is scared of dogs, etc.
It is possible to find a good home for your rabbit, but it takes time, commitment, and some expense. Should you find a home for your rabbit, please pass on the above-mentioned care and information to the rabbit's new owner so that (s)he will have some basic information and know that HRRN is a source of ongoing help/information. Also, we would appreciate your referring any additional callers to us. There are many more wonderful rabbits seeking homes. We hope you find this information useful. Good luck placing your rabbit.