find rabbits homes

Question
I recently had a baby and don't have time for my two dwarf rabbits.I need to find them a good home. They are indoor rabbits, both spayed, litterbox trained,and very friendly.Do you know who I should contact? Thanks for your time.

Answer
Dear Carol,

I hope you will find these guidelines for finding a safe home helpful.  I send these to people in southern Florida who are seeking homes for their rabbits, so some specifics may not apply to you.  But there are still useful tips.

To find your local rabbit rescue organization, check www.rabbit.org/chapters
But they will not likely be able to take in your bunnies because of the huge number of abandoned ones we already are housing.

Good luck.
Dana

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Guidelines for Finding a Safe Home for your Rabbit

Before you consider permanently giving up your rabbit, please note that our volunteers are trained to help you work through any problem you might be having with him/her, from allergies to litterbox training to destructive behavior, and even to the guilt you might feel because you feel your bunny is not getting enough attention.  Most rabbit-related problems are not difficult to solve, and we hope you'll take advantage of our great willingness to make life happy for both you and your bunny.

The official guidelines of H.A.R.E., Inc state that we are not allowed to accept unwanted pets except in extremely unusual circumstances, which are determined by the Board on a case-by-case basis.  Unfortunately, we do not have the foster space to take in every rabbit needing a new home, and we are not able to provide an easy solution for this complex and difficult problem.  For every rabbit we would take in from the relative safety of a private home, another would die in a shelter or from being set "free" in a park or neighborhood.  Therefore, we confine our efforts to rescuing abandoned, abused and neglected rabbits only, since they are in the most imminent danger.

As you might suspect, it is very difficult to find a reliable home for an unwanted pet of any kind.  Placing a rabbit in a good home presents special challenges, since many people see rabbits as food, toys or worse.  If you truly cannot find it in your heart to keep your rabbit and work out your difficulties, we can offer the following guidelines to help you find a safe home for your rabbit.  We also have attached a modified version of our own adoption questionnaire that you are welcome to use to help you screen potential adopters and know your bunny is going to a safe home.

I.  Finding a Safe Home
1.  Network with everyone you know.  That includes people to whom you may have never mentioned your companion rabbit before.  Everyone--relatives, friends, co-workers, parents of the children with whom your children go to school--should be considered a potential source of information about a new home for the bunny.

2.  Keep bonded rabbits together, no matter what.  If you have more than one rabbit, and they are bonded as a pair, do not separate them under any circumstances.  To do so would be as cruel as separating a loving human husband and wife, never to see each other again.  Rabbits are very monogamous, and form incredibly strong bonds with their rabbit partners.  We have known rabbits to die of grief when separated from a beloved companion.  The stress of the bereavement simply causes them to shut down and give up.  It is a terrible way to die, and a terrible thing to witness.  Be sure your bonded rabbits remain a pair, even if it means taking a bit longer to find the right home.

3.  Spay/neuter makes a bunny more adoptable.  Before you attempt to find your bunny a new home, have her spayed/him neutered, especially if you have a bonded pair.  This will eliminate the risk of unwanted litters, as well as reduce objectionable behaviors such as biting, poor litterbox habits, spraying and other problems.  This will make your rabbit much more adoptable.  H.A.R.E., Inc. maintains a web site with current listings of veterinarians in southern Florida who are competent with rabbit medicine.  You can find this listing at:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/vets

4.  Attract the right people with the right tone of advertising.  Make a color poster, featuring a picture of your rabbit, his/her personality traits and details about why you must find him/her a new home.  Describe your bunny's positive attributes (beautiful; spayed/neutered; friendly; intelligent, etc.)
  Post this flyer in places which are frequented by the kind of people whom you feel would be responsible new parents for your bunny. Your veterinarian's bulletin board, your church, a local civic organization, your workplace, or school bulletin board are probably safe choices.

5.  Avoid potentially inappropriate adopters.  Posting the flyer in places such as a local supermarket is not a good choice, since the people going there may not be pet-oriented people, and may merely call you to take your rabbit on a whim.  There's no telling what will happen to your bunny in such a situation.
  No classroom rabbits!  It is also a very bad idea to "donate" your rabbit to a school. Your bunny is as intelligent, social and sensitive as a dog or cat.  S/he doesn't belong in a classroom where she will be poked, prodded and chased and then left to sit alone in a dark cage all night and all weekend with no one to monitor her health or needs.  What would happen to her if she became ill when no one was there to notice?  Sadly, many schoolchildren find out the hard way, when they come to school on Monday and find their classroom bunny dead in her cage.
  Some schools allow children to take turns bringing home classroom pets, but this is a very unpleasant situation for a rabbit, since rabbits are territorial and do not thrive in such an unstable situation.  Changing homes every weekend is very stressful for a rabbit.

6.  Do not mention the word "free" anywhere on your flyer.  Although you may not ask for money from the person who eventually adopts your rabbit, a flyer with the word "free" attracts the WRONG kind of people, such as those who would feed your bunny to a snake, use it to train a dog to hunt, race or kill, or even eat it themselves.  Don't assume such a person wouldn't lie about his/her motives to get your rabbit.

7.  Use appropriate internet resources.  Petfinder is a national internet network that helps place unwanted pets.  Their web site at http://www.petfinder.com/ has complete information on how to make your companion rabbit available for adoption.  But be sure to use all the screening tools we have provided for you.
  Internet sites that do not specialize in placing pets are NOT recommended.  It's difficult to adequately screen people by advertising your rabbit on a site such as "Craig's List," and there are too many potential predators out there.

II.  Be Aware of Potential Dangers
1.  Don't let your bunny become someone's meal.  Some people eat rabbits.  H.A.R.E., Inc. receives a few calls yearly from people who will "take the bunnies off our hands because they are good to eat."  Beware, especially, if your bunny is large.
  Many people--especially in subtropical Florida--keep predatory animals as pets.  Some owners of monitor lizards, large snakes or other predatory reptiles have no qualms about feeding live mammalian prey such as rats, rabbits, puppies or kittens to their reptiles, especially if these "prey items" can be gotten for free or for very little money.  If a potential adopter asks "How big is the rabbit?" or "How much do you want for the  rabbit?" a BIG RED FLAG should unfurl in your mind!  These are not the types of questions asked by a person who has good intentions for your bunny.

2.  Beware of unscrupulous dog trainers.  As unbelievable as it sounds, some people who own large dogs may be looking for a living toy to use in training their dog to kill.  Always ask what other animals live with the family and where that animal lives.  Is it an outdoor animal or a pampered, indoor pet? Beware especially of people who have breeds of dogs which have been bred for hunting or chasing, such as greyhounds or shepherds.
  It's always a good idea to go to the potential home and check out the situation before you allow a person you don't know well to take your rabbit.

3.  What about homes with cats and dogs?  Although cats and rabbits can be wonderful companions for each other, beware of a home that has a cat who is a natural hunter, or where there are young, rambunctious kittens who could accidentally inflict serious injury.  (Even a small cat scratch can cause fatal systemic infection in a rabbit.)  Be sure that the prospective new "parent" of your rabbit has a copy of "The House Rabbit Handbook" by Marinell Harriman and is familiar with the House Rabbit Society's web site at www.rabbit.org .  
  Dogs and rabbits can get along, too, with the proper introductions and supervision.  Caution and care in the new home are critical, and you need to be sure a potential adopter has your bunny's best interest in mind!
  There are several chapters in the book and several sites at www.rabbit.org with instructions for establishing a safe, multi-species home.

4.  Special dangers in southern Florida.  Here in southern Florida, there are people who practice the rites of Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion in which live animal sacrifices are part of some rituals.  Particular types of animals are used for specific ritualistic meaning.  Fortunately, rabbits are not a traditional sacrificial animal in Santeria.  However, Rabbit Rescue, Inc has received rescued rabbits who were saved from Santeria rituals.  Don't let your bunny become a victim.

III.  Other Considerations
1. Be cautious about adopting to a family who is getting the bunny "for the children."  
  Very young children are not sufficiently mature to be the primary caretakers of a rabbit. Though the rabbit should be considered a member of the family, and everyone should interact with her, the physical care of the bunny should be the responsibility of an adult member of the household. Very young children can be hurt from the scratches and bites of a frightened rabbit.  Very few rabbits enjoy being held or carried, and they can be seriously injured by a child who does not understand the difference between the live rabbit and a stuffed toy.
  People who have children under the age of eight or nine are probably too busy with their children to supervise interaction with the rabbit, let alone maintain the rabbit.  
  Teenagers, while likely to be more responsible when it comes to rabbit care, have only a few years before they go off to college.  When that happens, the parents must realize that they will be responsible for the care of the rabbit, probably for the rest of his/her life.  Since well cared for rabbits live ten years or more, this is a major commitment.

2.  Turning your rabbit loose into a park or other open area does not make her "free."  It makes her...FOOD.
  A rabbit released to the "wild" (meaning a park, wooded lot, suburban neighborhood or other open area) will usually not survive more than a few days.  Wild rabbits live in warrens--a complex system of burrows where they can hide from predators.  If you turn your bunny loose, no matter how inviting that area may seem to a human, you are condemning her to a terrifying death.  She has no warren and no place to hide from predators.  
  If an abandoned rabbit survives even a few days in a park or neighborhood, she is likely to contract parasites from eating the grass in the area, which may be frequented by wild animals.  Your rabbit may not be able to find sufficient food and water.  Many of our fosters who came in as strays are emaciated, dehydrated and covered with painful mange from parasitic mites.  We are sure you do not want your rabbit to end up like this.     If you truly cannot care for your rabbit, and are thinking that your only option is to turn her loose, then please realize that a less cruel option is to take her to the veterinarian to be humanely euthanized (put to sleep).  This is very sad, but it is kinder than consigning her to a terrifying, strange place where she may be eaten alive by predators or slowly starve to death.

3.  Most animal shelters will not accept rabbits, and those that do accept them will often immediately euthanize the rabbit, rather than putting him/her up for adoption.
  Before you take your rabbit to a local animal shelter, consider that although the  personnel of such facilities may not tell you, rabbits surrendered to shelters are at very high risk of being euthanized shortly after arrival.  Few shelters in southern Florida have the facilities to keep rabbits, and in such shelters, rabbits are euthanized rather than put
up for adoption.
  This is a tragic option, and all rescue organizations try their best to avoid this.  But the huge numbers of companion animals being abandoned by their human families every day makes it impossible to keep up.  Millions of companion animals will lose their lives this year simply because their humans have grown tired of caring for them. We know that you do not want to be part of this problem.  Consider these shelters only as a last resort.  Even if the bunnies are not euthanized, if they have been pampered house rabbits, they will have to live in a small kennel or in an outdoor hutch, which could be a very difficult adjustment for them to make, especially if they are not used to climatic extremes and changes.

IV.  What are the Alternatives?
  Instead of taking your companion rabbit to a shelter, why not give her the chance to live her full lifespan as a loving member of the family?  If the reason you are trying to find a home for your rabbit is due to behavioral problems (poor litterbox habits, aggression, shyness, etc.), please be aware that most behavioral problems can be resolved by spaying or neutering and a little bit of patience on your part.  H.A.R.E., Inc. volunteers are highly trained in solving these inconveniences, and will be very happy to assist you in correcting any problems that have made living with your rabbit difficult.  You can contact us via email at rabbit@bio.miami.edu

For help with litterbox training, please read:
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/training
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html

For help with an aggressive bunny, please read:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/aggression.html

For help with a bunny who's shy, please read:
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html

And we also have information to help you with rabbit allergies, keeping your bunny entertained if you spend a lot of time away from home, and just about any problem you might be having.

Our goal is to keep you and your bunny together, and make sure everyone is happy with that arrangement!

A FINAL THOUGHT...
We hope that in reading the above you have realized how difficult it is to find a safe home for your rabbit.  We hope you will reconsider your decision to give him/her away.  If you do change your mind, we invite you to contact us for help in resolving the problems that made you decide to give the rabbit away in the first place.  Our volunteers are experts in rabbit health, care and behavior, and can probably help you work through most problems, if you're willing to give it a try.  It really is worth it.

A rabbit is an intelligent, social, sensitive creature, and adopting one should be a lifetime commitment.  A rabbit is not a toy to be discarded when the novelty wears off or when it becomes too troublesome or expensive to keep.  If you choose not to keep your rabbit, we sincerely hope you are able to find a permanent, loving home for him/her.  Sadly, it will not be easy.  We hope these tips will help.