Our many licensed volunteers and small national staff work on a wide variety of national and local programs that support our mission and philosophy. Here is a summary of each of our core programs.
Rescue and Adoption
HRS rescues rabbits both at our national headquarters AND in partnership with local chapters, allys, animal shelters and humane societies. We provide lifesaving surgeries and vet care, spay and neuter, and adopt them into permanent indoor homes.
Education and Outreach
HRS volunteers educate the public about house rabbit care, and promote the idea of rabbits as indoor companions. We also offer education to humane organizations. Our education program is multifaceted and continues to grow.
Our website, rabbit.org
We have operated rabbit.org as a world-wide education hub since 1994. We currently serve over 80,000 unique users each month with hundreds of web pages, fliers, FAQs. We target our materials at multiple unique user populations: potential adopters, new rabbit owners, experienced rabbit owners, kids, veterinarians, shelter/rescue staff, as well the general public.
The House Rabbit Journal (HRJ)
Since our founding in 1988, twice a year we publish The House Rabbit Journal, a print publication that goes out to all of our members (those that donate at least $20 yearly.) In addition, we make older articles from HRJ available for free at our website, rabbit.org.
Monthly Newsletter
We also produce a free monthly newsletter that provides updates on our current initiatives as well as spotlights on the great work of our 27 local chapters across the world.
Email, Phone, and Facebook support
For over 25 years, our certified volunteers, known as “Educators” have been providing email and phone support on all manner of house-rabbit related questions, both at the national and local level. For the past decade we have also hosted a House Rabbit Facebook Group.
Social Media
We maintain informative public-facing accounts on all the major social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Veterinary and Educator Conferences
Our rabbit rescue and veterinary conferences provides continuing education for veterinarians and HRS licensed Educators to help shelters and rabbits in their communities in the US and internationally.
Local Education via Licensed Educators
HRS Licensed Educators provide rabbit education through their local rescues and shelters in the US and internationally, and support to rabbit guardians over the phone/email/social media.
Medical Programs
Access to Rabbit-Savvy Veterinarians
We work in partnerships with our local chapters and national volunteers to provide an up-to-date-list of rabbit savvy veterinarians in all 50 states.
Spay/Neuter
Since 2018, House Rabbit Society operates a monthly low-cost rabbit spay/neuter clinic at our headquarters in Richmond, CA, open to the public. The spay/neuter clinic has been temporarily closed since September of 2021 due to the loss of our vet, but is in the process of reopening.
Grants
Emergency Rescue Grants
Every year we hear about a number of emergency rabbit rescue situations around the country that involve anywhere from 15 to 1500 rabbits. In order to help, we have the Emergency Rescue Grant program. All donations coming to HRS that specify “Emergency Rescue Fund” will go towards these grants. We are using those funds to make targeted grants from $250 to $1,000 to animal shelters and 501c3 animal rescue organizations who are involved in a large rescue of many rabbits. Funds can be used to purchase cages, litterboxes, food, hay or toys, or can be used to fund spay/neuters and other veterinary care. Learn about our Emergency Rescue Grant winners here: https://rabbit.org/hrs-emergency-grant-recipients/
Chapter Grants
While House Rabbit Society chapters are all independent 501c3 organizations, responsible for raising their own funds, House Rabbit Society tries to provide support to our chapters in cases where they need extra help. In order to do this, we have the Chapter Grant Program. All donations coming to HRS that specify “Chapter Grants” will go towards these grants. We are using those funds to make targeted grants (ranging from $250-$1500) to HRS chapters to fund specific veterinary needs or projects with clear goals and objectives, including capital projects.
Activism
Our volunteers have worked spread the word about important issues such as RHDV2, The California Fur Ban, the New York Pet Store Ban, the California Pet Sore Ban, Hawaii Fur Ban. We also run our yearly Rabbits at Easter campaign.
Oversight: Chapter & Educator Licensing
Over the past 34 years we have grown from a tiny home-based organization with a dozen volunteers to a thriving international coalition of over 350 licensed educators and 27 local chapters in 19 states and 3 international locations. While each of our local chapters are independent 501c3 charities, we provide the framework, licensing and and many core education materials that assist our vibrant local chapters to thrive. We’re always looking to license new chapters – apply today!
One of our primary goals over the next two years is to increase our support of local chapter work to allow our volunteers to communicate more easily across chapters to leverage and share the wisdom of these tireless local volunteers.
Hop Shop
We run “The Hop Shop” your one stop shopping source for health house rabbit care, food, enrichment, and habitat. While the Hop Shop is located at our Richmond HQ, we are available to all bunny owners via our online hop shop that ships across the country.
Video Coverage of Our Work
San Francisco CBS News Visits House Rabbit Society Headquarters
