INTAKE REQUESTS AND REHOMING OPTIONS

 

GHRS ADOPTED RABBIT RETURNS:

Did you adopt your rabbit(s) from us?

If you no longer want your rabbit that you adopted from GHRS, fill out the Intake Request Form.

We will pull your contract information and contact you to set up a surrender. Under no circumstance should you rehome an adopted GHRS rabbit yourself. Per your contract with us, the rabbit must be returned to us.

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DO NOT ABANDON YOUR RABBIT OUTSIDE! 

• They will become easy food for hawks, dogs, cats, raccoons or coyotes.

• They can be hit by a car, become sick and injured, die from starvation and lack of water, become sick from fleas, ticks, maggots, and wolf-worm larvae or succumb to the devastating RHDV-2 virus.

• They could also be caught and abused by humans. Sadly, people are very cruel.

• It would be better to take your rabbit to an animal control facility and at least give the rabbit a second chance. If not adopted, euthanasia will be a much kinder death than a slow and painful death outdoors.

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OUR INTAKE POLICY

Every day, we get calls and emails from people who feel they can't or don’t want to keep their rabbit any longer. We would love to help every rabbit in need, but the sad reality is that we just don’t have the space and resources to help them all.

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GHRS is committed to taking in abandoned rabbits and those who have run out of time at the local animal shelters so that we can save them from euthanasia. We can only consider cases of extreme difficulty if we have the space. If you feel that your situation qualifies, you can fill out our intake request form and we will take your case into consideration.

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Because we are a “No Kill” shelter, any rabbit that we accept into our care will stay with us until adopted, regardless of the cost. Though we gladly take on this commitment, the reality of it means that we have fewer spaces available for new intakes.

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OTHER SURRENDER OPTIONS

1. Return to breeder/store: If you purchased your rabbit from a pet store, breeder, farm, flea market or similar businesses, your best bet is to reach back out to them to try to RETURN the rabbit.

2. Contact your local animal control facility: If the breeder/store does not accept returns, contact your local animal control for intake.  We work directly with many animal control facilities, often assisting them with spaying/neutering and providing critical rabbit care information packets for future owners.

3. Adopt them out yourself: The best chance your rabbit has to be placed in a good home is for you to screen potential adopters yourself. Please refer to the following article for suggestions on how to accomplish this: Finding a Home for an Unwanted Rabbit

   • BE SURE TO ASK FOR AN ADOPTION FEE. This fee is not for your own profit but to prevent your rabbit from becoming food for snakes and the like. Awful as it may sound, this is the fate for many smaller animals given away at no cost. You also want your rabbit to go to a home that will consider them important enough to pay for and asking for a reasonable adoption fee will likely discourage those who really cannot afford the extra responsibility and associated costs.​

   • Advertise any food, housing, books, and supplies that will be provided with the rabbit. Do your best to get a good picture that can be emailed, and be sure to mention the things about your bunny that you love the most.

   • ​Make flyers with a photo and description of your rabbit and place them at local veterinarians, pet stores, community bulletin boards, work places, church bulletins, etc. Some rabbit groups will allow you to post on their message boards.​

   • Place an add in the local newspaper.​

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If you still feel you need our help, fill out our Intake Request Form. We will do our best to help but know that we may not be able to assist you.

 

AGGRESSION ISSUES? HAVE YOUR RABBIT ALTERED

If your rabbit isn’t spayed or neutered, chances are that is adding to the difficulties! Do you feel like your rabbit has behavior issues that make him difficult to live with? Chewing cords? Digging carpet? Not using the litter box? Aggression? Bad bunny smells? Most of these “negative” behaviors are just misunderstandings between you and your rabbit. Please read our articles on behavior in our Rabbit Behavior section, or go to www.rabbit.org for even more information. 

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ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO YOUR RABBIT?

If you have discovered that you are allergic to the rabbit or hay, there are solutions.

When the Fur is Flying, by Kristi Cole
Living with Rabbit Allergies, by Susan Smith, PhD