UPDATE (May 2025): Sadly, after operating for nearly 30 years, Rabbit Rescue closed its doors in Paramount, CA at the end of April 2025. If you have found a rabbit or you are a rabbit owner looking to relinquish your rabbit to a rescue or shelter, please see the info below. There are many suggestions for organizations that can help.
If you adopted your rabbit from Rabbit Rescue and now need to relinquish them, please send an email to volunteer@rabbitrescue.com or see our Instagram (@rabbitrescue_inc) for information about how to safely return your rabbit to our of our nearby partner rescues.
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Can I bring my rabbit to Rabbit Rescue?
Unfortunately, Rabbit Rescue is currently full and not taking relinquished or found rabbits. Below, please find suggested alternate, unaffiliated rescues you might also contact. You are welcome to call us at 56 286 28844 with questions.
Exception: if you adopted your rabbit from Rabbit Rescue and would now like to relinquish him/her, you can (and should) return your rabbit back to Rabbit Rescue. You can do this by appointment or during open hours. Please bring any paperwork related to your rabbit's medical history.
What are my other options?
- Contact other local rabbit rescues. They may be taking new relinquished or found rabbits, but this is not guaranteed. Rescues are typically no-kill organizations. Often rescues are more likely to accepted a rabbit that has been neutered/spayed and who is up to date on her/his RHDV2 vaccination.
- Bring the rabbit to a local city shelter. Some shelters are better than others at providing medical care and avoiding euthanizing. The shelter you use depends on where you live and where you found the rabbit, if the rabbit was a stray. Some include Los Angeles Animal Services (multiple branches), Long Beach Animal Care Services, and OC Animal Care (main branch in Irvine). We strongly discourage bringing rabbits to SEACCA in Downey, which has a high kill rate.
- Do not "dump" (abandon) your rabbit at a rescue. No rabbit should be left at a rescue without express permission from rescue staff. This is illegal and places unfair financial strain on the rescue. Abandoned rabbits can also expose current rescue rabbits to diseases and pests, placing all rabbits in the rescue at risk.
- Never release a domestic rabbit into the wild. Domestic rabbits cannot survive on their own outdoors. They can easily become prey to predators, get injured, or become hosts to pests. If your rabbit is not neutered/spayed, she/he can have babies and increase overpopulation. Relinquishing your rabbit (even to a public shelter) is always better than releasing him/her.
What are some other local rabbit rescues?
Other rescues may currently be taking relinquished or found rabbits. Some other rescues in the greater Los Angeles area include:
Deciding whether to relinquish
Rabbit owners make the hard decision to relinquish their rabbits for many reasons. Some owners experience serious medical issues, personal loss, sudden homelessness, financial precarity, or other circumstances that leave them unable to care for their rabbits.
Here are some other reasons that owners relinquish and factors to consider:
- Allergies. Many owners relinquish because of a family member's allergies. While some people are allergic to rabbits, often it is the rabbit's hay causing allergies. Owners can try switching to oat hay to resolve the problem.
- Children going to college. Sometimes, if a rabbit's primary caretaker has been an older child, parents will relinquish the rabbit when their child goes to college. Though this may be the right choice for some families, consider that the rabbit will probably be happier remaining in his/her home, especially if she/he is an older rabbit who may have trouble adjusting to rescue life.
- Companionship. Some owners relinquish because they no longer have the time to play with their rabbit or keep him/her company. They imagine that the rabbit, once relinquished, will quickly go to a loving home where she/he will be showered with affection. In reality, rabbits often wait many months at the rescue and struggle to adapt to life outside of their home. Instead, if you are still able to safely care for your rabbit, consider bonding your rabbit with a partner who will keep her/him company.