House Rabbit Society Headquarters
House Rabbit Society
148 Broadway
Richmond, CA 94804
510-970-7575
[email protected]
Hours:
In-store shopping and rabbit visitation: Fridays-Saturday 11am-4:00pm, Sundays 12pm-3pm.
Boarding Drop off: 7 days a week 10am-4:00pm
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day
House Rabbit Society is an international, nonprofit animal welfare organization with headquarters in Richmond, California.
Our mission has two parts:
- Through our fostering program, volunteers rescue abandoned rabbits and find permanent adoptive homes for them.
- Through education, we seek to reduce the number of unwanted rabbits — and to improve bunnies’ lives — by helping people better understand these often misunderstood companion animals.
In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits.
Since HRS was founded in 1988, over 25,000 rabbits have been rescued through our foster homes across the United States. Many of these bunnies had run out of time at animal shelters and were scheduled for euthanasia; others had been deemed “unadoptable” because of age, health, or disposition. Because there is no time limit on our rescued rabbits, HRS volunteers are able to spend time getting to know each individual bunny and can then match him or her with an appropriate home. We neuter/spay all incoming rabbits, provide necessary veterinary care, and attend to their social needs.
In caring for so many diverse bunnies, our volunteer-based organization has learned a tremendous amount about their social, behavioral, and medical requirements. By sharing the collected information these rabbits have taught us, we are able to help other people improve their relationships with their rabbits. HRS provides educational materials to veterinarians and humane societies and helps individual rabbit people solve behavior and health problems, primarily through our web site, www.rabbit.org, and our publication, House Rabbit Journal.
Over the past 20 years, HRS has grown from 300 to more than 8,000 members, with local chapters and educators in over 30 states plus Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. Our web site, www.rabbit.org, is accessed over 100,000 times a day by people in dozens of countries around the world.
The Rabbit Center is HRS’s International Headquarters. Our facility in Richmond, California, founded in 2000, provides shelter for 35+ rabbits rescued from local animal shelters, all of whom are available for adoption. Our library contains a variety of educational materials on rabbit care and health, and our knowledgeable staff is available to answer questions. We offer boarding and grooming services for a modest fee. We look forward to meeting you and helping you and your rabbits.
Our Philosophy
The House Rabbit Society believes that ALL rabbits are valuable as individuals, regardless of breed purity, temperament, state of health, or relationship to humans. The welfare of all rabbits is our primary consideration.
In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits.
Except for unique situations, in which wild animals are being nursed or rehabilitated, it is in the best interest of wild rabbits that human intervention be held to a minimum.
Domestic rabbits are not the product of natural selection, but rather of human interference by means of breeding programs, and the product is a human-dependent animal who needs protection. It is therefore a human responsibility that these animals be cared for in a manner appropriate to their needs.
It is in the best interest of domestic rabbits to be neutered/spayed, to live in human housing where supervision and protection are provided, and to be treated for illnesses by veterinarians.
Domestic rabbits are companion animals and should be afforded at least the same individual rights, level of care, and opportunity for longevity as commonly afforded to dogs and cats who live as human companions.
Rabbits are intelligent, social animals who require mental stimulation, toys, exercise, environmental activity, and social interaction (from, as appropriate, people, other rabbits, or other animals).