The Rabbit Haven

¾ of my bunnies are from the Rabbit Haven. The other one was from the Humane Society, coincidentally she was originally at TRH before transferring to the HS.
These people work so hard every day for no monetary pay. They see things that would make most people have a mental breakdown. They travel far and stay up late trying to rescue feral rabbits. I would like to give a shout out to Ray & Kyomi Okamoto, Ray Milkey, Al, Heather Betchel… There are many many others, but these are the ones I have witnessed first hand going above and beyond for the bunnies.
To those reading this:
Do NOT get a rabbit as an easter gift
(Rabbits are cute but when they’re peeing all over your house and chewing up your cords you’ll wish yours was chocolate)
Do NOT get a rabbit as a gift for a child
Do NOT get a rabbit if you can’t commit 8−12+ years
Do NOT get a rabbit if you are going to keep it in a cage or outside
Do NOT get a rabbit if you can’t afford the eventual vet bills (they get sick easily) or eventual boarding if you go on vacation (shout out to Megan’s Rabbit Boarding and Lil Chick Pet Sitters)
DO get a rabbit if you are committed to loving and properly caring for it and making he/​she a part of your family.
I digress, The Rabbit Haven is an excellent rescue that does excellent work. If you live up in the North Bay, Save a Bunny is also a really great rescue. Adopt don’t shop!

I had a recipe in mind, but looks like the free range food idea was a non starter.
Maybe because I grew up on a farm, or perhaps my inner chef could not be hog tied, I simple sought to find if the possibility existed for a little culinary outing. They really should consider the option of adoption for reasons of «other». It’s a delicious idea.

With easter right around the corner and you find yourself contemplating getting a rabbit, PLEASE PLEASE do your research on rabbit ownership. It is a 10 plus year commitment and these wonderful creatures take just as much work as a cat or dog.
That being said, rabbit ownership is one of the MOST rewarding. They make wonderful pets when allowed to be part of the family. They are not meant to sit in cages all day. They all have their own unique personalities and will quickly win your heart.
The rabbit haven is a non profit rescue that takes in abandoned and shelter rabbits. Some even slated to be put to sleep due to no fault of their own. Alot are fostered in private homes where they are handled and loved till they find their furever family. All are littered trained or in the process of getting trained (yes they use litter boxes just like cats).
Adoption fairs are held twice a month in Santa Cruz and 1^st Saturdays at the For Other Living Things in Sunnyvale. If you go onto their website under «adoption showcase» there are bios and pictures of bunnies currently looking for a home. You can also email and make an appointment to meet any of these cuties during the adoption showcase.
Please adopt and save a precious buns life.
5 stars

The Rabbit Haven rocks! They are the best rescue organization I have ever worked with (and I’ve worked with quite a few). They rescue so many bunnies from shelters and abusive situations, provide them with needed medical care, spay and neuter them, and find them loving homes.
Please, DON’T EVER BUY A RABBIT! The overpopulation problems are enormous. Adopt your next pet from The Rabbit Haven. You’ll be glad you did.

As others have stated, the Rabbit Haven is an amazing organization, they have adoption fairs and offer free nail trims, and they help bond bunnies. This review is specifically for their amazing help with bunny bonding.
I walked into For Other Living Things with my two female bunnies, two years apart in ages, who absolutely hated each other. I had tried to introduce them to each other a few times, and they always wasted no time in jumping on each other, biting, clawing, and ripping each other’s fur out. They were out to kill each other! So here I was, two months after they’d been spayed, standing in front of Auntie Heather, who I’d heard nothing but great things about. She told me to wait a few more months for their hormones to calm down, as they’d only recently been spayed. She told me to see her again in four months. She said she could tell I had some good bunnies, and she believed it would absolutely be possible to bond them.
So away I go with my two bunnies who hate each other’s guts.
Four months later, I return to For Other Living Things, where the Rabbit Haven is hosting its monthly bunny adoption fair and nail trims. Auntie Heather is busy, so a nice young man offers to help me and my cranky bunnies. I wish I’d gotten his name. All I know is that he’s Asian and he has this amazing calm aura about him. He put my bunnies on his chest, totally calmly, while I was sitting there chewing off all my fingernails, expecting the bunnies to burst into a full-​on death match right on this poor guy’s chest! Much to my surprise, the bunnies stayed, exactly as he had positioned them, for about fifteen minutes while he demonstrated how to cross-​pet the bunnies so they could get used to each other’s scent. Phase Two involved putting the bunnies in a small laundry hamper with a little cat bed in it, one bunny facing one direction, the other bunny facing the opposite direction, but both bunnies snuggled tightly against each other, as he pet them in a circular motion. Phase Three: He set the bunnies down in a small enclosed space, and my jaw dropped. Were my eyes deceiving me? One of my bunnies was grooming the other one! I could not believe it! Dreams do come true!
Per his advice, my family and I set up «bunny dates» for our two bunnies every day, never sticking to one place too long. One day on the dining table, one day on my bed, one day in a big pen in my parents’ room, and so on. It only took three weeks of bunny dates and our bunnies are absolutely in love with each other now! They groom each other, they go everywhere together, and they love snuggling up together. They are inseparable!
Thank you so much, Auntie Heather, for believing in our bunnies! Thank you so much, volunteer man, for taking on the onerous task of bonding our enemy bunnies! Thank you, Rabbit Haven, for being so dedicated to the health and happiness of everybunny!

The Rabbit Haven is an amazing organization. I have adopted both of my bunnies from them and they helped me bond them together. Most of the other reviewers have mentioned the bonding and nail trim services they offer at shows so I guess I don’t need to mention again how great they are (and they are). I’ve also been a foster for them and it is such a wonderful experience watching a sad, scared rabbit figure out that the world isn’t that terrible and that they can be happy and frolic.
The Haven works hard to rescue rabbits from sometimes terrible conditions, get them the medical care they need, and find them loving forever homes. They also work closely with the shelters to showcase their rabbits during the adoption shows and to get them away from death row. Heather and the rest of the volunteers are very knowledgeable and willing to answer all sorts of questions at adoption shows and via email. If nothing else, The Rabbit Haven is a wonderful place to learn about rabbits and how to care for them.

Rabbit Haven was been a god-​send to many needs-​rescue shelter bunnies throughout the Bay Area. The organization takes on mother bunnies and their babies! That’s ALOT of rabbits to have to find foster homes and forever homes for. There was a litter of five newborn baby bunnies that were turned into the shelter without their mother. They had little chance of surviving. No nursing mothers could be found despite an email outreach request that went far and wide. Heather had a most dedicated, experience volunteer and vet tech hand feed these babies drop by drop and with great love and care. Because of Heather’s knowledge and passion of her volunteers, two of these baby bunnies grew into wonderful big healthy new zealands! They have a loving home. I’m immensely grateful they were cared for in the Haven system and I would not hesitate to work with them again.
Heather’s knowledge of mother bunnies and kits is all encompassing. She is a wealth of information. Her knowledge is update and she is a great resource.
Rabbit Haven has also assisted many people with spay/​neutering their rabbits when in tough financial times. Helping to break the cycle that results in so many rabbits killed at the shelter when uninformed pet shop patrons and hobby breeders let things get out of control. There are just too many unwanted animals and not enough good homes and shelter/​rescue resources to breed rabbits for fun. Life as an unwanted pet is not fun. It sucks!
For a great experience, volunteer to foster a rabbit for a rescue organization. Give a little of yourself, to help save a precious life.

I have yet to meet Auntie Heather in person but we have exchanged emails and phone calls when I found myself with a chronically ill bunny with many issues as a first time adopter. She was not even the person who adopted me the bunny but came across a group email about the bunny and generously offered me her kindness, knowledge and a shoulder to cry on. It is obvious to anyone who knows her that she is a wonderful person who is dedicated to helping bunnies find a good home and ensuring a good match. When I told her my bunny passed away, she sent me the most loving letter and said she’ll light a candle for him to honor him. I was so heartbroken over my sweet little baby being gone and miss him so much. Talking with Heather was like a healing session. I know they hold monthly events at Santa Cruz and Sunnyvale and I strongly encourage everyone who is thinking about adopting to visit these events. Auntie Heather is the kind of person that will be there for you even after you take the rabbit home. I am looking forward to going to one of these adoption events soon and meeting Heather in person. Have a hoppy day everyone!

I adopted both my rabbits from Rabbit Haven.
Dakota was my first. He was sweet but he liked to hide a lot and wasn’t terribly social. A year after adopting him we went looking for a pal for him. Cali took to Dakota immediately.
It took five months of very hard work daily to bond them. Cali adored Dakota but he was calm and old fashioned and she was very high energy and he would put her in he place. I called Auntie Heather and Auntie Linda a lot during those months and they talked me through things. I had the option to bring Cali back but I had fallen in love and it was breaking my heart so I stuck with it and was grateful for the shoulders to cry on.
They are now bonded and such a joy! Sometimes the dating rituals of rabbits are like those of Klingons, I swear. It was totally worth it. Dakota is so happy having Cali in his life, even if he pretends she doesn;t interest him. When he thinks we aren’t looking he loves on her.
I highly recommend rescuing an already bonded pair for a first time adoption. Rabbits are happier in pairs and I notice they are much more affectionate and social when there are two instead of one. My bonding experience was unusually long and as a new bunny mommy I found it stressful, and it was 100% worth it.

I take my three buns here for regular grooming. They hold adoption shows in Sunnyvale and Santa Cruz. They will do the monthly grooming for free! Cindy and Heather and all of their volunteers are so knowledged and very helpful.
Once you meet Heather, you can immediately see her dedication and commitment for every bunnies that comes to her. She is an angel.

A great organization. fter several visits with Heather from The Rabbit Haven, we ended up not adopting any bunnies from her, but instead adopted from Save A Bunny in Mill Valley. We just didn’t find the right match at The Rabbit Haven.
That doesn’t stop me from saying good things about the Rabbit Haven. They do great things and usually have success at their adoption shows that are open to the public. It seems that the foster care system Heather has set up is working really well. Heather is a very sweet woman who really has her heart in the right place– for the bunnies. She is all about energy and aura, and not hurting anyone’s feelings, especially the bunnies! She’s almost spiritual about matching bunnies, which is very interesting! We sat with her and did a few bunny dates, which she called «speed dating» since the appointments were 15 minutes or so each. They have quite a few adoption shows, usually at Petsmart in Santa Cruz (river street) or at For Other Living Things pet supply store in Sunnyvale. I adore Heather for all the effort and time she took with us, and I felt bad when we walked away without one of her bunnies. I give Rabbit Haven four stars instead of five because some of the other volunteers (not Heather) made us feel pressured and finally, guilty, for not immediately adopting one of the rabbits that our bunny «really hit it off with.» We just wanted more time, and as shallow as it may sound, the bunny they picked wasn’t what we had in mind. Then again, the bunny we eventually adopted at Save A Bunny wasn’t what we had in mind either, but we got to spend a lot more time with her and see how she interacted with our bunny. I think the most important thing is getting *the right bunny* for both the humans and bunny to be bonded with, and when you know, you know. So we feel we made the right choice in the end.
Some comparisons between The Rabbit Haven and Save-​A-​Bunny (both great rabbit rescues!)
–Heather and Marcy are very different and take different approaches
–The Rabbit Haven is less selective than Save A Bunny and it generally takes less time to adopt a bunny from Heather than it does with Marcy
–Heather does speed dates while Marcy adamantly believes a match cannot be made that quickly. Marcy’s dates for bonding bunnies usually last about an hour each, and she recommends you keep the bonded pair in the making at Save A Bunny for a few days afterwards
–I believe the Rabbit Haven’s adoption fees are less than Save A Bunny, but make sure to read what each fee includes.
We preferred the way Save A Bunny runs things with the bonding process, but will always have an appreciation (and somewhat be in awe of) Heather, as she has such a big heart for rabbits and is truly an amazing person. Either way you go, you’re going to adopt a bunny who really needs a home! Cheers, Rabbit Haven!

This organization is such a blessing to rabbits!
We have adotped 2 rabbits from the Rabbit Haven and both times Heather matched them up perfectly. They really take the time to find the right bunny for you.
We have 2 bunny couples and they love each other so much.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Auntie Heather and everyone at the Rabbit Haven for finding me two of the greatest pals a gal could ever ask for.
Have you ever heard of The Dog Whisperer, folks? Well talk about a wealth of knowledge– above all, the staff has this amazing energy; a magical touch! When I take my friends in for their nail trims– they don’t even freak out. (as they have with me when i tried to do it myself!) Auntie Heather and Cindy are truly Bunny Whisperers!
They also sell an assortment of bunny toys and treats where all the proceeds go back into the Haven’s fund.
And please remember, do not breed or buy when animals in shelters may die!
Goddess bless ‘em!

I am a volunteer with The Rabbit Haven, so my review is biased. However, if it were not for the positive experiences with the Haven, I never would have started volunteering with the group. All three of my house rabbits have been adopted through the Rabbit Haven.
We host adoption shows at For Other Living Things in Sunnyvale once a month and twice a month at PetSmart in Santa Cruz. Our adoption events are a chance to come by and meet the bunnies, but to also come in and ask questions about your bunnies or get a free nail trim. We also provide match making services to help your spayed or neutered bunny find a friend.
We do a lot of outreach to the public about house rabbits. Although one of the main goals is to find homes for rabbits — we also help a lot of people who have rabbits learn about the importance of spay /​neuter, healthy diet, finding a knowledgeable rabbit vet, rabbit health and care.
Bringing a bunny into your home is at least a 10 year commitment and we have a pretty thorough adoption process. We are a non-​profit, and all volunteer run. We don’t have government support, and rely on donations and small grants. We are also always looking for foster homes and volunteers too.
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Rabbit Haven cares for up to 85+ rabbits at a time through our foster site network. Rabbit Haven rescues injured and abandoned rabbits and accepts surrendered rabbits from the general public, from shelters and from other rescue organizations in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey Counties.

The Rabbit Haven is the best place to go to adopt a rabbit. They not only have a wealth of information, but Heather, the Haven’s director, is extremely helpful in pairing up rabbits. Rabbits are social animals and live a lot longer with a soul mate.
We went to the Haven’s adoption fair in Sunnyvale to pair our mini-​rex with another rabbit which proved to be unsuccessful because our rabbit didn’t like any of the rabbits that were available. But this didn’t deter the staff at Rabbit Haven. They said to come to another fair which was in Petsmart in Santa Cruz the following week. So we went and Heather personally helped us find our rabbit’s soul mate.
Heather takes the time to help you out and she makes sure you have all the information you need to live with your rabbit. Adoption fees are really inexpensive, and when you take your rabbit for it’s first check-​up at one of the recommended veterinarians, your office visit will be inexpensive, too!
The Haven’s website has a lot of information along with pictures of available rabbits as the website is updated regularly.

These guys hold multiple rabbit adoption fairs at pet stores in Santa Cruz and Sunnyvale every month. They’re a wealth of information about house rabbits and a really awesome place to find your new bunny friends. Check out one of their fairs or the website if you have any interest in these quiet, sweet little animals.