RABBIT OWNERS: PLEASE BE AWARE OF RHDV2 - A FATAL VIRUS TO RABBITS THAT IS GETTING CLOSER TO LOUISIANA
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Have you found the new (furry) love of your life? Here is the information you need to bring your new friend home.
Not sure if you're ready to make the commitment? Try fostering to adopt! You can also take a look at our Welcome to Rabbits section of our website that goes into habitat recommendations, best places to buy supplies, etc. if you're looking for a better idea on the type of care rabbits require.
We do not have a public shelter building to visit as all of our rabbits are kept in foster homes, but we do adoption days at Petsmart typically every other weekend (see our calendar on the home page for dates and times). If adoption days aren't a good time for you, we can usually make an appointment for an alternate time with a volunteer. It's easier to get the ball rolling and make sure adoption day or your adoption appointment goes smoothly with the following steps:
1. Look through our list of adoptable pets to see who might suit your family's choice of size and personality traits. Each pet has a biography that contains what we know about that pet and their likes or dislikes (i.e good with the litterbox, calm, social, shy etc.)
2. Fill out an adoption application. These questions help us make sure your top choices are a good fit, or help us suggest the best possible suitors. While most of our volunteers are in Baton Rouge, our adoptable pets are housed in foster homes in various directions so we like to get as much information as we can before asking foster parents to bring pets sometimes an hour's drive or more. The application can be completed online, see below to choose the appropriate application for the type of pet you are looking to adopt.
Please Note: We do not hold pets for inquiries until an adoption or F2A application has been submitted and approved. Once an application is in we will only hold for pickup dates for 2 weeks out.
3. Once your adoption application has been submitted, we will respond as soon as possible (usually within 2-3 days) with any questions about your application and reply to any questions or concerns. We will also confirm that the foster family has been contacted and is able to bring their foster at the preferred event or adoption day that was indicated on your application, or let you know if an alternate time or date if needed.
*PLEASE NOTE* If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must show a driver's license when you adopt!
P.S Looking for guinea pig or small pet (hamsters, gerbils) adoption information? Click here for Guinea Pig Adoption Information
If you are looking to adopt a rabbit to be a friend to your current rabbit, we have two options:
1. Ideally, we'd like for you to bring your rabbit for some "speed dating" to see if he/she and your desired adoptable(s) get along. If they hit it off, great! If they are fighting from the get-go, we can try someone else. If they are so-so, we can send home the hopeful match to see how they do at home and work on their relationship. This may take a couple days to a couple weeks or more, we know all pets are different! A trial run is a great option to give them a chance and see how they do on your rabbit's home turf, and is the perfect opportunity to do what we call "foster-to-adopt."
2. If traveling with your rabbit isn't feasible, we can go straight to the foster-to-adopt plan. We'll send him or her home with you after your application has been approved as long as the pet has a place to stay separately until the bonding process is complete (cages can usually be supplied temporarily).
Each adopted rabbit goes home with an adoption packet which includes an adoption certificate, a measuring cup, and some pellets that your adopted rabbit has been eating to help with the transition to its new food. If your pet has any specific toys or treats that they really like, we will send those also.
Our adoption fees are typically: $60/rabbit or $100/pair of rabbits. The adoption fee for each pet is listed on their biography pages. Your pet's adoption fee can be paid by cash or card. This adoption fee does not include a cage or accessories unless mentioned specifically on that pet's biography page. We sometimes have cages for sale if you can't find a preferred one locally or don't want to buy online.
Please bring a pet carrier (lined with a towel or hay for traction) or cardboard box with holes to bring your new pet home.
All rabbits are spayed or neutered prior to it going to its new home. Our adoptable rabbits are spayed or neutered with us so that we can observe their recovery and can bring the pet to a vet quickly if necessary. If the pet you are hoping to adopt is not yet altered, you may still come meet him or her and we can mark the adoptable as pending for you (after an adoption application is approved) until after the surgery is complete.
It's important to have the majority if not all of the rabbit's home (cage or exercise pen and litterbox especially) lined up for your rabbit to explore once you get home. Stopping by the store for a quick accessory is OK, but you don't want to be caught without proper housing if the pet store on the way home doesn't have the right size cage or playpen available for sale.
In Dec 2017 we switched from ear tattoos to microchips, so any intakes after that time will have a HomeAgain microchip.
Microchips are placed over the shoulders, and are about the size of a grain of rice. Should your bunny escape the play yard or get away during travel, it is vital to have your information already associated with its microchip number. Enrollment is only $10.99 (as of 2018), and helps MHRR get another microchip for the next bunny that comes in to our program!
To enroll: ONLINE - www.homeagain.com/chipfurkeeps/home.jsp Click “Pet Parents” on the blue toolbar at the top. Enter “LA158” for MHRR’s shelter ID Then click “Enroll in HomeAgain” to get enter your information.
BY PHONE - call 1-866-802-5650. MHRR’s Petfinder Shelter ID is “LA158” The HomeAgain representative will collect your information.
HomeAgain has an amazing pet recovery network, and lots of other additional benefits also. Be sure to check out all of their services! All of the perks are included for one year after enrollment, and may be renewed annually if desired. If you do not renew, your pet’s information does NOT get removed from the system - registration is only a one-time fee.