Have you found the new (furry) love of your life? Here is the information you may need to bring your new long-eared friend home.
Not sure if you're ready to make the commitment? Try fostering to adopt!
Please Note: We do not hold pets for inquiries until an adoption or F2A application has been submitted and approved.
We do not have a public shelter building to visit as all of our rabbits and guinea pigs 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 and see who might suit your family's choice of size and personality traits. If you're not sure which rabbit is right for you, let us know what you are looking for in a rabbit, and we'll be glad to help play matchmaker.
2. Fill out an adoption application. It can be completed online or downloaded and printed to bring in person or emailed in as an attachment.
Rabbit Adoption Application - fill it out online or download it.
Small Pet (guinea pigs, hamsters, etc.) Adoption Application - fill it out online or download it.
If you're not sure which one(s) you are interested in, let us know your top picks or the must-have or preferred qualities you are looking for. If emailing, please also let us know which event or adoption day that you would like to meet your new pet(s), or if you need to set up an appointment for another time or date so we can get that pet's foster family notified to get ready for adoption! Most of our rabbits live in Baton Rouge, but some are spread throughout the state.
3. We will respond as soon as possible with any questions about your application and reply to any questions or concerns (usually within 24-48hrs). We will also confirm that the foster family is able to bring their foster at the preferred event or adoption day, or let you know if an alternate time or date if needed.
If you already have a bunny and are looking to adopt one to bond to your current bunny, we have two options:
1. Ideally, we'd like for you to bring your bunny 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 somebunny 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 bunnies are different! A trial run is a great option to give them a chance and see how they do on your bun's home turf, and is the perfect opportunity to do what we call "foster-to-adopt."
2. If traveling with your bunny 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 bunny has a place to stay separately until the bonding process is complete (cages can usually be supplied temporarily).
You may want to look at the bonding links over on our Rabbit Care page for information on what to expect at first introductions, how to interpret the status of the relationship and ideas for bonding at home.
*NOTE* If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must show a driver's license when you adopt!
Each adopted bunny goes home with an adoption bag and packet which includes an adoption certificate, a measuring cup, and some pellets that your adopted pet has been eating to help with the transition to its new food. If your bunny has any specific toys or treats that they really like, we will send those also. Our adoption fees are typically $50/rabbit or $80/pair; the adoption fee for each rabbit is listed on their biography pages. 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 bunny home. Your bun's adoption fee can be paid by cash, check (made out to Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue), and most times we will have a credit card reader for smartphones at adoption days and care days, depending on which adoption counselors are there.
If the rabbit you are adopting is not already spayed or neutered, we will have it done prior to it going to its new home. We prefer to have the rabbits spayed or neutered with us so that we can observe their recovery and can bring the rabbit to a vet quickly if necessary. If the rabbit 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 and litterbox especially) lined up for your bun 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. Our Ultimate Caresheet has a great list of needed and great-to-have items, and our Rabbit Care section has information on different styles of cages and how to build your own, even if you're not a hammer-and-nails kind of person.
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.