Along with education, fostering forms the core of what the Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society is. We are often asked how we foster and how we choose foster rabbits.
First, let me say that we do not accept rabbits from individuals. Many people ask us why we have this policy. To begin with, there are multiple complex legal issues involved with accepting rabbits from the public, which MCRS is not set up to handle. Other individuals want MCRS to take their rabbit because they fear taking her to a shelter will result in her being euthanized. The reality is that most rabbits in the Twin Cities area have a good chance (around 70%) of being adopted at a shelter. Since most of the rabbits we are asked to take are adoptable, more potential adopters will see them in a shelter than in our foster homes. Plus, our limited foster spaces need to be available when shelters need us. Taking in individual's pets would result in more rabbits being euthanized at shelters when we are unable to accept shelter rabbits because our foster homes are full. Finally, people who have to surrender their pet to a shelter may be less likely to get another one in the future.
Many people who approach MCRS to take their rabbit do so because they are frustrated with their rabbit's behavior. If they are interested, we can often educate these people so that they can keep their rabbit and their sanity.
Where do we get rabbits? When our local shelters are full (there are no time limits at metro area shelters) and in danger of euthanizing rabbits, we will look for otherwise adoptable rabbits who simply don't "sell themselves" well in a shelter situation. This may be a rabbit who is quite shy or who is scared of all the noise that one usually finds in a shelter. We can offer those rabbits a quiet environment with the one-on-one attention that allows them to bloom. Sometimes the rabbits we take are simply a "boring" solid color and have been overlooked by the general public. In spite of their best efforts, many shelters are understaffed and may not have the time to help potential adopters explore and understand the finer points of a rabbit's personality.
When shelter space is not an issue, we also work with local area shelters, taking rabbits who have medical or temperament issues that are beyond the level of expertise that the shelters can offer. In the case of rabbits with temperament issues, we place the rabbit with an experienced fosterer and, after allowing the rabbit some time to become accustomed to the home, begin to work with the rabbit so that she learns that people can be trusted. For some rabbits, this is a very quick process once they are away from the hustle and bustle of a busy shelter. We have, however, had a rabbit for whom this took almost a year. Before we accept a rabbit with medical issues, we first have a veterinarian check the rabbit to let us know how realistic our chances of helping the rabbit are. If the rabbit is treatable, we have space, and we have the money to be able to help, we will.
All of the rabbits who come into the MCRS foster home network are cared for in the homes of volunteers. While being a foster parent is a serious commitment, it is not necessarily a difficult task. Becoming a local foster parent requires an application and interview, as well as an initial year of training. Once the home is approved, the initial year of training begins with bunnies who simply need a place to stay; meaning that fosterers only need to supply a space, an extra litterbox, additional food, and, of course, lots of TLC. Once foster parents become more comfortable, we work to enable them to better handle bunnies with social or medical issues.
While our fostering network has grown over the past year, we are still unable to help as many rabbits as we would like. If you have at least one year of experience with your own rabbit(s), are a current member of MCRS, and are able to make at least a one-year commitment to fostering, please contact us.
Even if you are unable to foster rabbits, you can still help. Please see our Wish List for a list of items that our foster homes can use. In addition, dependable steady volunteers are key to our continued fostering and education efforts. If you can wash bunny greens, clean litterboxes, scrub down cages or carriers, or can transport a bunny to the veterinarian, please let us know. Not only do you get to help our foster homes, but you also get to visit with more bunnies!