The mission of the New Jersey House Rabbit Society, based in Monroe Township, is to promote the well-being of domestic rabbits and to secure their place as a companion animal in society and in our homes.
Their focus is on educating the public on the proper care of companion house rabbits and providing a low-cost spay/neuter program. You can find a wealth of information about caring for house rabbits at their website, njhrs.com, or at their Facebook page.
Although they are not taking in rabbits at this time, they do list non-NJHRS rabbits who need homes–whether from private homes or from a Good Samaritan who found a stray– on their website and/or Facebook page. NJHRS also lists adoptable house rabbits from both shelters and rescue groups in NJ, NY, PA, DE, and MD each week on their Facebook page for those who may be interested.
View rabbits looking for forever homes here.
New Jersey HRS depends on donations to fund their work. Support the NJHRS here.
My family just rescued a bunny. This is a netherlands dwarf bunny that has been rejected by the breeder due to an unwanted white spot on its nose. We were told the bunny was 6 months old until the day we got it when they told us she is 2 years old. This bunny does not like to be pet or picked up. She bites and pees if you do try and pick her up. This bunny will only eat hay. We have offered banana, cheerios and pellet bunny food.
My concern: Is this bunny to old and set in her ways to be trained to enjoy being held and pet? Is she too old to get spayed and make a difference in her aggressive personality? Most of the information I am finding is about how to train young bunnys, do you have any suggestions for an older bunny? She was kept in a crate by the breeder. The breeder dropped her off at a vet and the vet used it to help train vet techs (I think they meant in handling pets). I’m not feeling confident that the information I received was accurate though.
Thank you for any help you can offer!
Hi Karen,
I apologize for the delay in responding to your questions. I was not aware of your thoughts and questions until today. It is important that your have your rabbit spayed as soon as possible. This will help tremendously in her behavior, particularly in her aggressiveness and desire to pee when handled. Please visit the website for New Jersey House Rabbit society for help in locating an experienced rabbit vet in your area. You may also wish to take advantage of our low cost spay and neuter program for rabbit caregivers as well. Once your rabbit is spayed, she will need a few weeks before the effects of the surgery will become most apparent. Then you can begin the process of training her to use a litter box. Your rabbits diet should be primarily hay, with some pure pellets and fresh vegetables provided daily as well. Please have your rabbit examined by an experienced vet to see if perhaps she may have some dental concerns that may be impacting her ability or comfort related to eating additional foods. He or she can also help you learn techniques for introducing a more balanced diet for your rabbit. Hay is definitely important for rabbits, and they should have this available on an unlimited basis. At her age, she should be eating either pure timothy hay, or a mixture perhaps of this along with either botanical, orchard, or meadow grass hay as well. I hope this is helpful to you. If you have any further questions or concerns, please consider contacting us directly through the Facebook page of New Jersey House Rabbit Society or by email off of our website, Thank you.