Rabbit Welfare & Standards

Housing & Enrichment

We create living spaces that prioritize comfort, safety, and stimulation, ensuring our rabbits have everything they need to stay healthy, active, and engaged year-round.

Custom Elevated Enclosures

• All rabbit enclosures are raised 3 feet above the ground, fully enclosed, and built with galvanized wire mesh to ensure safety and prevent access by other animals or pests.

• Each cage features a two-level design:

  • Lower level for eating, socializing, and activity.

  • Upper level for resting and sleeping.

Daily Cleaning & Comfort

• Every cage is cleaned and washed daily with safe, rabbit-friendly cleaning methods.

• Enclosures are positioned for optimal seasonal comfort — shaded east-facing in summer to avoid direct sunlight, and west-facing in winter to maximize warmth and light.

Comfortable Bedding

• For the comfort of our bunnies, the bottom of each cage is constantly covered with a thick layer of hay for bedding, mixed with thin, smooth-cut wood chips to provide cushioning and insulation. 

• The bedding layer is replaced multiple times each week, with frequency adjusted depending on the season.

Seasonal Climate Control: 

• We maintain a comfortable temperature inside the cages year-round — ensuring in summer it never gets too hot and in winter it never gets too cold. 

• Natural air ventilation is always available, and we install ventilation fans as needed based on temperature. 

• In winter, cages are insulated from direct wind; in summer, they are positioned to allow a pleasant, natural airflow.

Enrichment & Exploration

• Rabbits enjoy daily supervised field trips to parks and forested areas for fresh air, exercise, and filming sessions.

• Access to safe chew toys, clean wooden blocks and branches to chew on, helping to prevent overgrowth of their teeth and ensuring they remain smooth and safe.

• During play time, rabbits have access to tunnels, and textured materials to stimulate curiosity and activity.

• Structured social hierarchy management in bonded groups, promoting natural behaviors while minimizing conflict.

Special Diets & Health Monitoring

Our dietary care is tailored to the unique needs of each rabbit, with close attention to their age, health status, and any special requirements. We conduct regular inspections of urine and stool to identify any changes in color, texture, or frequency that may signal health issues such as constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, or digestive imbalance.

When needed, we adjust their diet to support recovery and comfort, such as:

• Increasing fresh leafy greens or hydration-rich vegetables for mild constipation.

• Offering more hay fiber and reducing certain greens in cases of diarrhea.

• Providing age-appropriate foods for young rabbits to support healthy growth.

• Limiting or adjusting pellet portions for rabbits with sensitive digestion.

• Incorporating specific herbs (vet-approved) known to promote healthy digestion.

All adjustments are made in consultation with rabbit-savvy veterinary guidance and are closely monitored to ensure the rabbit returns to optimal health quickly and comfortably.

Experience, Endorsements & Guidelines Followed

Our work is built on years of hands-on experience, trusted by leading institutions, and guided by respected local, national, and international standards for rabbit care and animal-assisted programs.

• Over 10 years of collaboration with behavioral health and mental health professionals, therapists, social workers, and licensed marriage and family counselors.

• We actively engage with, review, and apply a broad spectrum of rabbit care guidelines at the state, national, and international levels. These guidelines encompass every aspect of responsible rabbit stewardship, including raising, housing, feeding, training, and overall welfare. Our team has examined hundreds of educational resources, including video-based instruction, and studied numerous peer-reviewed publications on animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted interventions. We also maintain collaborative relationships with leading organizations and experienced professionals in the field, ensuring our practices remain informed by the most current research and industry expertise.

• Served leading organizations including Stanford University, Stanford Healthcare, El Camino Healthcare, and over 100 schools.

• Team includes graduates in Cognitive Science and Data Science from UCLA and UC Berkeley, and certified adult volunteers with UANR and 4-H.

Grooming & Hygiene

Rabbits are naturally clean animals and generally do not require regular bathing. However, we provide gentle, professional grooming to maintain their hygiene and comfort. Male rabbits in particular may occasionally need additional assistance in keeping their fur clean.

When necessary, we use a safe, stress-minimizing method for cleaning — lightly tapping the fur with lukewarm water mixed with a small amount of vinegar to help remove dirt and neutralize odors. This is done without full submersion, ensuring the rabbit remains comfortable, calm, and dry in sensitive areas.

Our grooming routine includes:

• Frequent Brushing: Using specialized rabbit grooming brushes to keep the coat smooth, remove loose fur, and prevent matting.

• Careful Nail Clipping: Nails are trimmed regularly to a safe length, minimizing the risk of injury to both the rabbit and handlers.

• Seasonal Fur Management: In summer, if needed, fur may be lightly trimmed or thinned in small areas to prevent overheating and maintain comfort.

• Ongoing care: Regular brushing, nail trimming, and spot-cleaning are part of our ongoing care to keep each bunny’s coat healthy, skin protected, and overall well-being at its best.

• Spot Cleaning: Male rabbits, who sometimes need additional assistance with hygiene, are given gentle spot-cleaning when needed.

• Bathing Protocol: Rabbits are never fully submerged. When required, we use lukewarm water with a small amount of vinegar, lightly tapping the fur to clean soiled areas without causing stress or chilling.

• Overall Hygiene: Grooming is incorporated into regular care to keep coats shiny, skin healthy, and rabbits comfortable.

Transportation Safety & Comfort

We take every precaution to ensure our rabbits travel in comfort and safety, whether heading to a nearby community event or embarking on a longer journey for an expanded program.

• Secure Carriers: Rabbits are transported in well-ventilated, secure carriers with non-slip flooring and fresh hay for comfort.

• Temperature Control: Travel is planned to avoid extreme weather, with ventilation, shade, or heating as needed to maintain a stable environment during transit.

• Minimizing Stress: Rabbits are handled calmly during loading and unloading and are given rest time before and after travel.

• Capacity for Larger Events: For longer trips or events requiring transportation of multiple rabbit groups, we utilize our corporate account with U-Haul to rent specific RAM Vans. These vehicles offer spacious, climate-controlled interiors, ensuring comfortable travel for all rabbits during long-distance journeys or expanded programs.

Event Environment Management

Every event is carefully planned and managed to create a safe, calm, and enriching environment where our rabbits can thrive and guests can enjoy meaningful, stress-free interactions.

• Public safety policies: To ensure children and guests interact with rabbits under trained supervision.

• OPs: Comprehensive SOPs cover animal safety, participant safety, and privacy at public events.

• Safe Setup: Event spaces are arranged to prevent overcrowding, loud noises, or unsafe handling.

• Supervised Interaction: All guest handling is supervised by trained staff, with clear instructions given beforehand.

• Sanitation Protocol: Guests are required to sanitize hands before and after interacting with rabbits.

• Breaks for Rabbits: Rabbits are given rest periods during events to prevent fatigue or stress.

Staff Training, Policies, Standards, Operating Procedure & Incident Communication

We believe that clear guidelines help keep both our bunnies and our guests safe, comfortable, and happy. That’s why we follow thoughtful procedures for every part of our work — from caring for and transporting our rabbits to setting up events and guiding interactions with the community.

• Written SOPs govern every aspect of care, transport, event setup, handling, feeding, and bonding.

• Incident reporting protocols ensure any welfare concern is documented and communicated to the client or institution immediately.

• Public safety rules are displayed at events and reviewed with teachers/hosts before sessions begin.

Our staff follows clearly defined protocols, best practices, and industry standards:

• All handlers are thoroughly trained in rabbit behavior, safe lifting and handling techniques, recognizing signs of stress, proper grooming methods, and strict sanitation procedures.

• Staff regularly review the latest research, welfare guidelines, and training materials to ensure our practices remain current and evidence-based.

• Safety, welfare, and event protocols are fully documented and reviewed prior to every engagement, ensuring consistency and the highest level of care for both rabbits and participants.

Our training approach is designed to ensure rabbits are confident, well-adjusted, and comfortable in therapeutic settings. It is rooted in behavioral science, animal-assisted therapy best practices, and years of practical experience.

• Bonding Protocols: Rabbits are introduced to one another gradually to form compatible groups, often with a natural alpha structure. Group compositions are regularly reviewed and adjusted to maintain harmony and reduce stress.

• Human Socialization: Rabbits receive daily one-on-one interaction with trained handlers to build trust, familiarity, and comfort around people.

• Skill Learning: Through gentle, reward-based training, rabbits are taught to respond to words such as “go inside,” “stop,” “kiss,” “hug,” and “friend.”

• Therapeutic Comfort: Rabbits are conditioned to remain calm during gentle handling, accept petting from strangers, and participate safely in structured activities.

We also monitor staff–rabbit interactions closely to ensure handlers themselves are bonding well with the animals. If we observe that a rabbit appears stressed in the presence of a particular staff member, we investigate the root cause — this could be due to strong perfumes, specific clothing styles, or accessories that make the rabbit uncomfortable. Once identified, we work with staff to adjust these factors to promote positive interactions.

For the comfort and safety of the rabbits, we also advise both staff and audiences not to wear reflective sunglasses or other reflective eyewear during interactions, as these can sometimes cause confusion or unease for the rabbits.

Supervised Public Handling

When guests hold, pet, or carry rabbits, it is always done under direct staff supervision and in accordance with strict safety protocols designed to protect both the animal and the participant.

Before interaction begins, our team provides clear verbal instructions and demonstrations on the safest, most comfortable ways to handle the rabbits — including proper support, gentle petting techniques, and recognizing signs that a rabbit may need a break. These guidelines are reinforced throughout the event to ensure consistent, respectful handling.

To support these efforts, we have created instructional videos that demonstrate the best methods for interacting with our bunnies. These videos are used during training, shared with event hosts, and, when needed, adapted into personalized educational videos for children, schools, and community groups to help them learn how to care for and engage with rabbits appropriately.

During events, staff continuously monitor each rabbit’s stress and comfort levels. This includes:

• Checking the rabbit’s heart rate during handling to ensure it remains within a healthy range.

• Observing the placement of their ears, facial expressions, and overall body language to detect signs of stress or discomfort.

• Taking immediate action — such as returning the rabbit to its enclosure for rest — if any signs of distress are observed.

We also document events through photographs and observational notes, capturing moments of interaction. After each event, these materials are reviewed to evaluate rabbit engagement, comfort, and behavior patterns. This post-event assessment helps us identify any adjustments needed to ensure each rabbit remains happy, relaxed, and positively engaged in future programs.

Continuous Welfare Monitoring

Beyond events, our continuous welfare monitoring system ensures that rabbits are safe and comfortable around the clock:

• Camera Surveillance: We have installed cameras to monitor the bunnies day and night. Staff review live feeds and look for any signs of sudden movement, unusual posture, or vocalizations, responding immediately if needed.

• Nighttime Preparation: Every evening before the bunnies sleep, we ensure their environment is calm, secure, and ready for rest. Fresh, clean water and hay are provided in sufficient quantities to last through the night.

• Sleep Health: We monitor that each rabbit receives adequate sleep hours at night and enough naps during the day. If a rabbit is sleeping excessively or not enough, we investigate potential environmental or social causes and address them promptly.

We also document events and daily care through photographs, notes, and monitoring reports, allowing us to track each rabbit’s engagement, comfort, and overall well-being over time.

Retirement & Lifelong Care

We are committed to providing lifelong care for every rabbit in our program, ensuring they remain healthy, comfortable, and loved long after their active event participation has ended.

• Rabbits remain in our care for their entire lives.

• Senior rabbits are given softer bedding, easier access to food and water, and reduced event participation.

• We ensure they continue to receive affection, enrichment, and medical care in their later years.