Adoption Process
Adoption Process
We’re thrilled you are interested in adopting one (or more!) of our bunnies. We care a lot about every one of our bunnies, so we ask that you be very prepared for the adoption process.
Step 1: Do your research.
Please use our site to do some basic research and preparation for your new family member:
Create appropriate indoor housing for your new rabbit or rabbits
Learn about a safe & healthy diet for rabbits
Our shopping list for the basics you’ll need
Consider buying one of the reference books we recommend
Read about the importance of having a companion for your rabbit
Start bunny proofing your home
Choose one of our local recommended small animal veterinarians
Learn about bunny bonding. If you are looking for a companion for a rabbit you already have, make sure you know the gender of your rabbit, whether your bunny is spayed or neutered, and when your rabbit received its most recent RHDV2 vaccine.
Step 2: Check out our adoptable bunnies online
We try to keep all of the information about our adoptable bunnies on Petfinder. Here’s what to keep in mind as you look at our adoptables:
Do you already have a bunny?
We’ll suggest that you find a bunny of the opposite sex to bond your rabbit with. You MUST have your existing rabbit spayed or neutered before you adopt a companion from Special Bunny, and all of our bunnies are spayed or neutered before we adopt them out.
Is this your first bunny?
Consider the bonded pairs we have for adoption. Two bunnies are just as easy as one, and they are wonderful to watch and interact with. You’ll also know for sure that your new pets will have the company they need to stay happy and healthy.
Consider letting us recommend the right bunny or bunnies for you. We know the personalities of all of our rabbits, and we’ll be able to suggest the perfect ‘match’ for you.
Do you have kids?
It’s a big misconception that bunnies are good ‘starter pets’ to help ‘teach kids responsibility.’ This couldn’t be further from the truth. Unlike most of the other animals people keep as pets, rabbits are prey animals. This means they are particularly delicate and must have adult caretakers. Rabbits are delicate and complex animals that are easy to care for if you are an adult and have done your research.
However, there are lots of bunnies that do great in households with children. If you have kids, let us help you choose the right bunny or bunnies to join your family.
Do you have other pets?
Just like some bunnies do well with kids, some bunnies do well with other pets. As a rule, bunnies are fine with house cats. If anything, we find that the cats are the ones who end up being a little bit…wary…of the bunnies. We have never had a situation where a bunny was endangered by a house cat, but we can talk to you about any concerns you have.
We don’t adopt to any home that has a dog. We know that some dogs are absolutely fine with rabbits, but experience led us to make this a rule for our shelter for the safety of our bunnies.
Don’t see the perfect bunny on our site?
As much as we’d love to keep our Petfinder listings perfectly accurate, we’re pretty busy and we often have bunnies who are available but not listed on Petfinder. Contact us to let us know what kind of rabbit you are looking for (gender, etc.) even if you don’t see the perfect bun online!
Step 3: Take photos of the housing you’ve created for your new bunny or bunnies. You will have to send them to us with your application.
Our first questions are always about the housing your plan to provide your bunny or bunnies. We must see photos of your bunny housing before we can proceed.
Here are some of the criteria we use when assessing bunny housing:
The housing must be indoors. We do not adopt bunnies to people who plan to keep them outside.
The housing must be adequately sized for the bunny or bunnies. Note that most cages sold in large pet supply stores are NOT adequate for bunnies, no matter what they say on the packaging.
There must be a plan for, and photos of, exercise areas outside of any bunny housing. For example, you may plan to house your bunny in a large enclosure, but if you do not have a plan for how, when, and where you will let your new pet out to play and exercise, we may not approve your application.
For more ideas on great ways to create a wonderful home environment for your bunny or bunnies, please read our housing page.
Step 4: Fill out an adoption application & make an appointment to come meet the bunnies
The adoption application helps us understand your housing situation and your expectations for your new pet, and it also lets us know you are serious about potentially adopting. Once we have your application, we’ll contact you to set up an appointment for you to come out to the shelter and meet the bunnies…which can include a ‘speed dating’ session for your existing rabbit.
Our shelter is approximately 30 minutes from downtown Seattle–it’s a pleasant drive. Basically, you’ll go to the end of 520 and then drive around 15 more minutes past lots of trees and pastures to get to Special Bunny. We don’t publish our address for our own safety and the safety of our animals.
Expect to be asked lots of questions about everything mentioned on this page…including how much research you’ve done, the housing you intend to provide for your rabbits, existing pets, kids, etc.
Step 5: Adoption contract
If everything goes well, you will fill out a second form, our adoption contract. Part of that contract says that you will never give your bunny away without contacting us–you can ALWAYS bring a Special Bunny rabbit back to us, no questions asked.
We do have adoption fees for single bunnies and pairs.
Step 6: Follow up
We really care about these animals! We hope to be in touch with all of our adopters so we can help with any issues you may encounter in your bunny-ownership adventures. We are also always available to board your bunnies, sell you some of our awesome delicious hay, or even do housecalls to take care of nails, glands, ears, and basic help with bunny set-ups or bonding.