Triangle Rabbits receives 350-400 surrender requests per year and, as a small rescue organization, we are unable to take all the rabbits in need. We encourage you to try and find your rabbit a home. Check out our tips below or download Finding a New Home for a Rabbit.

Tips for Finding a New Home for your Rabbit:

• Talk with friends, coworkers and family to see if they want a rabbit. Ask if they can spread the word by sharing on social media.

• Take a great picture of your rabbit that captures their personality.

• Promote your rabbit in a positive but honest way. Talk about what makes them special. Indicate if they are litterbox trained, spayed or neutered, and how they get along with children, other animals, etc. Include their age and any medical conditions they may have.

• Post about your rabbit on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor.

• Use websites like home-home.org and RescueMe.org to connect with potential adopters in your area.

• Reach out to your local rabbit rescue group to see if they will put a courtesy post on their social media about your rabbit.

• Think carefully about what kind of home you want your rabbit to go to and carefully screen those who answer your ad. Do you want your rabbit to live indoors? In a home with children? Charge a reasonable rehoming fee to discourage people looking for rabbits for nefarious purposes.

Currently there are not many shelters and rescue groups in NC that work with rabbits, and those that do usually have a waiting list. You can contact local rescues to ask if they have room. It helps if you are willing to keep the rabbit temporarily. Please keep in mind that rescues are run by volunteers who have jobs and families, so it is very difficult for anyone to take in a rabbit "right this minute". Sometimes it can take several weeks, as space in rescue programs is dependent on adoptions. Some rescue and shelter programs will request proof of spay/neuter and vaccination.

If you are able to keep your rabbit short-term you can try these re-homing resources:

• SPCA of Wake County Helpline

• Home to Home

• RescueMe

• Rehome

If you have an immediate need to surrender a rabbit, contact your local county shelter or humane society.

We’re happy to post a courtesy listing for your rabbit on our social media. You’ll need to provide a good photo and contact information you’re comfortable sharing online. Listings must follow our social media guidelines, and you’ll be responsible for responding to inquiries.

Please let us know once the rabbit is adopted so we can update the post. We strongly recommend charging a small adoption fee to help protect rabbits from being taken as prey or food. Posts may not be used to sell rabbits—any reported sales will be removed without notice.

If you need to surrender a rabbit immediately, please contact your local animal shelter or humane society.

What is a courtesy listing?
It means the rabbit stays in your care—we haven’t met them or evaluated their health or behavior. We simply share the listing to help connect them with a new home. This is a free service.

To request a Courtesy Posting for your rabbit, please fill out this form.

Wild rabbits in North Carolina are Eastern cottontails, cousins to our European domestic rabbits. Domestic rabbits can have similar coloring, known as agouti, but their body type is quite different. Eastern cottontails have a lean, lightweight frame with long, slender legs and a wedge-shaped head. Their signature feature is their fluffy white tail—the classic cotton tail!

Cottontails are skittish, solitary animals adapted to outdoor life. They survive by foraging on native plants, finding water, and relying on strong instincts to avoid predators.

Domestic rabbits, on the other hand, are not equipped to live outdoors. They lack the survival instincts of their wild cousins and depend on humans for food, water, shelter, and veterinary care.

Always contact your local animal control for assistance before attempting to catch a stray rabbit, and be sure to follow all applicable laws. If it's safe and allowed, here are some tips to help catch a stray domestic rabbit:

1. Confirm the rabbit is domestic by looking for signs like unusual coat colors, larger size, or lop ears. Domestic rabbits are often less skittish than wild ones.

2. Chasing will scare the rabbit and make things harder. Stay calm and move slowly.

3. You can try using a humane trap (like a Havahart) with leafy greens, carrots, or banana. Set it where the rabbit spends time, and check it frequently. Local shelters often loan them to residents.

4. If the rabbit is friendly, set up an x-pen with food and water to lure them in gradually. Close the pen when they go inside.

5. Be patient and calm. Sit nearby with treats and let the rabbit come to you. This can take several days.

6. Once caught, bring the rabbit inside to a quiet, safe area with hay, water, and a litter box. Contact your local animal shelter or vet to check for a microchip and assess health.

Local animal shelters have information posted on their websites about their procedures for reporting a found pet. Please contact your local shelter and follow their instructions for reporting the rabbit to make sure no one is looking for them.

In addition to notifying the local shelter(s):

• Put up signs near where you found the rabbit that describes them and lists your phone number or email address. 

• Notify nearby veterinarians and bring them a flyer or photo to see if they recognize the rabbit as one of their patients.

• Check out local lost and found postings on local websites. 

• Take the rabbit to the closest veterinarian or animal shelter and have them scanned for a microchip. Veterinarians provide this service for free. If they have a microchip, you will be able to contact the owner based on the scanned information.

What if I still can't find an owner?

If you have tried all of the above and have not found an owner, you can consider the rabbit a stray. To surrender a stray, contact your local animal shelter. If you would like to try and re-home the rabbit yourself, we are happy to help you by listing them as a courtesy listing after the required hold period has passed.

It is illegal in North Carolina to keep wild rabbits or rehabilitate them without a license. Triangle Rabbits is not licensed to care for wild rabbits. Please see our Wildlife Resources for wildlife rehabilitators in your area.

If you find a wild baby bunny, the best thing you can do is put the bunny back in the general area where you found him. Mom will come back at night to find him. If the bunny is injured, please contact a wildlife rehabilitator or rabbit vet immediately.

Learn more:

Feeding & Caring For Orphans By Margie Wilson

Thank you for caring about rabbits who may be abused or neglected. If you have concerns, please report them to your local animal control agency or contact the North Carolina Attorney General’s Animal Welfare Hotline.

North Carolina Attorney General’s Animal Welfare Hotline:

1-855-290-6915

Reporting online

Triangle area:

Wake County Animal Control: 919-212-PETS (7387)
Chatham County Animal Shelter: 919-542-7203
Durham County office: 919-560-0630
Durham County after hours: 919-560-4606
Johnston County Animal Services: 919-934-8474
Orange County Animal Control: 919-942-PETS (7387)
City of Raleigh: 919-831-6311
Chapel Hill Town limits: 919-942-PETS (7387)
Carrboro Town limits: 919-883-8398
Town of Cary: 919-319-4517
Town of Holly Springs: 919-557-9111

Wilmington area:

New Hanover County Animal Control: 910-798-7500
for after hours emergencies use the 911 service

Triad area:

Guilford County Animal Control: 336-641-5990
Forsyth County Animal Control: 336-703-2490

Helpful links:

North Carolina Animal Cruelty Laws
Wake County SPCA Citizen Advocate Center
How to Report Cruelty in Orange County
Guidelines for Durham County