The Rabbit Haven was formed to achieve the following goals:

• To provide emergency rescue, shelter, medical care, foster care, and spay/neuter services for abandoned or endangered rabbits.
• To place these rabbits into permanent, safe, loving, indoor homes.
• To educate the public about rabbits, specifically their care, feeding and grooming; their medical and social needs; and their behaviors.

Rabbit Haven rescues injured and abandoned rabbits and accepts surrendered rabbits from the general public, from shelters and from other rescue organizations in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey Counties. Rabbit Haven works in the community, at schools, with our local SPCA, local shelters and other education groups to provide public education on rabbit care, feeding, grooming, medical needs, social requirements and behavioral information.

Heather Bechtel, founder and director of The Rabbit Haven, has a long history of compassion for animals. "As far back as 1958, I have been rescuing and providing care for abandoned animals," she notes. ”I cared for and helped find homes for many animals, such as bobcats, goats, cats, dogs, birds and rabbits. If they needed help, I provided it. I seemed to have the ability to relate to most animals very well and, since I could help, I did. If they needed medical help my mother, a registered nurse, would show me how to care for them. Doctors around also provided help and gave us supplies."

Heather's first rabbit, Bernstein, was found in the parking lot of a business He had been caught by some cats that seemed set on having him for breakfast, or at least as a perfect toy. She picked him up, and promptly fell in love with this tiny 4 week old bundle of bunny. She credits Bernstein (Bernie) with inspiring her to learn and to help share information about rabbits and how to care for them. Bernie was injured and sick and needed so much care which was very hard to find in 1988. In the process of finding medical and care information she realized that there was an glaring lack of any helpful information without in-depth research. Few veterinarians even knew how to care for them. This was a problem that was keeping many rabbit owners from being able to find good medical care. These problems had to be addressed. Rabbits were dying, abandoned, housed in fifthly hutches, fed improperly, and very few people knew exactly what to do. So much needed to change to make lasting changes in the lives of rabbits and their human companions.

Heather also learned that local shelters were inundated throughout the year with dumped rabbits that were dumped on their doorstep, abandoned, tossed out after various holidays. It seemed that the public just had no idea what a rabbit was- what they needed and seemed to care very little for their well being. Shelters also needed assistance to learn more about the special needs of these gentle animals. She began to volunteer almost full time at a local shelter to discover more and help to make some permanent changes and began an public education campaign as well.

Bernie’s plight and that of the shelter rabbits eventually led her to the formation of Rabbit Haven, a place where rabbits could receive sanctuary, care, and support and have the chance to find loving homes of their own. In addition, the Rabbit Haven Education Center was designed to help educate the public and shelter about rabbits the how to care for them. .Basically through the love of one bunny, Bernstein, thousands of rabbits have been saved from needless deaths at shelters and every year more and more people come to understand the nature of rabbits, and the care and support they require.

It is my pleasure to provide this community education program and rescue support for rabbits. Just looking into the eyes of one happy bunny makes it all worthwhile.