before you board your rabbit

In August 2026, a Studio City pet boarding facility came under investigation following the suspicious deaths of multiple dogs in their care. We will not name the facility as the investigation is ongoing. However, the family whose dog died had done their research - the facility had positive Yelp reviews; they met the trainer; they paid $10,000. Yet, none of that was enough - because they never saw the actual facility, never confirmed who would be physically present overnight, and never verified that the business had a real address.

In response to the incident, LA Animal Services urged every pet parent to tour boarding facilities before dropping off their animals, stating that a reputable facility will welcome prospective clients to inspect their accommodations, safety protocols, and general environment.

However, we think that is the minimum - although Bun Chia Burrow is a small pet hotel, we implore you to ask the following questions.

A Note Before We Begin
Boarding your rabbit is not a decision to make based on price or convenience alone. It is a decision about who you trust with an animal who cannot tell you if something goes wrong.

Bun Chia Burrow has been operating as a rabbit boarding facility since 2022, and as a commercial facility since 2025. Before we opened, most rabbit parents in Southern California had limited options: a trusted friend, a rescue organization offering boarding as a community service, or a general pet facility without rabbit-specific expertise. We built BCB because we could not find a boarding option we trusted for our own rabbits. Marshmallow, Macaron, and Chocolatte traveled with us everywhere - because the alternative did not meet our standard. 

That experience shaped everything about how BCB operates. It also gave us a clear picture of what rabbit parents should be asking before they entrust their beloved rabbit/s to anyone.

Schedule to See the Facility In-Person Prior to the Reservation
BCB has offered tours at every inquiry since we opened. We have nothing to hide - and a facility that will not show you where your pet will sleep, eat, and spend their time is telling you something important.

Ask to see the enclosure set-ups. Ask to see the cleaning supplies. Ask to see the emergency kit. A reputable facility will not hesitate to schedule a tour. If they deflect, offer only photos, or refuse to let you see the actual space before your reservation - the hesitation is very telling.

Five Questions that Matter Most
While touring, make sure to ask these questions:

1. What does "24/7 care" actually mean?
   This is the single most important question you can ask, where the answer requires specifics.

   A rabbit's GI tract cycles every 3-6 hours. A rabbit who stops eating at midnight is in the danger zone by morning. If no one is physically present overnight, changes in your rabbit's condition go unnoticed until someone arrives the next day.

   When a facility says they provide "24/7 care" or "daily care," ask specifically: is someone physically on-site overnight, every night? This does not mean on-call or checking cameras remotely. Physically present. This distinction matters enormously for a species whose health can change that quickly.

2. Who is actually handling your rabbit - and how often?
   Rabbits are social animals. A stay that involves food, water, and a clean enclosure, but minimal human interaction, is a welfare gap that most rabbit parents don't think to ask about.

   Ask: who handles my rabbit during their stay? How much daily social time do they receive? What does enrichment look like - toys, foraging, free roam? Is enrichment provided or should I bring my own?

   The person answering this question should be able to tell you specifically what a typical day looks like for a boarding guest - not just that their rabbit will be "well cared for."

   BONUS: Are the people handling your rabbit actually trained?This is different from asking who handles your rabbit -this is asking what they know.

   A facility can have someone present 24/7 and still have an undertrained person making decisions about your rabbit's health.

   Ask specifically: what training does your staff have in rabbit behavior and emergency care? Can they recognize the early signs of GI stasis, respiratory distress, or behavioral stress? Are they equipped to make judgment calls overnight when you are not reachable?

   At BCB, we also want to flag something that surprises most rabbit parents: your rabbit should never be interacting with other guests' rabbits during their stay. Unsupervised or unmanaged rabbit-to-rabbit contact can result in injury, stress, and the undoing of an existing bond. A facility that allows or encourages pet socialization between non-bonded rabbits has not thought through the welfare implications of that decision.

   Ask: are rabbits ever allowed to interact with other guests' rabbits? Under what circumstances?

3. What is their GI stasis protocol?
   GI stasis is the most common rabbit emergency. It is also one of the most time-sensitive. A boarding facility whose staff cannot describe the early signs of stasis, reduced droppings, decreased appetite, hunched posture, quiet gut sounds, is a facility that may not catch it in time.

   Ask: what are the early signs of stasis your staff watches for? At what point do you contact the owner? At what point do you seek veterinary care? Who makes that call overnight?

   A facility with real rabbit expertise can answer these questions immediately and specifically. Vague reassurance is not an answer.

4. What is their cleaning protocol: during and between stays
   There are two separate cleaning questions worth asking. The first is what daily cleaning looks like during your rabbit's stay. The second, and less obvious, is what happens to the enclosure between one guest leaving and the next arriving.

   Parasites, bacteria, and pathogens can survive on surfaces. An enclosure that is cleaned daily during a stay but not fully sanitized between guests is an enclosure of unknown cleanliness for your rabbit.

   Ask: how is the enclosure cleaned during my rabbit's stay? What happens to the space between guests? What cleaning products do you use?

5. What is their parasite protocol?
   Fleas and mites are currently circulating widely in the Southern California rabbit community - including in indoor-only rabbits. A rabbit who arrives at any boarding facility with an undetected infestation can transmit parasites to other guests through shared environments and surfaces.

   Ask: what happens if a guest arrives with fleas or mites? How is the situation managed? Are other families notified? What treatment is offered and under whose guidance?

   A facility with a clear parasite protocol has thought through this scenario before it became an emergency. A facility without one has not.

Other Things Worth Considering
Beyond the five core questions, here are additional things worth knowing before you reserve:

• Health Requirements: Does the facility require RHDV-2 vaccination verification and wellness certificates if they serve other small pets? These requirements protect every animal in the space, including yours.

• Guest Animal Insurance: Does the facility carry insurance that covers guests in the event of an accidental injury? This is not standard practice - ask specifically.

• Exotic vet relationships: Which exotic vet does the facility use for emergencies? Do they have an established relationship with an after-hours clinic?

• Enclosure size: What is the square footage of the space your rabbit would stay in? Does it meet the Association of Shelter Veterinarians' 2025 guidelines?

• Update Frequency: How often will you receive updates? What does communication look like if something changes?

• Pricing transparency: Are pricing and policies clearly documented before you make reservations?

What Good Answers Sound Like
A facility that knows rabbits can answer every one of these questions immediately, specifically, and without hesitation. They have thought through these scenarios not because someone asked, but because they care about the outcomes.

You are not being demanding by asking. You are being a responsible rabbit parent. Any facility worth trusting will welcome these questions - and their answers (or lack thereof) will tell you everything you need to know.

BCB's standard
At BCB, someone is physically on-site around the clock - every morning, every night, without exception. We have offered tours at every inquiry since we opened. Every guest receives daily social time and enrichment. Every enclosure is fully sanitized between guests using Rescue disinfectant, the same standard used in veterinary clinics. Our GI stasis protocol is documented and practiced. Our parasite protocol, covering fleas, mites, and other external parasites, involves immediate quarantine, veterinary-guided treatment, proactive pre-treatment of all guests with family approval, and full enclosure sanitization before any new guest checks in. 

Every rabbit is RHDV-2 verified before check-in. Every guest is covered by pet insurance through Pet Sitters Associates. We have established relationships with exotic vets across LA and Orange County - and we can tell you exactly which clinic we would call at 2AM.

We built this because we knew what we would want for our own rabbits. Now you know what to ask for yours.

See our LA + OC Exotic Vet Directory →