so you want to volunteer at laas or lbacs
The rabbit volunteers at Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) and Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) are the reason the rabbits in those facilities fare as well as they do. Not the system - the volunteers. They are showing up on weekends, on weekday mornings, on days when the shelter is overwhelmed and the staff is stretched thin, and they are doing the work that keeps rabbits fed, socialized, clean, and visible to potential adopters.
If you love rabbits and you have capacity to give - this is one of the most meaningful things you can do with it.
Here is what it actually looks like.
What Volunteers Do
LAAS
Rabbit volunteers handle feeding, cleaning, socialization and playtime, grooming, and adoption counseling. Adoption counseling is particularly valuable - it is the difference between a rabbit going home with a family who is genuinely prepared and one who surrenders the animal three months later. A volunteer who can speak knowledgeably about rabbit behavior, diet, housing, and veterinary needs during an adoption conversation is doing welfare work that extends far beyond the shelter walls.
LBACS
The volunteer program at LBACS is more selective. The volunteer lead runs a tighter program and is particular about who he brings in - which is a feature, not a limitation. A smaller, more skilled volunteer pool means more consistent, higher quality care for the animals. BCB is called in specifically for grooming and complex cases, and fostering is an active part of how LBACS moves rabbits through the system. If you are accepted into the LBACS volunteer program, you are part of a team that takes the work seriously.
How to Apply
Both shelters have formal application processes and orientations. Both require a minimum time commitment - this is not a drop-in situation. LBACS takes an additional step and conducts a background check.
Both programs are significantly better organized now than they were five years ago. If you looked into volunteering in the past and found the process unclear or the program disorganized, it is worth looking again.
LBACS Volunteer Application (note: LBACS is not accepting volunteers as of August 2026 but still need active fosters - you may contact the BCB if you would like to join our foster network)
What a Rabbit-Savvy Volunteer Can Do That Others Can't
The shelter system was built for dogs and cats. Rabbit care protocols are often thin, inconsistently applied, or based on outdated information. Staff who are genuinely rabbit-knowledgeable are the exception, not the rule - and the volunteers who fill that gap are providing something the system genuinely cannot provide for itself.
A rabbit-savvy volunteer can:
Assess a rabbit's temperament accurately - you understand that a frozen rabbit with flattened ears is not an aggressive rabbit, they are a terrified one
Advocate directly and specifically for individual animals - flagging medical concerns, recommending appropriate housing, pushing for veterinary attention when it is needed
Recognize early signs of GI stasis, respiratory distress, and EC that untrained staff might miss
Train newer volunteers in rabbit-specific handling, reading body language, and basic care
Provide grooming for breeds that require it - lops, angoras, and wool breeds that are otherwise at risk of matting and related complications
Provide in-depth feedback during adoption counseling to ensure that a rabbit will thrive in their new home and limit returns
This is real, skilled work. If you have this knowledge, you are genuinely needed.
The Emotional Reality
Volunteering in a shelter environment is hard. You will see animals in distress. You will become attached to rabbits who get adopted but unfortunately. You will have days where the system feels impossible and the need feels infinite.
If you find yourself emotionally depleted, physically exhausted, and running on obligation rather than genuine desire to show up - that is not a personal failure. This is a sign that this particular form of giving is not the right fit for you right now. That is okay.
Volunteering should be rewarding. Not every day will feel good - but if it consistently doesn't, step back. Compassion fatigue is real, and a burned-out volunteer serves no one.
The rabbits need advocates who can sustain the work. Knowing your limits is part of being a good one.
A Few Practical Notes
If you are allergic to hay - this is not the volunteer role for you.
Hay is everywhere in a small animal shelter environment. There is no way around it.
Volunteer on your own time, as yourself.
If you are affiliated with a rescue organization or a rabbit-focused business, leave that at the door. Volunteering is personal. Bringing organizational affiliations into a shelter environment creates conflicts of interest that complicate relationships with staff and other volunteers. Show up as a person who loves rabbits. That is enough.
Advocate respectfully and persistently.
If you see something that concerns you, a rabbit who is housed incorrectly, showing signs of illness, or being misread by staff, say something. Politely. Specifically. More than once if necessary. Shelter staff are overwhelmed, not indifferent. A knowledgeable advocate who communicates with respect is a resource. One who comes in with judgment is a problem.
Foster when you can.
LAAS does not currently have a foster system, but LBACS does. Fostering a rabbit frees up a shelter kennel, gives an animal a real home environment during their most vulnerable period, and dramatically improves their adoptability. If you have the space and the capacity, fostering is one of the highest-impact things a volunteer can do.
Is This for You?
If you love rabbits, have consistent availability, can handle the emotional weight of shelter work, and want to do something that genuinely matters - yes.
Apply. Show up. Stay.
The rabbits at LAAS and LBACS need people who know what they are looking at. If that is you, they need you specifically.
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