Amongst the cages and barrels of hay lining the walls of the House Rabbit Society of Missouri St. Louis are rows upon rows of fuzzy faces. Bunnies rescued around the St. Louis area are quick to call this chapter home, as the House Rabbit Society’s sole purpose claims to maintain the health and happiness of rabbits around the area.
Missouri House Rabbit Society is a non-profit organization primarily focused on the rescue of rabbits, and education surrounding the care and keeping of these furry friends. Despite not being open to the public, MHRS is welcoming to volunteers and their members alike, embracing help from six to nine PM each weekday.
“Our main objective is to foster an environment in which bunnies can socialize and prepare to be adopted into permanent homes,” Bruno Nojima, volunteer coordinator, said. “It is extremely rewarding to watch as the timid creatures who enter our doors blossom into companions awaiting their perfect home.”
Nojima said that he initially found this position through a singular volunteer opportunity, but quickly decided to become more involved with MHRS through helping coordinate volunteer experiences for others. He said that helping the rabbits temporarily housed at MHRS not only benefited these fluffy creatures, but aided the entire animal care community.
“We work in conjunction with many of the other House Rabbit Society chapters, mainly through discussing ways to share our knowledge with the community through classes and consultations,” Nojima said. “It is beneficial to both us and the community, as our volunteers learn how to take better care of their pets and the nature around them, and we learn from them as well.”
MHRS is a popular volunteer opportunity throughout the KHS community, as many students frequently visit these bunnies. In the extensive process to adopt and house rabbits, upholding a routine trip to MHRS has been a constant in senior Mallory Mihm’s life.
“I have been volunteering at [House Rabbit Society] for six years,” Mihm said. “I wanted a pet bunny, but my mom [didn’t agree], so her compromise was to visit the [MHRS].”
Mihm said she has learned extensively about responsibility and empathy from her experience volunteering, and has obtained the position as a shift leader there as well. She said she also introduced others to this experience in her junior year AP Government and Politics class.
“[For the project] I tried to get people from Kirkwood involved,” Mihm said. “I thought it was interesting for people to finally see the volunteering I’ve done for all of these years.”
Lucas Ravenscraft, AP Government teacher, said he too noticed this trend among his classes. He said that he had various students in each hour rave about their positive experiences handing the bunnies of St. Louis.
“It was so refreshing hearing my students express their love for volunteering in an organization like [MHRS],” Ravenscraft said. “I understand it’s a requirement for my class, but many students have even come back to tell me they continue to visit this organization today.”
If you are interested in volunteering for MHRS, visit their website at morabbit.org for more information.
