Rabbit Meadows

After reading the negative reviews, I feel a need to chime in on my own experience with Rabbit Meadows. I have been a customer of Rabbit Meadows for 15 years now. I buy all of my supplies from them, have boarded my pets there (rabbits and guinea pigs), and have sought advice for their care. I have also been a volunteer periodically throughout those years, both cleaning cages, litterboxes and feeding/​watering. Regarding the boarding, Rabbit Meadows is definitely the place you want to bring your beloved pet. It’s not just a matter of making sure your pet has enough food and water, but it’s mainly because of Sandi Ackerman’s expertise with the animals in case your pet develops a medical issue during your absence. She is an expert at not only recognizing medical issues with the animals in her care, but she is also extremely competent at administering medical treatment or just making sure your pet is as comfortable as possible should issues arise. She is the person I trust the most to keep a careful eye on my animals if I can’t be there to watch them myself. Regarding the negative reaction received by the person who wants to dump their pet for someone else to care for, I just want to say that Rabbit Meadows is not a dumping grounds for irresponsible pet owners. I think it probably just gets really tiring to hear of all the excuses people come up with for their short-​term thinking when they adopted the animal to begin with. Yes, there are legitimate folks out there who have really good reasons to give up their pets. But let’s face it, there’s a lot of people out there who bought baby bunnies or guinea pigs for their small children, thinking it’s really cool for them to have these are «starter pets». Only to find out later how much work it really was. Lastly, Rabbit Meadows does sell supplies for the animals. They have the best and least expensive hay available (don’t buy from Petsmart or Petco, their hay is horrible and expensive!).

I’ve been both a customer and a volunteer at this location and based on previous reviews hinting at bad customer service, I’m hoping to shed some light into the responses given to individuals who have been turned away from giving up their pets directly to Rabbit Meadows. The website (though a bit outdated and hard to navigate) clearly states they do not accept pets from private parties. Rabbit Meadows only helps out rabbits from other local shelters, which is where people should be giving up their pets if they have to. I’ve volunteered a 4 hour shift where I’ve heard three different people calling to ask about this, and it wasn’t even during the months after Easter (when most of the baby bunny present novelty wears off and people don’t want their rabbits anymore) so I’m sure it’s understandable if Sandi is a little terse over the phone when she has to explain over and over again.
Rabbit Meadows is a fantastic rescue though– when I adopted my boys from a different shelter in Seattle it was clear that neither of them had ever had a single vegetable before, let alone rabbit pellets. My rabbits’ underfur was matted with urine and droppings (probably from having to sit in hutches that weren’t cleaned frequently), nails were overgrown, and it looked like a brush had never been run through their coats. As a volunteer, I can attest that each rabbit is given time outside of their hutch to exercise in a larger pen, hutches are cleaned every other day, and at around 4−5pm, all the animals (gerbils, guinea pigs, rats included) are impatient to chow down on some vegetables. Pellets are given twice daily and all rabbits are groomed and nails clipped. All the rabbits at Rabbit Meadows are ones with great personalities, Sandi says she fosters all of the ones who are troublemakers at her own home.
Rabbit Meadows also provides pet boarding services for $ 10 per day that includes hay, pellets and daily exercise. Bonded pairs is $ 12.50 per day as of the date of this review, and these prices are half of what I’ve seen at vets. I’ve used their boarding services several times now and Sandi always gives me great updates whenever I call to check in. They also sell all the pet supplies you need– I love going there to pick up the Crown pellet bedding because I know I’m supporting a really great shelter.
FYI my rabbits are 100% free roaming, indoor pets in a bunny-​proofed home. Their social level is in between a dog and a cat, but I have the independence of a cat owner in terms of food, water, and litter box. As with all animal shelters, the screening process of Rabbit Meadows is thorough and careful to make sure all their rabbits are going to good homes.

Warning! Never board your animals here! Rabbit Meadows, and specifically the woman who runs it, Sandi Ackerman, agreed to care for my rabbit Benjamin. Our rabbit left her care crippled. When I dropped him off he was sick with an ear infection, but was alert, able to stand, drink and eat. Sandi assured me that she had 25 years of experience with house rabbits and the House Rabbit Society and that she would be able to care for him. She offered to treat him for a common rabbit parasite were his condition not to improve, because she suspected he might have a parasite. I signed the boarding intake form authorizing her to notify me before treating him at a veterinarian were his condition to worsen, and she verbally assured me two times that she would notify me were his condition to deteriorate. When my husband picked up Benjamin he was lying on his side in his own urine, unable to stand, eat or drink. It was a clear medical emergency of which she failed to notify us. Further, I had told her that my sister in law works for our regular exotic vet. We could have easily arranged for Benjamin to be picked up and taken to the vet. Instead, he was neglected, and her response was that it was my fault and she «hates» my vet. We had to take Benjamin to the emergency vet where he was again diagnosed with an ear infection and a parasite. We don’t know whether he will live because his condition is now very serious. I trusted this woman and Rabbit Meadows, but I must say that she should not be permitted to care for animals ever again.

We love Rabbit Meadows! We have a 3 year old mini Holland Lop that we got somewhere else because we hadn’t yet found this place. We buy all our supplies here though, and hope to adopt another bunny when the right fit comes along. The owner often offers her help and suggestions on proper care, and she is very careful when screening people who want to adopt. She really wants these bunnies to find the right, lifelong home, which is why we love this place so much!

check out the reviews on the old location — its the same people, same experience.
Read the responses from the owner — its very telling. Especially the one who wanted to surrender their rabbit to them, and was told no.
I really wish I could like this place– I keep trying, but the staff are so rude it’s just impossible. Even the signage is rude — there are much nicer ways to ask people not to put their fingers in the cage, and it’s never ok for them to publicly shame a bounced check (for a whopping $ 27 I might add) by putting it under the glass by the cash and a note that if anyone knows this person to please tell them to pay up (no it wasnt me — I saw it there buying supplies and was appalled). Obviously as a charity it’s not ok for checks to get bounced — of course it stinks — but publicly shaming your customers over $ 27 is never ok. And for the love of god dont EVER bring a child in with you — even well behaved ones that keep their hands to themselves.
I did briefly talk with a staff member about adopting a rabbit (older woman) and was quickly shut down. Guess what — I adopted one off Craigslist, from a friendly and lovely family.
I hate to discourage anyone from adopting here, but you know what? They wont adopt to you anyway. Unless you’re willing to have indoor only rabbits, give them their own rabbit proof room in the house so they can be cage-​free, you dont have kids, and youre willing to subject yourself to a home inspection by them, its not happening.