By Vivian Schoonover, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post
“You see the best and worst of humanity when you work in a rescue,” says Eilan Keister, the founder of local Avalon Microsanctuary. Avalon is a nonprofit shelter, primarily focused on rabbit rescue and rehabilitation.
Keister founded Avalon in June of 2020, on her 16th birthday. “Instead of having a Sweet 16, I begged my mom to let me rescue one animal for my birthday, and then one turned into many,” she says. Keister’s first rescues were two piglets. Soon after came chickens, ducks, quails, kittens and eventually the rabbits that would become Avalon’s primary focus.
Avalon moved from Keister’s home to a commercial space in 2025 and is currently based on SE Gladstone St. and 42nd Ave. This new space has allowed the organization to expand operations significantly. “Not being home-run is the best [and] I think that that is the reason that the rescue has grown,” says Keister. “The social media has grown too, which is nice because we’re now reaching people from all over the world.” Social media also allows potential donors—some of Avalon’s are from as far away as Mexico and Finland—to learn about the rescue and what caring for a rabbit entails.
“[In] Oregon, there’s such a huge problem with dumped rabbits…and a lot of people are not aware of it,” says Keister, citing this issue as the motivation for Avalon. While the rescue aims to assist rabbits in need, Keister acknowledges that the breadth of the issue requires other solutions in addition to rescuing. “We don’t want to just forever be taking in animals and not trying to figure out how to solve that problem,” she comments.
Keister says rabbits are often viewed as requiring minimal care and basic equipment. Sometimes purchased as young as eight weeks old, rabbits require more involvement than unprepared owners might think. “Everything might be good and fine until that baby turns [about] four to six months old because that’s when their hormones start coming in,” explains Keister. “They can become really destructive.”
When people hastily adopt without conducting proper research, this change can be jarring. In reality, it’s a marker of adolescence, signifying that they are old enough to be spayed or neutered. Spaying a female bunny prevents uterine cancer, which upwards of 70 percent of unspayed bunnies contract, and reduces destructive behavior. Additionally, spaying prevents pregnancy.
Stephanie Mirkes, a volunteer and Board member at Avalon, estimates that nearly 90 percent of female intakes are already pregnant. Mirkes explains that the first step of the intake process is always a thorough check up, followed by necessary treatments. After that, they can be spayed or neutered. Once bunnies have been tended to, they are photographed and posted to Avalon’s website for adoption.
Prospective adopters complete an online application that directs first-time owners to information about rabbit care, and those hoping to bond their current bunny with a new friend are directed to information about the process. Then an adoption specialist reaches out for a phone call and home visit to ensure that the bunny will have a safe space to stay.
Finally, the adopter can meet the bunnies, and those who already own one can bring them in for a “bunny speed date.” Mirkes explains, “Most bunnies do better as a pair, but rabbits are super picky.” It’s important to find a good match before permanently adding another bunny to the mix, which is why this introduction is a necessity. During the speed-dating process, bunnies can interact within the sanctuary to find a good fit before finalizing adoption.
Even once the bunnies are brought home, “It’s kind of like a trial, [to see if] it work[s] for everybody in the house,” says Mirkes. Avalon’s adoption method aims to ensure their rabbits end up in capable homes. “Our adoption process takes at least a week,” says Mirkes. “If you have people that are resistant and they don’t want to go through it…that may be a red flag.”
While Avalon’s ultimate goal is to secure a safe home for the bunnies, some arrive with medical conditions, meaning that they cannot be listed for adoption. Keister helps to care for these animals, explaining, “If any bunny has any sort of moderate medical condition, I’ll just take them home with me.” She works at an exotic animal vet clinic in her spare time and brings her medical knowledge to the sanctuary.
Eventually, some of these rabbits can be transferred to a medical foster who can provide specialized care. Support from fosters and volunteers helps to ensure every rabbit receives the care they need. Avalon has about five to 10 consistent volunteers who regularly visit to care for the bunnies, along with other, less consistent volunteers. “I think that volunteer[ing] with bunnies as [a] first animal experience…really teaches people empath[y],” says Keister. “If you’re volunteering in a room full of 30 prey animals, you have to learn to be very respectful to them and aware of their behavior.”
These volunteers are vital to Avalon’s mission. “We have volunteers that are teenagers,…volunteers that are retired and older [and people from] all different walks of life, but we all really love the rabbits,” says Mirkes. “It’s a huge sense of community.” Avalon can be found online at avalonmicrosanctuary.org.
One of Avalon Microsanctuary’s rabbits, Chewbacette. Photo by Vivian Schoonover.
