How Lawai D built an island safety net
While volunteering at Aloha Animal Sanctuary two years ago, HTA Distance Learning junior Lawai D noticed a gap in the island’s animal welfare system: specialized care for rabbits. While general shelters handle the basics, rabbits are fragile, high-stress animals that require niche medical knowledge often unavailable in traditional settings.
“I always wanted to start a bunny rescue because there simply weren’t any on-island,” Lawai says.
Rather than waiting for someone else to fill the gap, Lawai leveraged the flexibility of her distance learning schedule to build Better Bunny. She didn’t just find a few volunteers; she assembled a board of small-business expertise, waded through the legal labyrinth of nonprofit incorporation, and established a foster-based network.
Today, she serves as Executive Director, managing a team of 20 and personally fostering upwards of 10 rabbits at a time in her own home.
Lawai’s leadership isn’t just administrative — it’s highly technical. Her background includes her Career-Based Learning experience as the animal wellness manager at Aloha Animal Sanctuary. While there, she made headlines for adopting Bala, the baby goat famously rescued from a cliffside on west O‘ahu. These days, Lawai is working and gaining valuable experience as a vet tech at Ha‘ikū Veterinary Clinic.
Her technical expertise is the backbone of Better Bunny. Lawai handles initial intakes and treats complex pathologies such as GI stasis — a life-threatening digestive shutdown triggered by stress.
“You have to move quickly,” she explains. “It often requires force feeding to get their systems moving immediately.”
She also trains her rescue team in humane capture. Because some stray local bunnies are generations removed from human contact, Lawai teaches slow-approach net techniques and trapping methods designed to minimize trauma for the skittish animals.
As Lawai prepares for her transition to college, her focus has shifted toward Better Bunny’s long-term sustainability. She is currently delegating responsibilities to a PR manager and event coordinators to ensure Better Bunny remains self-sufficient. Fundraising is also a priority as the organization looks to host more creative events such as Bunny Yoga.
The financial hurdle is steep — it costs roughly $450 to intake, spay, and neuter a rabbit, while adoption fees only cover $150. To bridge the gap, Lawai is shifting the focus toward a recurring donor model to provide a reliable safety net.
Lawai plans to study Animal Science at UH-Mānoa before eventually heading off-island for veterinary school. But no matter where her path leads, her heart — and her expertise — remains with the rescue she built from the ground up.
GET INVOLVED
Follow the mission or inquire about fostering at @betterbunnyhawaii on Instagram or visit betterbunny.org.
Lawai joined Hawaii News Now’s Annalisa Burgos to discuss responsible bunny care and ownership. Watch here.
