The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of using a modified heat recovery ventilation system (HRVs) in a rabbit house as a source of fresh air preheating to improve the indoor air quality in cold region. An air-to-air heat recovery ventilation system was tested in a rabbit house in Jilin Province (Northeast China). When compared with the control house, the average temperature of the treatment house had no significantly decline when a minimum ventilation rate was applied (P>0.05). The relative humidity, the concentrations of ammonia and carbon dioxide were lower than those in the control house(P<0.05).The system had a moderate performance on sensible heat recovery effectiveness, and no significant difference was observed when the outdoor temperature varied from -15°C to 5°C. Sensible heat recovery effectiveness could be significantly affected by motor heat generation. The system was proved more able to resist freezing in cold working condition than the traditional one.