The Formation of the Rabbit.org Foundation: A New Chapter for Rabbit Welfare
Building upon decades of commitment to rabbit welfare, The Rabbit.org Foundation was founded in August 2023 to forge a new path in rabbit care and education. Paige K Parsons, the owner of the rabbit.org domain for nearly thirty years and the architect behind its creation in the 1990s, had originally entrusted its oversight to House Rabbit Society (HRS). However, recognizing the critical importance of safeguarding the site's future and ensuring its independence, Paige Parsons established a new nonprofit organization to manage it directly. The Rabbit.org Foundation was born to guarantee that rabbit.org remains the leading resource for rabbit caregivers and advocates, grounded in openness and collaboration.
From the outset, our mission has been to unite trusted voices in rabbit education and welfare to make accurate, compassionate information freely accessible to all. Our founding board brings together esteemed leaders in the rabbit community: Marinell Harriman, author of The House Rabbit Handbook and founder of House Rabbit Society; Paige Parsons, the original architect of rabbit.org; and Carl Waldspurger, a computer scientist whose technical expertise was pivotal in developing the site.
In preparation for our relaunch of rabbit.org in January 2024, we reached out to dozens of respected authors—including Margo DeMello, Mary Cotter, and Dana Krempels—for permission to reprint their educational materials. We were thrilled by their enthusiastic responses. Today, rabbit.org hosts over 300 articles from dozens of the most esteemed names in rabbit care and advocacy, creating a comprehensive resource for caregivers, rescuers, and veterinarians. Our articles are viewed over a million times yearly by more than 700,000 unique users from nearly every country in the world.
Prior to founding The Rabbit.org Foundation, Paige Parsons served on the HRS board twice (2001–2004, 2022) and was their Education Director for several years. However, growing concerns about leadership effectiveness and organizational openness prompted her to step down in 2022. After facing public disputes over her role and contributions, She decided to reclaim the rabbit.org domain and establish an independent nonprofit that fosters collaboration, integrity, and transparency in rabbit advocacy. The support of many respected former HRS leaders helped shape this new approach, which was driven by cooperation.
We're incredibly proud of the community we’re building. In addition to relaunching rabbit.org, we created EVERYBUNNY (a Slack space), where rescuers, educators, veterinarians, and advocates connect and collaborate. The group has grown to hundreds of members. We aim to create a supportive network free from divisions to make a meaningful difference for rabbits.
We’ve also played a key role in advocacy. We helped build a coalition of over a hundred rabbit welfare organizations, influencers, and advocates that successfully ended rabbit sales at Petco stores nationwide. This coalition demonstrates the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change and protecting rabbits from being sold into unsuitable homes.
The Rabbit.org Foundation is focused on creating a more compassionate world for rabbits by fostering a community built on collaboration, trust, and education. We’re excited for what lies ahead and believe that by working together, we can truly improve the lives of rabbits and their caregivers.