In the summer of 2020, Western Mass started to see increasing numbers of dumped domestic rabbits. Tipped off by social media, a group of volunteers regularly set out to rescue these abandoned pets, adhering to COVID safety protocols while humanely trapping the rabbits using exercise pens.
These volunteers included local rabbit aficionados Jessica and Mark Riel, Jordana Starr, and Mike Schilling, who recognized the growing need for a domestic rabbit rescue and foster network that specifically serves the people (and bunnies!) of Western Massachusetts.