In the quiet Welsh countryside, a small rabbit rescue centre has found itself an unlikely battleground in Britain's raging culture wars. Carrot Cottage Rabbit Rescue, run by husband-and-wife team Chris and Daisy Barrett, was targeted by a militant online campaign that sought to destroy their charity, all stemming from a single social media interaction.
From Bunny Care to Online Fury
The trouble began in June 2024 when Chris Barrett, 42, who manages the sanctuary's social media, followed back an account on X (formerly Twitter). The Carrot Cottage account then had around 8,000 followers. Chris maintains it was an automatic, unconsidered action. "We don't look into who we follow," he explained. "We just randomly follow back anyone who interacts with our page."
Unbeknownst to him, the account he had followed had previously posted a light-hearted picture of a rabbit adorned with the colours of the Progress Pride Flag, humorously asking "is he trans?". Trans activists had deemed this offensive and had targeted that account holder as transphobic.
Activists then scrutinised Carrot Cottage's following list, labelling several accounts as transphobic. This, they concluded, meant the rescue's owners shared those views. Chris was bombarded with abusive messages, accused of following a "Nazi". In a bid to calm the situation, he tweeted: "Here is the issue. I support bunnies. I'm not here to advocate trans lives nor transphobia. It's literally just about bunnies."
This statement was catastrophically misinterpreted. Activists claimed he was "openly admitting" he did not care about transgender people. The abuse escalated rapidly. "All of a sudden, I was a 'bigot', a 'Nazi' and 'wanted trans kids to die'," Chris recalled. He was even falsely accused of being a paedophile and antisemitic.
A Charity Under Siege
The campaign against the rural South Wales sanctuary became concerted. Activists filed complaints with the Charity Commission, alleging Carrot Cottage was "overtly and explicitly encouraging anti-trans bigotry as a fundraising strategy". A Canadian trans activist who also rescues rabbits falsely accused the couple of faking veterinary bills to fraudulently solicit donations.
"This is totally outrageous," said Chris. "Every penny goes into caring for the bunnies." The charity, which relies on public donations, saw its follower count drop from 8,000 to 7,000, threatening its vital funding stream. For a moment, the future of the rescue they opened in February 2023 looked bleak.
Chris and Daisy, who married in October 2022, were resolute. "I'm not backing down," Chris told his wife. Their stance was simple: "We're not interested in any issue other than the welfare of our bunnies. We don't have transgender rabbits, we don't have non-binary rabbits, we have rabbits that need taking care of."
Unexpected Allies and a Surge of Support
In a dramatic twist, the online attack backfired spectacularly. A wave of support surged for the couple, with their story resonating with others who had faced similar bullying. Their social media following didn't just recover—it skyrocketed.
High-profile figures publicly championed their cause. Most notably, author JK Rowling lent her support. They were also backed by MP Rosie Duffield—who resigned from the Labour Party in September 2024 over gender identity debates—actor James Dreyfus, and comedian Ricky Gervais.
By standing firm and refusing to apologise, unfollow, or block the accounts deemed 'transphobic', the couple inadvertently became a cause célèbre for critics of militant trans activism. "That would go against all of our principles," Chris stated. Their follower count more than tripled, reaching over 30,000.
Emboldened, the couple have even stepped into activism themselves, attending a women's rights protest against the Welsh government last month. "I never would've thought I'd become an activist in this area," Chris admitted. "But these crazy trans activists need to know that they've probably pushed more people into opposing them than they could ever have imagined."
The saga of Carrot Cottage Rabbit Rescue illustrates how even the most apolitical of endeavours—caring for rescued rabbits in rural Wales—can be sucked into the vortex of Britain's toxic online culture wars, with real-world consequences for small charities.
