Hop to Save Rabbits strongly opposes the genetic modification of rabbits for commercial, artistic, or experimental purposes. The recent Wired article, Your Next Pet Could Be a Glowing Rabbit, highlights the troubling trend of gene editing animals, which raises serious ethical, welfare, and abandonment concerns.
We echo the concerns outlined by Rabbit.org Foundation in their position statement on genetically engineered rabbits. Rabbits are already among the most abandoned pets, with rescue centres overwhelmed by unwanted rabbits. Introducing genetically modified rabbits into the pet trade risks exacerbating this crisis, further fuelling irresponsible breeding and impulsive pet ownership.
Rabbits are sentient, intelligent animals who deserve respect and care—not to be treated as commodities for scientific novelty. Instead of altering rabbits for human curiosity, we call on policymakers, scientists, and the public to reject such experimentation and prioritise rabbit welfare, abandonment prevention, and responsible pet ownership.
Furthermore, in the name of science, should research efforts not be better directed toward tackling pressing global health challenges such as Alzheimer’s and cancer? With advancements in artificial intelligence, medical research has an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the discovery of cures for devastating diseases—surely a more meaningful pursuit than creating genetically modified pets.
Hop to Save Rabbits remains committed to advocating for the ethical treatment of rabbits and ensuring that scientific progress does not come at the expense of their welfare.