Bunny Besties

Name

Bunny Besties

Legal name

Bunny Besties

Website

https://bunnybesties.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Assisted Interactions and Therapy Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pet Toys & Enrichment Retail (CRALAHAE)

Keywords

• Animal assisted therapy
• Therapeutic rabbit visits
• Pet therapy services
• Emotional wellness programs
• Rescue rabbit sanctuary

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnetonka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: The organization relies on donors and sponsors to fund rabbit health, wellness, and program operations. Donations cover veterinary care, nutrition, equipment, supplies, website, liability insurance, and rent.
2. General Store Sales: The Bunny Besties General Store sells rabbit and guinea pig supplies online and at a physical location. The store began in 2019 during the pandemic and has grown to serve rabbit and guinea pig owners with a one-stop shopping experience. A loyalty program offers 25% off after the sixth purchase.
3. Service and Transportation Fees: Bunny Besties charges service and transportation fees for visits to facilities. These fees go toward animal care and program operations. This is described as 'bunnies on a budget' with all operations run on volunteer contributions.
4. Rabbit Sponsorship: Individuals can sponsor specific Ambassador Rabbits for $50 per month to cover the cost of their care including veterinary services, nutrition, and overall maintenance.
5. Ambassador Certification Fees: Volunteers becoming certified Bunny Besties Ambassadors pay a $10 monthly recurring fee or $120 annual fee to cover training costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bunny Besties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI) with 18 trained rescue Ambassador Rabbits to organizations across the Twin Cities of Minnesota. It runs on-site therapeutic and educational programs at nursing homes, hospitals, universities, schools, libraries, and homeless shelters, complemented by an e-commerce and physical retail pet supply store (the Bunny Besties General Store) selling rabbit and guinea pig products.

Product overview

Bunny Besties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing animal-assisted interactions with trained rescue rabbits. The organization operates as a unified service model centered on its Ambassador Rabbits program, supplemented by the Bunny Besties General Store (an e-commerce pet supply shop launched in 2019). Core programs include Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI) for stress reduction, Reading to the Rabbits literacy sessions, Bunny Story Time, Traveling Rabbit Agility Shows, and Bunny Castle and Cuddles experiences. The Young Leaders program develops youth volunteers, while the Ambassador Certification trains volunteer handlers. All programs serve the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bunny Besties General Store An online and physical pet supply store selling rabbit and guinea pig food, supplies, and accessories to pet owners across the USA. Launched in 2019 during the pandemic as a one-stop shop; expanded to a physical boutique in Minnetonka in July 2023. Offers a loyalty program (25% discount after the sixth purchase) and $15 local delivery within 30 miles.
• Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI) Programs The core service offering: on-site visits by trained rescue Ambassador Rabbits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, homeless shelters, universities, schools, libraries, and hospice programs throughout the Twin Cities area. Delivered for service and transportation fees that fund rabbit care and program operations.
• Stress Less with Bunny Besties

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 27,000 community members served since 2012
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of Minnesota PAWS Program (Boynton Health Services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Bunny Besties has partnered with the University of Minnesota PAWS (Pet Away Worry and Stress) program since approximately 2015. The partnership brings Ambassador Rabbits to campus multiple times weekly for stress relief events. Bunny Besties is part of the student wellness ecosystem, providing therapeutic animal interactions to help students manage academic stress, anxiety, and homesickness. The organization works with Boynton Health Services and has served at Boynton Health, UMN Law School, Carlson Business School, Rec Well, and UMN YMCA. This eight-year partnership represents a flagship program for Bunny Besties.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pet Partners: The largest nonprofit registry of therapy animals in the U.S., delivering Animal Assisted Interactions across healthcare, education, and community settings. Directly comparable as an AAI nonprofit, though Pet Partners uses multiple species while Bunny Besties specializes in rabbits.
• House Rabbit Society: National nonprofit dedicated to rabbit rescue, welfare, and education. Directly comparable as a rabbit-specific nonprofit mission; Bunny Besties' rescue rabbit sanctuary and rabbit-owner education overlap with House Rabbit Society's core activities.
• Alliance of Therapy Dogs: National nonprofit providing therapy dog visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Comparable as a therapy-animal volunteer organization serving the same customer segments (senior living, healthcare, education) as Bunny Besties.

Regional players

• PAWS Chicago: Large regional animal welfare nonprofit serving the Chicago metro. Comparable as a regional nonprofit operating rescue, adoption, and community education programs; both organizations blend rescue with community-outreach programming.

Broad incumbents

• Best Friends Animal Society: Leading national animal welfare nonprofit operating sanctuaries and adoption programs. Comparable as a larger animal rescue/welfare nonprofit, though broader in species scope than Bunny Besties' rabbit-only sanctuary.
• Canine Companions for Independence: Large national nonprofit providing trained service and therapy dogs. Comparable as a scaled therapy-animal nonprofit with rigorous proprietary training protocols, similar in mission to Bunny Besties but operating in a different (canine) specialty.
• Chewy: Largest online pet supplies retailer in the U.S. Comparable to Bunny Besties' General Store business as a nationwide e-commerce pet supply retailer, though Chewy operates at vastly greater scale and category breadth.
• Humane Society of the United States: Largest U.S. animal protection organization. Comparable as a national-scale nonprofit addressing animal welfare and the human-animal bond, the same broader mission space Bunny Besties operates in.
• PetSmart Charities: Major animal welfare nonprofit funded by PetSmart. Comparable as a large animal welfare funder and community program operator, though operating at significantly greater scale than Bunny Besties.

Emerging players

• Pet Supplies Plus: Mid-sized specialty pet retail chain with both physical stores and online ordering. Comparable to Bunny Besties' General Store for small-mammal/pet supplies retail, with stronger scale and category breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bunnybesties
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebunnybesties
• Instagraminstagram.com/bunny.besties
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bunny-besties

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bunny Besties