In the serene countryside of South Wales lies Carrot Cottage Rabbit Rescue, a sanctuary for bunnies run by a dedicated couple, Daisy and Chris Barrett. This quaint shelter, far removed from the hustle and bustle of urban life, would seem an unlikely epicenter for the cultural tensions gripping Britain.

For nearly three years, the Barretts have poured their hearts into caring for over 150 rescued rabbits. Their daily routine involves cleaning enclosures, preparing nutritious meals, and providing medical attention to their furry residents. Engaging in online debates about gender ideology was never part of their mission.

However, a simple misstep on social media has unwittingly entangled the couple in a fierce online controversy. A group of fervent trans activists have targeted the charity with the intent to dismantle the Barretts’ hard-won efforts.

The incident traces back to June when Chris, who manages the sanctuary’s social media presence, inadvertently followed back an account on the platform X. At the time, Carrot Cottage’s account boasted a following of 8,000 people.

Chris, 42, maintains that he didn’t scrutinize this new follower’s profile. “We don’t delve into the backgrounds of those who follow us; we just reciprocate the interest by following back anyone who engages with our page,” he explains.

Unbeknownst to him, the account in question had previously shared a light-hearted image of a rabbit adorned with the colors of the Progress Pride Flag—a modern iteration of the rainbow flag with additional chevrons and rings—accompanied by the caption, “Is he trans?”

This was seized upon by trans activists who claimed it was offensive.

‘I will never forget when it first happened,’ says Chris. ‘They told me we were following a Nazi. It wasn’t a Nazi – just someone targeted by trans rights activists as “transphobic.” ’

Daisy and Chris Barrett have cared for over 150 rescued bunnies for nearly three years 

The couple’s rescue centre, Carrot Cottage, became the centre of a toxic online feud

Chris was bombarded by messages from other trans activists who had pored over the Carrot Cottage Twitter page, checking which accounts they were following.

They had discovered that some of those profiles were, in their view, ‘transphobic’ – which they took as an indication that Carrot Cottage’s owners must be too.

Trying to quell the pile-on, Chris 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 was interpreted as him ‘openly admitting’ that he does not care about transgender people.

For this, Chris got called ‘all the names under the sun, even though we only have the bunnies’ best interests at heart’.

One user suggested Carrot Cottage Rabbit Rescue was a step away from ‘justifying genocide’.

‘All of a sudden, I was a “bigot”, a “Nazi” and “wanted trans kids to die”, because the person I followed was, supposedly, a transphobe,’ says Chris.

‘We’re not interested in any issue other than the welfare of our bunnies,’ he adds. ‘We don’t have transgender rabbits, we don’t have non-binary rabbits, we have rabbits that need taking care of and feeding, so this was all completely new to us.’

‘I was even called a “paedo,”’ he says, ‘by one of them who claimed Daisy – who’s 26 – is a teenager. And then, based on absolutely nothing, they even accused us of being anti-Semitic!’ The couple were also targeted by a Canadian trans activist who rescues bunnies, claiming they were faking vet bills in order to request donations fraudulently.

‘This is totally outrageous,’ says Chris. ‘Every penny goes into caring for the bunnies, such as their medical bills, their food, forage, toys, and improving their housing.’ Others claimed to have submitted complaints to the United Kingdom’s Charity Commission, with the aim of removing the rabbit sanctuary’s legal status as a charity.

One filed a formal complaint claiming Carrot Cottage’s account was ‘overtly and explicitly encouraging anti-trans bigotry as a fundraising strategy’. The charity was not investigated, but it clearly was designed to cause as much trouble as possible for Chris, Daisy, and the trustees.

Chris and Daisy married in October 2022 and opened the rescue centre the following February.

Their keen interest in rabbit welfare was first sparked when they got their own pet bunny, King Roberto – who still lives with them at Carrot Cottage.

For a moment, it looked as if their rabbit rescue centre was in jeopardy. Carrot Cottage, which relies on the donations of strangers, saw its social media following drop from 8,000 to 7,000.

But Chris told Daisy: ‘I’m not backing down.’

Anyone who was still there at the end of the day would, he thought, be ‘true supporters who really care about rabbits’.

So he was astonished when he looked down at his phone later to see that the account had gained thousands more followers – many of whom had faced similar bullying from trans activists.

Well-known names lent their support to Carrot Cottage, with JK Rowling being the most famous advocate.

‘Then we had the MP Rosie Duffield, the actor James Dreyfus, Ricky Gervais, and many others,’ says Chris.

Some have donated cash, others, lent their support on social media to challenge the haters and to raise the profile of the charity. Duffield resigned from the Labour Party in September 2024 after repeated clashes with colleagues about her belief that sex is biological and immutable, and Dreyfus was ‘cancelled’ from his role in Doctor Who after voicing support for Rowling.

Chris says that since all this began in June, they have ‘more than tripled’ their social media following, which now stands at 30,000.

Chris and Daisy refuse to apologise, unfollow or block the so-called ‘transphobic’ accounts.

‘That would go against all of our principles. We have to stand up for what’s right. And the fact that these people were willing to destroy a sanctuary for vulnerable bunnies, because they can’t see beyond their own mad obsession about trans rights, says it all.’

The pair have inadvertently become a cause celebre among those critical of the trans movement – and have embraced their new role.

Last month, the couple joined a women’s protest against the Welsh government for its failure to implement the UK Supreme Court’s April ruling on the legal definition of a woman (which states that a woman is a biological female).

‘I never would’ve thought I’d become an activist in this area,’ Chris says.

‘But these crazy trans activists need to know that they’ve probably pushed more people into opposing them than they could ever have imagined.’