International Rabbit Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
World Animal Protection describes International Rabbit Day as occurring on the fourth Saturday of September and gives 26 September for 2026.
About International Rabbit Day
International Rabbit Day is a rabbit-welfare awareness observance held on the fourth Saturday of September.
The day is used by rabbit advocates to focus attention on responsible care, adoption, welfare and the needs of both companion and wild rabbits.
Why International Rabbit Day matters
The observance is rooted in animal welfare rather than simply celebrating rabbits as cute pets.
Responsible participation means learning about long-term care, housing, diet, veterinary needs and adoption before treating rabbit ownership as an impulse decision.
History of International Rabbit Day
Rabbit.org Foundation states that International Rabbit Day was initiated in the United Kingdom by The Rabbit Charity in 1998.
The Rabbit Charity no longer exists, but the observance continued among rabbit-welfare groups internationally.
A 2001 U.S. trademark publication records The Rabbit Charity’s INTERNATIONAL RABBIT DAY mark and 1999 first use in commerce; that trademark-use date is later evidence and is not treated as proof that the welfare campaign itself began in 1999.
Current recurrence wording differs across reviewed sources: World Animal Protection lists the fourth Saturday of September, while Rabbit.org Foundation describes the last Saturday of September. These coincide in many years but can diverge when September has five Saturdays.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
The Rabbit Charity (United Kingdom)
Rabbit.org Foundation states that International Rabbit Day was initiated by The Rabbit Charity in 1998 in the UK.
The Rabbit Charity
The same rabbit-welfare history identifies the charity as the organization that initiated the observance.
First documented observance
Rabbit.org Foundation states that the day was initiated in 1998, and independent observance histories corroborate that year. The USPTO’s 1999 first-use-in-commerce date is treated as trademark/commercial-use evidence rather than a contradictory first-event date.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
National Bunny Day, International Rabbit Day, Bunny Day
How to Observe International Rabbit Day
Learn the basics of rabbit welfare from established rabbit-care or animal-welfare organizations before adopting or buying supplies.
Support a reputable rabbit rescue, sanctuary or adoption group through volunteering, fostering or appropriate donations.
If you care for rabbits, review housing, diet, enrichment and veterinary arrangements instead of relying on outdated pet-store advice.
Share welfare information that discourages impulse purchases and abandonment, especially around seasonal pet-buying periods.
International Rabbit Day Facts
This guide retains the fourth-Saturday-of-September rule from World Animal Protection, while Rabbit.org Foundation uses “last Saturday”; the two rules are therefore not treated as perfectly interchangeable.
Rabbit.org Foundation traces the initiative to The Rabbit Charity in the UK in 1998.
The original Rabbit Charity no longer exists.
A later U.S. trademark record documents INTERNATIONAL RABBIT DAY commercial use by the charity from 1999.
The day is best treated as a welfare-awareness observance rather than a reason for impulse rabbit ownership.
International Rabbit Day Messages
Share rabbit content responsibly: welfare education matters more than encouraging impulse pet ownership.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Official Gazette (opens in a new tab)
Rabbit.org Foundation (opens in a new tab)
National Today — National Bunny Day (opens in a new tab)
Alias Corroboration
World Animal Protection — International Rabbit Day (opens in a new tab)
Animal Welfare Organization
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Rabbit Day?
fourth Saturday of September; 26 September 2026 The documented recurrence rule is: fourth Saturday of September.
Does International Rabbit Day fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is International Rabbit Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: International / rabbit welfare awareness. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Rabbit Day?
The reviewed sources identify The Rabbit Charity as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as The Rabbit Charity (United Kingdom).
Is International Rabbit Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: International / rabbit welfare awareness. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is International Rabbit Day?
This guide uses the fourth Saturday of September because that rule is supported by World Animal Protection. Rabbit.org Foundation instead says the last Saturday of September, so years in which those rules diverge should be verified against current organizer or welfare-group guidance.
Who started International Rabbit Day?
Rabbit.org Foundation identifies The Rabbit Charity in the United Kingdom as the organization that initiated the day in 1998.
Does The Rabbit Charity still run the day?
No. The original organization no longer exists, and the observance is now used more broadly by rabbit-welfare advocates and organizations.
What is a responsible way to observe the day?
Use it to learn evidence-based rabbit care, support reputable rescues and discourage impulse acquisition or abandonment.
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National Ghost Hunting Day
The official National Ghost Hunting Day site states the event was established in 2016 and is held on the last Saturday of September.
National Hunting and Fishing Day
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service states Congress established the observance in 1972 and it is celebrated on the fourth Saturday in September