Board of Directors

Pam Hurley, President

In the Spring of 1998, Pam received a phone call from a friend who had a domestic rabbit loose in her yard. Her friend managed to catch the bunny and Pam fell in love with her on her way to the shelter. She named her Cammie and brought her home. That rabbit taught her everything she needed to know about rabbit behavior. To this day, Pam swears that Cammie could pick locks. Pam has been involved with Friends of Rabbits since the late 1990s, working with others at events, running the facebook page and petfinder, selling supplies, pet sitting, fostering and caring for our sanctuary bunnies with medical and behavioral issues. Pam normally has between 12 and 25 rabbits in pens in her condo at any one time. They have more space than she does! You will probably see her at some of the Virginia events as well as spa days at the local shelters.

Mara Hurwitt, Vice President

Mara serves as Vice President of Friends of Rabbits and as director for development, fundraising, and special events. Mara has been active in rabbit rescue for over 25 years, volunteering with several rescue groups and animal shelters. She is a retired naval officer, semi-retired attorney, full-time volunteer, and part-time writer. Mara and her husband Sam welcomed their first bunnies, mini-lops Oishi and Kabuki, into their home in 1993, and a succession of house rabbits have been outsmarting them ever since.

Beth Rosenfeld, Secretary

Beth has been a Friends of Rabbits member since its founding way back in the 1990s. In addition to serving as Board secretary, Beth responds to bunny lovers who apply to become FoR volunteers; helps out at adoption, grooming, and other bunny events in Virginia; assists in rescuing “wascally” domesticated rabbits who have been abandoned outdoors; edits the FoR newsletter; and owns and operates her own business, Hop To It Editorial. Having enjoyed the company of rabbits most of her life, she can’t think of a better way to spend her time than relaxing with her third Friends of Rabbits rescue bunny, Laramie Jacob.

Susan Wong, Bunny Sensei

Susan and her longtime friend Pam Hurley took over Friends of Rabbits in 2008. Susan began working in rabbit rescue in 1994 with the House Rabbit Society when she rescued her first rabbits, Speckles & Snowflake. She was hooked from then on and has played a key role in rabbit rescue nationwide. When Susan & Pam took over Friends of Rabbits, it went from five fosters to rescuing over 200 per year! Along with rescuing rabbits, Susan is an expert multi-tasker working full time at NIH as a chief scientific resource liaison, participating in two bands (singing and bass guitar) and caring for many friends. She’s a vegan who loves to cook. Susan’s dream for Friends of Rabbits is to have a large facility where it can become the largest rabbit rescue in the Mid-Atlantic. She has brought together other rabbit rescues and created a larger team of volunteers who are passionate about rescuing rabbits. The joy of seeing families adopt happy, healthy rabbits keeps her inspired to continue working in rabbit rescue.