KEY TAKEAWAYS
Amy Sedaris hosted the To the Rescue! Gala, raising over $2.2 million for global animal protection.
Sedaris shared heartfelt stories about her longtime rescue rabbits and pet care journey.
She encourages responsible rabbit ownership and hopes to adopt again in the future.
If you’re seeking a comedic actress who combines celebrity, influencer and animal lover all rolled into one, look no further than Amy Sedaris. She is best known for her iconic portrayal of Jerri Blank, a 46-year-old reformed junkie and prostitute who returns to high school, on the TV show Strangers With Candy, which has achieved cult status since it originally aired in 1999 and 2000.
Sedaris, who has become enormously popular and in demand for her comedic voice, acting and writing skills, has also appeared in Elf, BoJack Horseman, The Mandalorian, Sex and the City and Maid in Manhattan.
She appeared last month as a producer of a late-night TV show in season 3 of Elsbeth, a police procedural comedy series on CBS. In December, she’ll be appearing in a new film from Bradley Cooper, Is This Thing On?, which stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern.
And, most recently, Sedaris hosted this year’s To the Rescue! Gala, which benefited Humane World for Animals. Raising more than $2.2 million to support the organization’s work to protect animals around the world, the November 7 event featured a slew of special guests that included fellow comedian Rachel Dratch, celebrity chef Leslie Durso, actor/director Amir Arison and singer/songwriter Chloe Bailey.
“There’s something truly special about a night dedicated to helping animals,” said Sedaris. “I’m thrilled to be part of the To the Rescue! Gala again, lifting up the incredible efforts of Humane World for Animals. Every animal deserves a safe, happy life, and the generosity we’re seeing tonight helps ensure that future.”
As Sedaris gained stardom over the years from her quirky characters and unconventional brand of comedy, it became evident that she is serious about her love of bunny rabbits. Sedaris resides in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, which she has been known to describe as a “rabbit hutch.”
According to Sedaris, she’s been fond of pets since childhood, as her family always had dogs, cats, fish and even turtles. In the 1980s, she had her own cats; however, it was in the 1990s when her attention turned to rabbits.
“I saw a cute little Netherland dwarf bunny in the window, and I was like, ‘I’m going to get that bunny rabbit,’ and I did,” she explained. “I didn’t know anything about rabbits. But he was tiny and super sweet. I was mesmerized. Having animals in your life just gives you a better life.”
That first rabbit was named Tattletale, a doe that she had for nearly four years. When Tattletale passed away, Sedaris was in mourning for a year and a half before she was ready to bring home another bunny.
That bunny would be Dusty, a black-and-white mini-Rex rabbit that inspired the name of her homemade cupcake business, Dusty Food Cupcakes, that she ran out of her kitchen. Dusty lived to be 12 years of age, which she acknowledged “is old for a bunny.”
Sedaris says Dusty, a doe that had the signature “luxurious” Rex rabbit fur, taught her something; that even cute little bunnies could be “a–holes and really bossy.”
“Like, you really do live with them, not the other way around,” she admitted. “A year later, I was walking by Petco and popped in. This woman was playing with this rabbit on the floor, and she said ‘who wouldn’t want this rabbit? She’s adorable and charming.’ I heard the word ‘charming’ and was obsessed.”
According to Sedaris, Tina — the bunny she adopted from Petco — took a few years to open up to Sedaris, who describes the rabbit as a “real communicator.” Tina sadly passed away in 2024 on Halloween, but not before the bunny gave the actress a surprise.
“I had him for 10 years,” Sedaris explained. “I found out four years after having him that he was actually a boy. It was my first male pet. It made sense when I found out he was a boy. I’m like, of course you’re a boy. You were kind of giving me male energy.”
Sedaris lights up when she talks about Tina, and it becomes quickly apparent that he still holds a special place in her heart.
“He was a hunk,” reminisced Sedaris, who allowed Tina to sleep in her bed. “He had lots of wooden toys and baskets that he could chew. All my clothes have holes in the back of them because he would dig on my back and nip on my shirt. [Rabbits are] a—holes, and they’re very bossy, but I do well with bossy a—holes.”
According to Sedaris, she believes that arthritis caused Tina’s demise, as he was abnormally large for his breed.
“It was so sad,” she recalled, describing how their special bond enabled him to communicate with her. “The communication you have with a rabbit like that, especially a prey animal, is special. One day he looked at me, and I was like, ‘ohhhhhh, nooooo.’ You really can read them.”
It wouldn’t be an overreaction to describe Sedaris as being a rabbit advocate, especially as evidenced by the rabbit paraphernalia throughout her “hutch.” What makes rabbits the perfect pet for her?
“They’re just different. They’re so different than a cat or a dog,” she explained. “I like their floor routines. You feel like Aunt Clara [a character from the Bewitched TV series in the 1960s] when you’re like ‘wait, did I just see that thing jump up and spin around?’ Just to watch them run around [is entertaining].”
Although she confesses to making some bunny faux pas in her early days of keeping them as pets, Sedaris has become extremely proficient in rabbit care. She credits Mary E. Cotter, who interviewed Sedaris for a story when she had Tattletale, for her vast knowledge of the correct way to keep a pet rabbit.
Cotter is the founder of New York-based Rabbit Rescue & Rehab and education director of the House Rabbit Society.
“She educated me, and I was doing everything wrong,” said Sedaris, who was obviously eager to learn about the proper care of bunnies. “It started up a great friendship,”
Sedaris used to be a regular attendee at rabbit conferences, and she’s appeared in a series of Howcast videos with Cotter on rabbit care. In addition, she has been known to help “rabbit-proof” new rabbit owners’ homes, including that of her friend and former Strangers With Candy co-star Stephen Colbert.
“Rabbits are just the best,” Sedaris explained. “You have to really pay attention to them, so you know when they’re in pain or if something goes wrong. They’re the perfect little companions.”
Currently without a companion rabbit since Tina’s passing, Sedaris says she’s “going to wait” on bringing one home.
“I kind of like my freedom right now and not having hay everywhere in my apartment. And it’s kind of fun for me to throw my clothes on the floor,” she laughed, referring to her past bunnies’ tendencies to chew on everything within their reach. “The next time I get a rabbit, I want it to be different than the one before it. I don’t want to go ‘oh, it’s just like this rabbit.’ So I’m thinking of getting two of those big Flemish giant rabbits.”
Sedaris strongly believes that having a companion animal is one of the best things you can do, and she encourages people to consider having a pet rabbit, as long as they’re prepared for what goes into caring for it.
Her advice for someone interested in keeping a rabbit? The first step is to find the right veterinarian, one that’s experienced with rabbits, and then surround yourself with people that can help you when you need assistance.
“It’s hard to find people who will watch your bunny,” she added. “You really need someone with some experience with rabbits.”
Once you have everything in place in your home and the proper support system, you and your best bunny can expect to have many rewarding experiences together, including — as Jerri Blank would say — plenty of “good times!”
(Photos courtesy Amy Sedaris and Humane World for Animals)
