Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Briggitte Dix of Cottontail Cottage Wildlife Rehab.
Your Name: Briggitte Dix
Name of your organization: Cottontail Cottage Wildlife Rehab
Your role: Executive Director
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission
Dix: At Cottontail Cottage, we believe every wild life matters. From the tiniest orphaned rabbit to an opossum rescued from the roadside, each animal deserves compassion and a chance to return home to the wild. Though I founded this organization, it has grown into a circle of extraordinary volunteers, licensed rehabbers, and rehab assistants who give their time, their skill, and their hearts. Together, we are not only saving lives, we are showing our community that kindness toward the most vulnerable makes us all stronger.
How long have you operated in or around Rye?
Dix: Since 2021, we have served Port Chester, Rye, and the surrounding towns. Many of the animals we care for come directly from Rye, often brought to us by local residents who refuse to turn away when they see a creature in need. Every rescue is a partnership between the public and our team, and it is that shared responsibility that allows us to do this work.
What programming or work is the organization best known for?
Dix: We are known for fragile rescues, for patient care, and for telling the stories of animals that might otherwise be overlooked.
- Rehabilitation & Rescue Program – We rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of animals every year, specializing in cottontails, one of the most delicate and difficult species to care for, because we believe even the smallest deserve a chance.
- Public Education – Our ambassador opossum Parsley helps educate children and adults at schools, events and libraries, breaking old myths and planting seeds of respect for wildlife.
- Community Hotline – Every day, we guide residents who find wildlife in crisis, reminding people that they have the power to protect and to choose compassion.
Looking forward to 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
Dix: Our eyes are on the future, not only for our organization but for the animals that depend on us.
- A Permanent Wildlife Center – A place where injured wildlife can be healed, where children and adults can come to learn, and where our native species are respected rather than feared.
- Volunteer Training – Creating pathways for more people to become licensed wildlife rehabbers and rehab assistants, so no call for help ever goes unanswered.
- Education and Outreach – Expanding programs that bring the wonder of wildlife into classrooms, planting in children the same sense of awe that first inspired me as a child.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.
Dix: We serve all New York State wildlife, but most of the animals we care for come from Westchester County and the surrounding areas. Our volunteers are the backbone of what we do, from young adults who learn the ropes with us to retirees who drive long distances to bring animals to safety. For anyone thinking about joining us, we do ask for real commitment. This isn’t a casual volunteer opportunity, and because we work directly with wild animals, we have a minimum age of 21 and older. What we need most are people who are ready to show up regularly and be part of the team. Whether you give your time, share our message, or support us financially so food and medicine are always on hand, you become part of a community effort where every single person truly makes a difference.
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Dix: Yes
Looking back across 2025, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Dix: This year, our small team accomplished what once felt impossible.
- We gave a second chance to more animals than ever before, fragile lives that would not have survived without intervention.
- We brought our ambassador animals to events, schools and libraries, showing hundreds of people that opossums and rabbits are not vermin, but neighbors worthy of love.
- We deepened partnerships with veterinarians and other rehabbers, proving that when we work together, our impact multiplies.
How can local residents support your organization?
Dix: Support comes in many forms, but what we need most right now is a space where we can expand and grow. We’re outgrowing our current setup, and having a proper facility would expand care for more animals and more opportunities for education and outreach, but that takes serious funding in a place as expensive as Westchester. Donations help make that possible, covering everything from food and medicine to the larger vision of a dedicated wildlife center. We are also looking for professionals, lawyers, CPAs, and grant writers who are willing to donate their time and skills to help us move forward. Every act of support matters, whether it’s financial, professional, or simply sharing our story so more people know there’s a place fighting for the wildlife right outside their doors.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?
Dix: The Rye PBA has been a steady supporter of our work, and our Assistant Director Stephanie Gomez, is a Rye resident who has been deeply committed to our mission. We’re also grateful for the ongoing support of Cameron Scansaroli and the Scansaroli family, who have stood by us for years. Beyond these individuals, we have many donors and volunteers from the Rye community who consistently show up for wildlife and make this work possible.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Dix: I founded Cottontail Cottage in 2021 and have served as executive director since.
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?
Dix: This role is full-time and unpaid, it is not a job so much as a calling.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Dix: Determined.
Where did you grow up?
Dix: I grew up in California surrounded by wildlife and was never taught to fear it. Later, when I lived in Texas, I began my rehabilitation journey in grad school on Galveston Island with the Sea Turtle Restoration Network. I patrolled five miles of beach on foot, searching for stranded or injured sea turtles and other wildlife. That early work left a deep impression on me, and the sense of awe I felt then still guides my work today here in New York, where I now live in Rye Brook.
What principles guide you when you have to make a difficult decision?
Dix: When I am faced with difficult decisions, I ask myself what path will bring the most dignity and kindness to the animal, and what will create a stronger future for both wildlife and people.
Can you share a time when failure taught you more than success ever could?
Dix: I have learned as much from my failure as from my success. In my early days, I lost animals because I did not yet have the knowledge, the resources, or the team I needed. Those losses gave me the determination to grow, to keep learning, and to surround myself with people who share this mission so that fewer lives would be lost in the future.
What excites you most about the future—for yourself or for the world?
Dix: What excites me most about the future is the possibility of creating a permanent center where compassion and science meet, where children can learn to live alongside the wild, and where countless lives can be restored.
Where do you live and how many years have you lived there?
Dix: I feel fortunate to now call Westchester home and to serve this community and the surrounding towns, including Rye.
bear during a federal wildlife research project in Minnesota. Contributed.)
Thanks Briggitte!
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I loved reading about this wonderful volunteer organization. I had never heard of it before. I hope they soon get their permanent home. – D. Eyler
This wonderful organization deserves a round of applause for the tremendous dedication toward the wildlife that they saved A job well done as volunteers and I wish knowledge of this group can have residents give a generous donation no matter what the amount is. Thank you for the service you’re providing in the community. Bless you all!! Happy Holidays to everyone Tony, Boomed n Max