The Roo Rat Society was founded in 1963 by Whitman College science faculty and students interested in promoting humane means of capturing animals used for scientific purposes. The group was founded on a trip to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon to collect Kangaroo Rats (seed-eating rodents of the genus "Dipodomys") for scientific study.

Members of the Society later shifted their aims to conservation of wildlife in general, and now the group attempts to achieve this goal by encouraging people to observe and hold the "Roo Rat" in its native environment. Initiates lead candidates for membership on hunts for the rat, which are governed by a series of rules designed to avoid harming the animal. Members are required to catch the rat in a humane way and then release it back into the wild as soon as a documentary photo is taken. Upon successfully catching and releasing a Roo Rat, the candidate becomes a member of the society. To remain an active member, each initiate must participate in a conservation project annually.

The hunts usually take place around Wallula Gap, about thirty miles West of Walla Walla. The Roo Rat Society is loosely organized and has over 200 members at the most recent count. It has received publicity for its unusual name and activities and counts at least three past Whitman College presidents among its members.