MiniLopMad
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone
After a stressful couple of days, I feel the need to share this story. I believe that sharing it may encourage others who have gone through the same thing..
On Sunday, I had put all of my bunnies into their outdoor playpens and all 6 were happily munching away on the grass and playing.
It was a nice day; no wind, the sun was out and I had a few hours before sun down.
I trust all of my bunnies in the playpens and I trust my dogs (who have both grown up around rabbits), so I decided to head back inside and get some work done.
About an hour later, I got the gut feeling I usually get when something is wrong with my bunnies. I went back outside and just before I could check on the playpens, I heard someone calling me from the street.
I rushed out and in my brothers arms was one of my bunnies, Sonic. Sonic had hopped onto the main road and had almost been run over. Thankfully, my brother had seen and managed to catch him before he was hurt.
Sonic was COVERED in sticky dog saliva and look terrified.
I ran back into the house and put him back into his cage. I checked all the playpens and all were fine.. All except the one that had contained my 3, 8 week old kits.
The pen had been lifted out of the ground and bashed in.. Clearly not something an 8 week old bunny was capable of.
In the corner of my yard, as far away from the scene as possible was my 1 year old border collie mix. I threw the blame onto her - now when I look back, that wasn't really fair - and locked her in the laundry as I searched for the 2 missing babies.
I managed to find one under the dog kennel. She wasn't hurt at all and looked more happy than scared. She was just nibbling at the grass. I caught her and put her back.
The search for the third baby began. Light was fading, so we got the neighbours involved.
We searched the streets surrounding my house, I searched my yard, my bunny shed.. The list of places I searched seems endless.
Everyone but me had lost hope. It was dark, getting cold and the wind had picked up.
That night I didn't stop. I searched high and low and every time I found a small clump of fur, I would search even longer.
At about 11pm, I was grumpy, tired and upset so I went inside and stopped searching.
The following morning, I hoped that he returned. He wasn't there and I searched a little longer. I had to stop searching and decided that I would contact a few people.
We told people around the neighbourhood to keep their eyes out for a little bunny and called the local pound to see of anyone had brought in a little white bunny.
No luck
The next day, I made posters to stick around the neighbourhood. It was a last resort. I am not comfortable putting out my phone number like that, but I did it anyway, hoping someone would know something.
When I woke up the next day (which is today) I still hadn't received any calls.
It also rained around midday, lowering my hopes a little more. I refused to give up though.
The thought of my baby, alone and cold, sparked a fire into me and I refused to let it burn out.
When night came, I could feel the fire fading. After all, how could a tiny baby bunny survive days alone in cold weather? How would he survive the constant threat of dogs, cats, other animals and cars?
I was unbelievably depressed. The stress and anxiety I had felt since he went missing had left me exhausted and I just wanted to cuddle my other bunnies and sleep.
So, I did sleep. I had a nap - which I now regret - and missed a few calls while I was asleep.
The calls had all been by the same number and I couldn't help but wonder if someone had my bunny.
I had written on the poster, 'Any information is appreciated'
I was expecting someone to call me and say something about finding my babies dead body.
I was not expecting the wonderful woman who answered the phone when I called back.
She told me she had seen my posters and she believed that she had my bunny!
She lived about 5 minutes away and told me she would bring him over.
Sure enough, when she came, in her hands was my little baby
He had a cut on his face, some fur missing and a cut on his ear but other than that, he looked fine.
The lady had found him curled up in her front yard and with bunnies of her own, she took him in.
She said she kept him fed and watered and was planning on what to do with him. She said she had just made up her mind to keep him but then saw the poster.
I am forever grateful to this woman that she cared for him so well and gave him back to me.
Tonight, BunBun is safe in his cage, cuddled up with his brother. He ate lots of hay and a little bit of pellets.
People had told me to give up. People told me that he was just a bunny and that I needed to stop.
I didn't give up and I didn't stop and today I am back with my bunny
If you lose a bunny, please don't give up the search! Hope is a powerful thing
View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1439381599.370252.jpg
On Sunday, I had put all of my bunnies into their outdoor playpens and all 6 were happily munching away on the grass and playing.
It was a nice day; no wind, the sun was out and I had a few hours before sun down.
I trust all of my bunnies in the playpens and I trust my dogs (who have both grown up around rabbits), so I decided to head back inside and get some work done.
About an hour later, I got the gut feeling I usually get when something is wrong with my bunnies. I went back outside and just before I could check on the playpens, I heard someone calling me from the street.
I rushed out and in my brothers arms was one of my bunnies, Sonic. Sonic had hopped onto the main road and had almost been run over. Thankfully, my brother had seen and managed to catch him before he was hurt.
Sonic was COVERED in sticky dog saliva and look terrified.
I ran back into the house and put him back into his cage. I checked all the playpens and all were fine.. All except the one that had contained my 3, 8 week old kits.
The pen had been lifted out of the ground and bashed in.. Clearly not something an 8 week old bunny was capable of.
In the corner of my yard, as far away from the scene as possible was my 1 year old border collie mix. I threw the blame onto her - now when I look back, that wasn't really fair - and locked her in the laundry as I searched for the 2 missing babies.
I managed to find one under the dog kennel. She wasn't hurt at all and looked more happy than scared. She was just nibbling at the grass. I caught her and put her back.
The search for the third baby began. Light was fading, so we got the neighbours involved.
We searched the streets surrounding my house, I searched my yard, my bunny shed.. The list of places I searched seems endless.
Everyone but me had lost hope. It was dark, getting cold and the wind had picked up.
That night I didn't stop. I searched high and low and every time I found a small clump of fur, I would search even longer.
At about 11pm, I was grumpy, tired and upset so I went inside and stopped searching.
The following morning, I hoped that he returned. He wasn't there and I searched a little longer. I had to stop searching and decided that I would contact a few people.
We told people around the neighbourhood to keep their eyes out for a little bunny and called the local pound to see of anyone had brought in a little white bunny.
No luck
The next day, I made posters to stick around the neighbourhood. It was a last resort. I am not comfortable putting out my phone number like that, but I did it anyway, hoping someone would know something.
When I woke up the next day (which is today) I still hadn't received any calls.
It also rained around midday, lowering my hopes a little more. I refused to give up though.
The thought of my baby, alone and cold, sparked a fire into me and I refused to let it burn out.
When night came, I could feel the fire fading. After all, how could a tiny baby bunny survive days alone in cold weather? How would he survive the constant threat of dogs, cats, other animals and cars?
I was unbelievably depressed. The stress and anxiety I had felt since he went missing had left me exhausted and I just wanted to cuddle my other bunnies and sleep.
So, I did sleep. I had a nap - which I now regret - and missed a few calls while I was asleep.
The calls had all been by the same number and I couldn't help but wonder if someone had my bunny.
I had written on the poster, 'Any information is appreciated'
I was expecting someone to call me and say something about finding my babies dead body.
I was not expecting the wonderful woman who answered the phone when I called back.
She told me she had seen my posters and she believed that she had my bunny!
She lived about 5 minutes away and told me she would bring him over.
Sure enough, when she came, in her hands was my little baby
He had a cut on his face, some fur missing and a cut on his ear but other than that, he looked fine.
The lady had found him curled up in her front yard and with bunnies of her own, she took him in.
She said she kept him fed and watered and was planning on what to do with him. She said she had just made up her mind to keep him but then saw the poster.
I am forever grateful to this woman that she cared for him so well and gave him back to me.
Tonight, BunBun is safe in his cage, cuddled up with his brother. He ate lots of hay and a little bit of pellets.
People had told me to give up. People told me that he was just a bunny and that I needed to stop.
I didn't give up and I didn't stop and today I am back with my bunny
If you lose a bunny, please don't give up the search! Hope is a powerful thing
View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1439381599.370252.jpg