CHAPTER 176 – Lucky Rabbit
The little Dutch/Lionhead sat in the kennel at the shelter looking out through the bars. “What’s going to happen to me?” he wondered. It had been over a week since he arrived, but not much had happened. Every time he put his foot down, it hurt, so he kept it lifted in the air. But that got tiring. Being a bunny, he didn’t want to show any weakness, though.
Everything had been fine at his home, until one day, his parents took him for a walk. He was so excited! But then, they set him down and said, “We’re going to set you free! You can be a free bunny now!” He watched them walk away. “What do you mean, a free bunny?” he wondered, “I don’t know how to fend for myself! Wait!” But they disappeared and he never saw them again.
Fortunately, the bunny angels were watching over him. “We need to get him to a good home,” said one angel. The angels turned and looked at each other and said simultaneously, “The House of Buns!”
He waited by the path and watched other humans pass by. He didn’t know what to do. Then, one kind human noticed him and came over and asked, “Are you lost? Do you need help?” She gently picked him up. He didn’t resist. “Please help me! I’m scared.” he said with his big blue eyes.
The human didn’t know much about rabbits, so she took him to the nearest shelter. They took him in and set him up in a kennel in the back. And that’s where he waited. Patiently.
One day, a man looked in and asked, “So what’s your story? Why are you here all by yourself in the back? Your card doesn’t say you’re being transferred or on adoption hold. Would you like to come out for some play time?” It was Abigail’s Dad. He was here for his weekly visit to let the rabbits out for some playtime.
Dad gently lifted him out and took him over to the play area and set him down. The bunny looked around. He saw a plate of greens and headed over to sample them. After nibbling for a while, he sat down inside a tunnel.
“What’s the matter?” asked Dad, “Don’t you want to play?” The bunny got out and limped back over to the greens. That’s when Dad noticed he wasn’t putting any weight on his back foot. “Are you OK? What’s wrong with your foot?” he asked.
Dad checked out the bunny’s leg. There was a lump at the first joint. “Well, that’s not normal,” he commented. He carried him over to the shelter manager’s office and said, “I noticed this little guy is limping and not putting any weight on his back foot. Could you have one of your vets take a look at him?” The shelter manager said, “Sure!” and typed up an order on her computer.
Dad placed the bunny back in his cage and said, “I’m sorry about your foot. We’ll get someone to look at it.”
The next day, Dad got a notice from Auntie Heather at the Rabbit Haven. The note read, “This bunny has been deemed a medical needs bunny. If I can find a home for him, can you transport him?” Dad recognized the bunny in the photo right away, since he had taken the picture. It was the bunny with the injured foot.
Dad looked at Abigail and asked, “Abigail, there’s a bunny at the shelter with an injured leg. He needs medical attention and it’s more than the shelter can provide. Would you mind if he stays in our guest room while we get him to a vet?”
Technically, the guest room was part of Abigail’s territory, but she rarely went in there. Abigail thought, “OK. I guess I’m not using the room much anyway. Let’s help the bunny!” Abigail was always eager to help a fellow bunny in need.
Dad let Heather know that he’d pick up the bunny that afternoon and they’d be willing to take the bunny in as a foster while he got medical care, and he’d cover the costs.
That afternoon, after he finished with the adoption show, Dad went over to the bunny in the back and said, “Hi there. How are you doing? We’re going to get a doctor to take a look at your foot. Would you like to come stay at the House of Buns while we do that?” The bunny looked at Dad. Bunnies judge people by their actions, not their words, and he seemed to be kind and gentle. He thought, “Yes, please!” He got up and stepped into the carrier.
It turned out his injured foot actually brought him good fortune and made him a very lucky rabbit, for a new chapter of life was about to begin for him.
Dad notices this shelter bunny nursing his foot and jumps in to help.
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