As temperatures dropped to below freezing in Ohio late last year, two domestic bunnies were dumped by their family and left to fend for themselves in the cold.
Luckily, someone in the neighborhood happened to notice the two rabbits huddled in a front yard and called Snickerdoodles’ Rabbit Rescue for help.
“[T]hey’d been out there for a couple of weeks with temperatures dropping lower and lower,” Lauren Keller, founder of Snickerdoodles’ Rabbit Rescue and veterinary social worker, told The Dodo.
The bunnies were abandoned near a busy street with lots of cats and fast cars rushing by. Keller knew she had to rescue the rabbits as quickly as possible to save them from the many dangers they were facing.
It’s important to note that while some people may think domestic rabbits are no different from wild rabbits like cottontails, they’re actually completely different species. Domestic rabbits cannot survive outdoors and often die as a result of being dumped.
A team from Snickerdoodles’ Rabbit Rescue led by Cody Keller, the rescue’s treasurer and field rescue coordinator, worked to trap the bunnies using treats to entice them and a net to trap them. It wasn’t long before the bunnies were secured.
It was clear by the way they stayed glued to each other and groomed each other that the bunnies were a bonded pair. The rescuers decided to name them Apple Juice and Cow Tale. As soon as they got back to the rescue facility, the relief both rabbits felt was evident.
“[W]e’d never heard a bunny whimper and scream from despair and relief before,” Keller said. “Apple Juice knew he was safe — and when he saw us take his companion, Cow Tale, out of the carrier, he realized she was still alive, safe and there with him, too.”
As Apple Juice and Cow Tale slowly realized that they didn’t have to fight for survival anymore, they allowed themselves to rest for the first time.
“Apple Juice did a huge flop on his side from exhaustion from everything that occurred from his time outdoors — he was finally at peace, safe indoors and [could] rest his sweet mind and body from being in constant chaos and trauma,” Keller said.
After being spayed and neutered and receiving flea treatment, Cow Tale and Apple Juice were transferred to live with a foster family. It wasn’t long before both of them became foster fails; their new family just loved them both too much to let them go.
“They are as happy and healthy as can be and thriving with their new family as indoor companions,” Keller said.
When Cow Tale and Apple Juice were abandoned, they never left each other’s side. Now that they’ve been rescued, they get to enjoy their new, loving home together.
To support other animals like these bunnies, you can make a donation to Snickerdoodles’ Rabbit Rescue here.