*Help* Crazy Rabbit Story - Found Lost Rabbit!!!!??

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Junkie2

Junkie2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
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Location
CT, , USA
Here is my situation. It is crazy but i don't know what to do and need some advice. Here we go:

My dear Peanut got out and went missing. I searched for hours and hours, days and days, finding no sign of her more than a pile of her. I found no blood, body, or anything - just 2 distinct piles of her fur where she was multing. I seriously thought she was gone forever. I accepted it and thought that I had lost my Peanut forever. This killed me inside and i have thought about it every single day since.

Fast forward 1 month almost to the day. I was in my bed at night thinking about Peanut. I thought to myself, "maybe ill just check craigslist or online... its worth a shot?" I really had no hope because it was a local rabbit that got out and we have a lot of woods behind us with tons of wild animals. Anyway, the last search I do is on Petfinder - Literally the last search I do for the night. I was praying inside I would get a hit on something but inside knew it was almost impossible.

Low and behold, there is a picture of a rabbit that looks EXACTLY like Peanut comes up at the bottom of the page. I think to myself that a lot of rabbits look like peanut, and i need to keep reading. I read the description and I am floored - It reads along the lines of " recently brought in, overweight, doesn't like to be picked up, etc".. EXACTLY like Peanut. The pattern on the face (a white cross) is identical.

This is when things start to get weird. My girlfriend then comes up to my and tells me she didn't want to tell me before but the neighbors were acting very strange when she went over to ask them about Peanut's disappearance. This, combined with the fact that I found no blood or body, makes me believe that she was alive and possibly taken to a rescue I found online.

I have since gotten in touch with the rescue and the owner seems very distant... claiming that this particular rabbit that i believe is mine has a new best friend and she will not split them up. I am stuck with how to handle the situation. Are there laws for this? I just desperately want to know if it is indeed her. I have a sample of her hair and was wondering if I could do a DNA test?

Either way, its a crazy story and i'm hoping for a miracle ending. I will keep this thread updated. Pray for me everything works out! :pray:
 
Do you have lots of photos of her as well? I know it is hard to hear but once a pet is taken to a rescue and adopted, it is up to the current owner to surrender the rabbit back to it's rightful owner. If I were the person that adopted the rabbit I would happily give the rabbit back to it's heartbroken owner. It sounds like the woman who adopted your peanut is not going to give peanut up :bigtears:
Here is what you can do and what I WOULD do! I would take your story to the local news and spread some supportive light on the matter. It is amazing what your community will do for you. Go to the rescue and let them know what you are doing. If you have pictures of peanut than you have a leg up on the whole situation. Pictures side ny side with identicle markings will make it clear that you were the pervious owner that did not surrender the rabbit. The sqeaky wheel gets the oil, don't give up! Bug them to death every day and take your story to the news.
 
I just realized the owner of the rescue is a member here and posts fairly often. All I want is the opportunity to go down and see if the rabbit in question is indeed my Peanut! She already made me fill out a pre adoption form just to SEE her and I don't even know why?!

Trust me - I will never give up on Peanut. I miss her every single day and would do anything and spare no expense to get her back. She is not only my first pet, but my girlfriend even thinks I love Peanut more than her sometimes lol! I will be persistent till the end. You're absolutely right with the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
 
Laws do vary from place to place and usually focus more on dogs and cats. The general laws are that a shelter (usually only specific kinds like city shelters or the SPCA) must hold an animal for a set period of time depending before they can put it up for adoption, euthanize it or sent it to another rescue. The times are usually 3 days if there is no ID and 7 if there is and this usually does not cover holidays or weekend, but it can vary. After that time, the animal legally becomes theirs and they can do as they see fit with it.

I am not sure if there are specific things that you would need to do if you lost a pet. It would have been good to put up signs saying you lost her as well as contacting rescues, vets and other resources in the area to keep an eye out for her. Filing a formal report also gives you some proof on dates and that you did file something.

I would try contacting the local humane society for advice on it. They would know more of the laws with respect to rabbits. You local animal control could also be helpful.
It may come down to you proving that she is your rabbit. Vet paperwork, photos with you in them, tattoo numbers and other stuff is helpful. If you adopted her, then that paperwork is also very helpful as it would have dates, your info and other stuff like a tattoo.

Contact them again and have good proof that she is yours. Most rescues should be willing to work with you on it as long as you are a good pet owner.

You may just want to bite the bullet and adopt her back. If she is 'bonded' to another rabbit, then make sure they are actually bonded (1 month is a very fast bond and they would be assuming she is spayed, this would be risky to do).
 
I have no problem adopting both back if the situation occurs where she is bonded to another rabbit. I just worry about what Korr says about rabbits not being "bonded" after <1 month. I will be calling tomorrow to find out the local laws. Unfortunately, I don't know FOR SURE if it IS her. I wish I did the microchip - but i felt that most rabbits that go missing are end up never found :(. I have pictures and a sample of her hair that I kept. I still wonder if I could do a DNA test - I know it's probably expensive but I feel like I NEED to know. I feel like it will all come down to how the rabbit acts when I go and see it to see if it acts like Peanut did.
 
I hope the rescue realizes that this is your very well loved and cared for bunny that you have been serching for and that has left you heartbroken. I agree with jujub, adopt peanut back along with his new fwiend.
Please keep us updated, I am rooting for you and Peanut!!!
 
Where in CT are you? Other than me who isn't the owner of a rescue I can't think of anyone else in CT who post much. Trust me wish there was more.
 
Now when it comes to bonding sometimes it can happen very fast.

A lot of rescues have been getting so many strays that they are bonding bunnies left and right. This summer in CT has been a horrible one for bunnies.
 
I'm up in the Danbury area but the rescue where my rabbit may be is in Northford - a good hour away.
 
If you read closer it the rescue has 2 different breeds listed for the same rabbit. After calling 2 vets they were both semi stumped and had to look back and figure out how to tell rabbits apart once they are spayed/neutered.

I am going on the complete oddness of the situation and betting that the rabbit is actually female.

I mean lost rabbit with the exact markings, weight, fully litter trained (this took me a long time!) etc found an hour away? This is one of those " i have to see to believe it".

I would put money on it.
 
Ok now unless you can prove she is yours 100% it is hard to just hand a rabbit over. Even pictures can be deceiving considering most can look a like. I don't know about DNA testing that may be something to look into.

The application is standard. They have to do it, they consider this rabbit to be their responsibility which means anyone interested has to apply. Also there is the other rabbit who they now have bonded to the rabbit.

I do know of this rescue and know that they take care of the bunnies very well.
 
I should add that the application is also meant to screen people for so many reasons.

ETA:

Did you call local shelters and rescues when looking for her? Mentioning that your rabbit had gone missing.
 
I understand the process. I was and still am extremely anxious with is causing all this jitterness. She is being absolutely right in doing what she is doing. And yes, I did call around everywhere with no luck.

My plan of attack is seeing the rabbit and if my hunch is that it is Peanut then I will look into DNA testing of some sort.

I don't mean to come off like she is a bad person at all! I respect what she is doing and I am just super going crazy because of the thought that my rabbit may be there.
 
I really appreciate the support. I would do anything and give anything for it to be Peanut. It was my worst nightmare to have lost her and i have lived in guilt for about a month now. I really hope all this praying has led this to happen. It would truly be a miracle.
 
Go to the neighbors and ask them if they took the rabbit to a rescue and which one. Explain the whole story and tell them that you are not made at them. If they admit to taking Peanut to the rescue, contact the rescue person again. If that doesn't work do what others have suggested.....call everyone and be the squeaky wheel.

Good luck.
 
If it was me I'd go to the police and tell them my rabbit was stolen and I think I found it. Give them all the details. I don't care where you live, but cruelty and theft are both against the law and are prosecutable offenses. I would not let a whole lot of time go by and if it is my bunny, no one is going to dictate terms to me. My daughter's rabbit was stolen by her ex and he trashed her apartment. I told her to check shelters and the workers ID'ed him, so he was in more than a little trouble with the law. Not just for the theft of a pet, but B&E and vandalism.
 
Update:

After reaching out to the rescue owner, i am going to meet with her sometime this week/weekend and see if this is indeed my rabbit.

Here's where the plot thickens, though -

I did some detective work on the neighbors that I suspect took my rabbit away. I found out they have a daughter that lives ~15-20 minutes from the rescue I am going to visit ( I live 1hr away).

To be continued...
 
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