About a half an hour ago, the rabbit (I’d taken to calling him “Hank” after Charles Bukowski, who I’ve always thought has a very rabbit-like face) was reunited with his original owner.
I don’t know if this is is a happy ending or not, but that’s the thing with lost pets—you can’t control who lost them in the first place. I hope for Hank’s sake that he’s safe and taken care of now that he’s back at home.
At least I know this rabbit had four days of total love and luxury. That’s the best I could do.
I’m going to miss him a lot.
If you’ve ever wanted to watch a 3-minute video of a very sweet rabbit eating kale and getting an ear rubdown, this is your chance:
Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about Hank, and to all who offered advice and support while I took care of him.
57 Comments
love the last photo!! So sweet! 🙂
Bitter sweet ending. Regardless of his prior or now current situation, you did show him the life of royalty. I hope he is loved and appreciated.
Ooh boo! I really wanted you to keep him. But I do hope he’s happy and taken care of.
He’s so adorable. You are such a sweetheart for what you did.
Awww, what a cutie. Too bad he couldn’t stay with you. 🙁
I can see how sad you are, but I guess it’s impossible not to be, Hank has such a sweet face. Maybe you can now consider getting your very own Hank? At least, nobody will take him away after you fall in love wit him!
You did such a great thing…it shows what and amazing heart you have.
Thinking of you and Hank. You are such a sweet and caring person Anna and Hank was lucky to get to spend some time with you!
aw I love Hank. I’ll be sending positive thoughts his way.
As a rabbit owner, it looks like you gave him some amazing care. I’m amazed he looked so calm and relaxed for being in a new place for a short amount of time (but yes, isn’t it easy to fall in love with them in a milisecond!). The name Hank was perfect. Know that you did a very good thing in rescuing him.
*sniffle* :/
It was so good of you to take such lovely care of Hank (I wondered if you had named him after Hank Chinanski!) Hank is a very lucky bunny that you were there when he needed help. So sad that he had to go back. I can tell by your words and your photos how deeply you cared not just for Hank, but all animals.
What a precious little angel.
Watching that video put tears in my eyes. It very much reminded me of my own bunny I had growing up. They are really sweet animals and I sometimes think about getting one for my children, so they can have the same great experiences I had.
dude can eat some kale. so sweet. now I miss him, too…
You look so sad. I hope the little guy will be ok. While it was all playing out with Hank, my dog went missing. He’s back home now after 4 days of frantic searching and cursing myself for not microchipping him. I can’t believe he’s back. Thanks to the police and a lovely family who took care of him so well and refused to release him to the pound where he would otherwise have been put down today. I cried a rain cloud when I collected him. Took him straight to the vet so he’s chipped now and sporting an identity tag.
Oh I would like to have a rabbit like Hank!
I don’t think he’s been mistreated by his owners,cause he’d have been more scared of humans…
He’s been lucky u found him, it’s like going on bunny vacation.
he’s super cute. that was really sweet of you to care for him 🙂
aw, that last photo is so sad. You did a good thing, Anna.
Hank definitely loved you Anna. He looked so happy and calm in those photos and that’s no small feat for a bun. As a human who is owned by a bunny (yes it works the other way around with my girl), they are truly beautiful, sweet critters to be around. That last photo broke my heart. You would’ve given Hank the home he deserves. With any luck, he’ll find his way back to you again because it’s so clear you love each other. Thanks for taking care of such a precious little guy. btw, he also matches your furniture!
Aww…what a cutie! Your tweets were making me so sad. You know if he shows up in your yard again,he has made his choice! 🙂
Man, and I thought I loved kale. That was soooo cute to watch & you’re such a love for taking such good care of him. I hope his people are doing the same.
You done good Darlin’!
That’s GREAT NEWS! So glad the original owner found him again. You did a great thing by taking care of him during that time. We’ve had a couple of homeless cats come around here and, unfortunately after a visit to the vet we weren’t able to take them in because our cat would have been in danger of diseases.
I hope the original owners show him as much care as you did! Either way, you did a great thing by taking him in!
Aww… this is the sweetest video of a rabbit I’ve ever seen.
Thank you Anna for giving Hank so much love and a stylish home. Maybe next time the little boy lets the rabbit out, catch him, and keep him. He so belongs in your home.
Oooh!!!! he was so lucky you found him 🙂
Maybe the owners will be more appreciative of little Hank now (fingers crossed).
This whole thing has made me want a bunny. I wonder how the cat would feel about that…
He seems like such a sweet bunny. Hopefully he stays put, but if he gets outside again I’d say he’s fair game and needs a home with someone who will properly take care of him. Maybe he’ll hop on over to you!
Looks like he was very happy while in your care and I hope he went back to a good home.
Somewhere that rabbit is missing his luxury suite!
That is one seriously cute little bunny, and I know how it feels to take care of a lost/homeless pet and then have to give them away or back to their owners. When I was living at home we found the most beautiful boxer dog – she was extremely friendly and loving and got along very well with my parent’s two dogs. I put up signs, posted ads on craigslist and did everything I could to find the original owner – after a week everyone was used to having this new pup…the other dogs were even cuddling with her! The same day the decision was made to adopt her and call her a member of our family, the owner called – they had gone out of town and for some reason the dog got out, and the person who was supposed to be watching her didn’t. Boo.
I totally know how you felt – I didn’t know if I should be happy or not. She seemed like a good, obedient dog and it was hard to give her to someone who I know may not be as good an owner as we would have been. She didn’t even have a collar or microchip! It was tough, for sure.
The video is so sweet! If you notice, while your loving him up he is grinding his teeth. That means he is happy in bunny language!
As somebody who’s taken in my fair share of lost/abandoned pets/animals (with the vet bills to prove it…), I completely understand that sense of not knowing whether things turned out well. It’s hard when it’s not that happy ending you were hoping for, when things are left uncomfortably ambiguous with something you feel like you’ve bonded with and in some ways has become “yours.” A few years ago we took in a beautiful Husky that we found roaming the neighborhood, put up signs ALL over the place, and ended up keeping him for about a week before the owners finally strolled by to pick him up, claiming they’d just seen the signs even though they lived right around the corner and they were EVERYWHERE. As if that wasn’t unsettling enough, they came back about a month later asking if we’d like to take him back to keep because “somebody had developed allergies.” Right. At the time we already had two dogs and a few other little guys and we couldn’t take on another dog, but I think all you can really do is just hope for the best for the little guy and know that you did what you could, which is above and beyond what most people would do. Which is just a roundabout way of saying that I’m sure Hank says “thank you,” even if the owners didn’t.
just wondering if the owner was indeed the real owner, you never know who could claim Hank, maybe not as a pet but for food (yikes)
@Ludmila: The reasons why I couldn’t keep Hank (if his owner hadn’t claimed him) haven’t changed, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get attached. No bunny for us.
@Fiona: That is so scary — I would have been absolutely beside myself!! I’m so glad your guy is back and safe and sound.
@Arnie & @Dan: Yes, exactly. That is the same frustration I feel. I want everyone to care as much as I do, and to feel like I do about their pets and about animals, but for some people, they are just objects.
@wondergal: It was definitely the real owner. There is no doubt.
Hank, very cool name by the way, had the luxurious vacay of a lifetime. You did what you could and more, which is more than most people ever do.
Anna, your actions were generous and kind. I hope Hank lives a long and happy life. Your heartache is why I could never be a foster pet parent. I don’t know how they do it–I would be head over heels in love with my charge by the time they had to go. I also understand your concern–I’m so crazy about my two boys (cats) that I would raise an eyebrow towards anyone who “accidentally” released such a sweet and loving animal as Hank. However, I have to believe that part of the reason Hank is so great is due to the care they had provided him before he visited your home. Regardless, I’m sure the universe is smiling at your behavior throughout the entire saga.
You’re such a good mommy!
And look so cute together.
You and and Hank have the say “eye makeup” in the last photo!
🙂
Awwww Hank! I miss him already! Such a sweet post.
you ROCK! I LOVE your blog and I HEART Hank!
That video just made my heart hurt.
I know how hard it is to let them go — but you done good. 🙂 I’m so thankful there are people like you in this world.
sweet video. your petting him was so touching.
OMG! I just gave the web address to my friend who thought she had a perfect home for the little fuzzball! Well, if he makes another break for it, he may have a home. ‘Spose you gave them the split level condo, too. Looks like the owners got a good deal out of Hank splitting for 4 days. Good for him to have you loving him! Lucky break for the little guy–could have had a much more unhappy ending, for sure!
@Suzen: Oh, thank you. 🙂 You don’t know how much I appreciate you trying to find Hank a good home. It means a lot to me.
I didn’t give the cage to Hank’s owners — didn’t offer it, as I assume they already have one. I gave them all of the food/hay I’d bought for him, though…
OMG, love!
Aw, Hanky-Pank. I’m glad his owners found him, but I’m sorry you had to give him up. It’s so easy to get attached, even when you know you can’t keep ’em.
You did a good, good thing. Hanker got the vacation all bunnies dream of. Timothy hay! Kale! Ear rubs!
I especially like, not only that you took Hank in, but you immediately set out to give him a very comfortable and beautiful home. It was so “D16” of you! You are a kind soul.
such a bittersweet ending…
i know that you had grown fond of hank in the past few days. he was safe, loved, and had quite the glamorous lifestyle while at door 16 and for that i know he is grateful.
i hope his owners appreciate the little sweetheart now that he’s home.
all the best!
I don’t get the impression the owners take care of Hank as we would all like. He should be treated like a king. My wish is that Hank is let out again, you find him, you quietly look into one of the options of people or programs that presented itself when you postd you had found him. Clearly I know you cannot advertise on here that you found him and gave him away. So I will just say that is my wish and I hope that comes true.
Poor Hank. Maybe his owners really are wonderful (after all, he IS litterbox trained, so they at least had to pay attention to him for THAT. In any case, I’m sure he appreciates his awesome vacation.
That is SO sweet you took the little guy in and made him so comfortable 🙂 The video is awesome, I heart animals!
aw. 🙁
i had two pet bunnies when i was in my 20s. i was insanely attached to both of them. you did a very good thing.
Aww, what a cute story. Thanks for sharing! That bunny did look quite at home with you. I love the site! It looks a smidgen like mine 🙂 Cheers
you and hank were cute together !
I wish i would have been closer, i could of begged my bf to let me have it. That was nice of you to keep him while finding the owners !
The pictures you took are lovely
xo
i love the video, especially the last shot of his lovely shining dark eye. thank you.
Such a cute bunny..love love xx
Lovely post! We’ve returned to the US after living abroad (for 2 1/2 years) where there were lots of strays. We took in a dog whom we had for four days until the owner saw one of our posters when they were out looking for him. I had simliar feelings to the ones you describe but I realized then that even the most responsible owner can loose their animal. You did a great thing and Hank hopefully will be getting a little name tag after his ordeal.
Anna, thanks for sharing this wonderful story. I am in an almost identical situation right now. My boyfriend and I found a little abandoned pet bunny in a park a few weeks ago. He jumped right up to us, so we picked him up and took him home. He is very friendly, a bit smaller than Hank. We have had him neutered and microchipped. But, just like you, we travel a lot. And live in a tiny place (smaller than yours, no guest room!) so keeping him seems daunting. If we do keep him, I think we will get a Bunny Adobe from Leith Petworks. So, I have two questions for you. First, did you like the Bunny Abode? And second and more important, in your search for a new home for Hank, did you find anyone who really wanted a rabbit, who might want to give our little guy a great, great home? I realize it’s been a few years, but thought I would ask anyway. I would drive to where ever these wonderful people live AND buy them a Bunny Abode! If you want to see photos of our adorable adopted rabbit, you can see them on my facebook page. Thanks in advance for any advice you might have!
Andrea Drever