Chancey

Last week Dave and I had a route in Surprise. We go there often for work, but this time we had a couple of new properties to maintain. As Dave was hacking the weeds with the weed whacker, a little brown ball flung out from under the trimmer line and into the yard. It began to scurry around in a panic, and we heard the saddest little death cry coming from it. I thought it was a gopher, but as we approached the creature we were horrified to discover it was a baby bunny. It tried to escape but it’s back leg was completely broken in half and only attached to the bunny by a bit of ligament. It’s front paw was broken as well.

We weren’t sure what to do. I didn’t feel like it needed to die, it seemed as though there could be an option of recovery. Even if the poor thing could just have 3 legs and live at a rescue, I surely felt that was better than leaving it in the back yard for it to die.

As Dave finished the yard, I gathered up the little guy (or girl) in an emergency blanket from my roadside kit. After our route we took the bunny to his brother and sister-in-laws house for examining. They currently have 5 rabbits and she’s had extensive experience with them. Dave’s brother is also in medical school so we figured if anyone could help us after-hours, it would be them.

After 45 minutes at their place, Dave and I returned to my apartment with the bunny, by now I named her Chancey, in tow. They informed us that once bunnies go into severe shock, their bodies shut down to try and repair itself. Unfortunately, the shock is often too much for it to handle and the body will just shut down completely and die. They advised us to make her as comfortable as possible for her passing.

When we arrived at my apartment Chancey had already died. We laid some hay on top of her and put her in a shoe box, taped it up, bid farewell (and due apology), and put her to rest outside in the dumpster (sad place, I know). Goodbye Chancey, we hope you’re hopping ever so happily through endless fields of clover in the sky.