6/4/11

Eventful Rescue

It's been a normal Saturday for the most part. Two appointments cancelled, a few people walking in, and nothing really all that different from any other Saturday.

Of course, leave it to Tad to pull something.

I was out back letting Tad and Chica run around and smell every possible inch of ground that had even the slightest smell. Chica is my right hand; she does not leave my side. Tad...on the other hand...well, y'all know Tad well enough.

I was beginning to sweat profusely and die of heat stroke, lovely Southern Texas heat, and so I headed for the door. I called for Chica, she came immediately, called for Tad and could hear him rustling around in the woods. He likes to woods, but he goes in one way, and gets lost...so he can't figure out how to get back out.

Well, that's usually how it goes. I was putting the cap back on my camera, and I start hearing LOTS of squealing. It wasn't Tad...it was something else. In these woods are birds, bunnies, and cats that live in them day after day. It's like a little refuge or something back there.

Either way, within an instant of the squealing, a baby bunny shoots out of the woods like a rocket.

I bolt inside, set my camera on the counter and scream through the clinic. 'Tad has a bunny! Baby bunnies everywhere!' ...all the doctor got out of my sentence was, 'Tad. Bunnies. Everywhere.' It's enough to make her drop everything and run outside with me.

There's still rustling, squeaking, and the little baby bunny that initially came out of the woods shoots to the darkest thing it can find. Sadly, it's the big drains that you see on the side of the road to catch all the rain water.

We leave that one for now, and are calling for Tad...and whatever he's squeaking. He comes out, all proud and mighty with a limp little bunny in his mouth. I thought the worst...especially when he absolutely would not drop it. It took my two hands AND the doctor's two hands to pry his jaws apart.

Finally, the little slobbery bunny came out. I drug Tad back inside the clinic because he wanted his bunny back, and got a few things to try and get the manhole cover off to get the other baby bunny.

It took a bit...the cover was scorching hot and heavier than...well, heavier than a lot of things. But, I finally managed to get it off while the doctor kept the other baby in her jacket. We were able to trap the other baby with the broom so it wouldn't travel farther into the piping, and I climbed in. You want to talk gross...this little manhole thing was GROSS.

I was able to grab the baby, sopping wet from draining muck, and we took both babies inside. Dr. Holliday looked at them, and there was no punctures or broken limbs or anything like that, thankfully. We debated on calling a wildlife rehabilitator, but they're best chance is with their mommy, especially bunnies! After she decided their hearts sounded good and they seemed as normal as any bunny, for the most part, we wiped off the muck and slobber, and released them back at the exact spot the one shot out of.

They took off like their little tails were on fire, so that was definitely a good sign. So, while the story is sad...it does have a happy ending, and I did take pictures of the cute babies (who were terrified) before we released them.

Manhole Bunny

Tasted Bunny

11 comments:

  1. Tad, Tad, Tad. Glad they're both OK.

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  2. I love your way with words Tad's Tiffer. What a prize to hold in his mouth! My Ava thinks that bloody squirming moles in my house is something to be proud of. He is a good boy, but sometimes he gets "lock jaw". Life is good for the little forgotten dog all broken and sad. His feet are beautiful as we as his spirit. These special souls are givers as much as takers. There are so many horrible stories about animals that do not live to chase moles or bunnies. I can smile even though the bunnies had to be traumatized. Love to you Tad and love to you Tiff. You have given hope to so many animals. You have shown the way to those that have never walked the path of a rescuer.

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  3. Tiffany - you really need to be a writer. You have a gift with words - and you have a dog that gives you plenty of material! "Tasted bunny" was especially cute.

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  4. Tad's not bad! He's just being a hound. I had a French Brittany who made bunny hunting his specialty. When an unfortunate Bunny would get in the back yard, Massimo was relentless. I managed to save most. We lost some.

    He wasn't bad, just had an unquenchable prey reflex.

    I am impressed and in awe that you had the fortitude to climb in the manhole! A true animal lover.

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  5. I love bunnies! I hope the mama doesn't kill them or eat them...sad to say, they do that sometimes if they've been handled or smell different. :-(

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  6. GREAT children's book series material. "The Adventures of Tad".

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  7. Oh my gosh! d.strader has a great idea! "The Adventures of Tad"!! I'm not kidding. I think it would be a best seller!

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  8. Everything turned out well - Tad got to do what dogs love to do, the bunnies have an adventure story to pass down through the ages, and we get to see pictures of adorable baby bunnies!

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  9. Tad is a hound, they are excellent hunters and don't realize we find bunnies cute! Be thankful you don't have my cats or you'd have nothing left of those cute little bunnies but their intestines :o(

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  10. Tad saw prey and he went after it: he was just doing what dogs do.

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  11. Oh Gosh, and I am an animal lover... but here in Australia we consider Rabbits as vermin as in a hot, drought stricken country we detest the vermin (rabbits, swallows, sparrows and domestic pigeons) brought in by our earliest Settlers competing for grain and food for sheep and cattle. However like any Human, of course I would still try to save "that darn wabbit" from a dog attack. Ummmm have to add here... a relative of mine runs a rabbit farm to produce to restaurants in Sydney NSW

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