I Shall Call Him Humphrey.

Postby Marinepits » August 11th, 2009, 9:39 pm

On the way home today, I stopped at my mother-in-law's home to take her to lunch. When we got back, she wanted to show me the new plants she had added to her garden (which is lovely and I'm extremely jealous, LOL!).

Their lab, Pepper, was running around outside, being silly, but she kept stopping at a big shrub near the side of the house and sniffing around, then backing up. This is Pepper's favourite spot to cool off in the summer -- she dug a big hole under the overhanging branches of the shrub and loves to sleep in there.

We watched her do this several times, then I looked under the shrub. I saw several tiny furry somethings on the far side, so I went around the other side to get a better look. Unfortunately, the furry somethings were baby rabbits and they were dead. Poor things had already been set upon by flies and wasps.

Then, I saw something move in Pepper's "nest". One of the babies was still alive! I asked my MIL for some gloves, then gently picked him up. He seemed okay, no visible injuries, but already had maggot eggs on his head and bum. I picked off all the eggs and made him a nest in a flower pot, using an old dish towel.

I raced home and gave the baby to Wildlife in Crisis: http://www.wildlifeincrisis.com/index.htm

The techs told me that the baby was only two days old and probably wouldn't have survived another hour outside, due to the heat with no protection from Mom Rabbit and the flies/wasps. They also told me that about 85% of the small animals and birds that they receive for treatment are injured by indoor/outdoor cats. Cats generally "play" with wildlife and rarely eat them, instead just leaving them injured or dead. I've seen my neighbors' cats do this and it infuriates me every time. Last trip to WIC was with a partially-paralyzed chipmunk that I rescued from one of the cats. Poor thing was euthanized due to his injuries.

Anyway, "Humphrey" should survive with no problems and will be released onto the sanctuary in a few months!

I didn't have my camera handy, but I found this pic online and it looks exactly like Humphrey. Humphrey has a white blaze on his forehead, though.
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Postby Jenn » August 11th, 2009, 9:45 pm

Awwww way to save Humphrey!
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Postby Hoyden » August 11th, 2009, 9:53 pm

So so cute.

I pulled another Humphrey Hooperdink out of Petey's mouth last year. I thought he was trying to eat it and flipped out. My friend the rabbit rescuer said that it looked more like Petey was trying to mother the baby because it was covered in dog spit, but had no teeth marks or other injuries on it and was covered in all kinds of fluff from the inside of a quilt that Petey shredded.

Birdie would have killed it, had she found it.

I don't know if she kept the bunny or sent it to the rabbit releasers.
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Postby ArtGypsy » August 11th, 2009, 10:12 pm

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW :dance:

We found our own Humphrey this year too..........Took it the next day to Lincoln, and the Wildlife Rescue lady took GOOD care of her til she got big enough to be released....
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Postby TheRedQueen » August 11th, 2009, 10:16 pm

Good for you...and yea for Lucky Humphrey!

I found a baby bunny in a client's garage earlier this summer, and took him to the wildlife folks...but he didn't make it there. He was seizing for some reason...maybe poison. :| I'm glad Humphrey is going to live a long happy bunny life!

My guys always take care of baby bunnies and such...but Gibbs ate a whole nest of them earlier this year. :cry:
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Postby iluvk9 » August 12th, 2009, 5:59 am

:shock: That is one tiny bunny!

OF COURSE Pepper the Lab didn't harm them, but more importantly, WHEN were you going to admit THEIR IS A LAB IN YOUR FAMILY TREE???
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Postby Marinepits » August 12th, 2009, 7:50 am

iluvk9 wrote:OF COURSE Pepper the Lab didn't harm them, but more importantly, WHEN were you going to admit THEIR IS A LAB IN YOUR FAMILY TREE???


LMAO We had a big black lab growing up -- his name was Wingo and he was about 125 pounds, tall and lanky kind of like Truman.

My inlaws have raised goldens, chessies, and even a couple of labs for hunting over the past 30+ years. Pepper was actually found in the woods in Maine during one of my FIL's hunting trips. She was about 6 months old and just wandering out in the DEEP woods during the early winter and it was COLD. No one came forward for her in the week my FIL was in Maine (he found her on the first day out), so he took her home. She's actually turned out to be the best bird dog he's ever had -- she points and retrieves pheasant and duck like a champ!
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Postby airwalk » August 13th, 2009, 1:49 am

Aw what a nice thing to do.
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Postby Patch O' Pits » August 13th, 2009, 9:35 pm

Precious lil one! I hope he makes it. :)
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