I will Never Know

I guess this story started yesterday when Margaret called me and asked if I would do a brisket for her.  She was going to have the family over at her house for Sunday dinner or Grandparent's day.  Of course I agreed and did the brisket and then on Sunday I took it down to their house about 11:30 am so it would be there when they got home from Church and it would be cooling down for them to cut it up and eat.

After I took the brisket inside and was locking up the house, I noticed that Mike and the other dogs were across the back road.  I called Mike and he came but he had something in his mouth and wouldn't come near me.  I chased him all the way back to my house yelling at him all the way.  I really hate it when a dog doesn't come when he is called.  It is one thing that really gets to me about a pet, not doing my bidding.  When we finally got home, Mike was in the garage and I was right behind him.  Whatever he had in his mouth was no longer there.  I scolded Mike for not coming when he was called and he took it like old Huckleberry Finn taking a lickin' i.e. "it didn't hurt much".

Then I looked around and there was a baby rabbit on the ground next to us.  This was what Mike had in his mouth.  I picked it up and it was shook up but not hurt.  I put it in a box and it tried to jump out which told me that it was physically okay.

I knew that the chances of it surviving were slim and almost none without it Mother.  I took it back to where I saw Mike come out of the woods with it and I found the nest.  Blue and Mosquito were both in the area sniffing around and I just knew that any other baby rabbits were no longer there.  I also knew that leaving the rabbit there would only be more food for the dogs.  So I left the little bunny at Margaret and Jack's house.

Margaret called and I told her it was my Grandparent's day gift.  She told me that Colton had already claimed it and was taking it home.

Colton came down later that afternoon and said that they had looked up on how to care for a wild rabbit on the internet and it had told them that the odds of surviving without the Mother were not real good.  He asked me where the nest was and I took him down there and showed him.  Colton stayed near the nest while I tried to call the dogs off.  I guess we were somewhat successful or at least the dogs didn't go for the bunny right away.

I came back home and was watching the Cowboys kick A on the Browns and I noticed Mike in the front yard with something.  He was digging and playing with something.  I went out and sure enough, he had a bunny rabbit again.  I will never know if it was the same one or not but it looked like it was the same one.  He had dug a hole and had put the rabbit in the little hole.  I picked up the bunny and Mike looked at me like "What are you going to do?".  I had no idea what to do.  I find it very strange that Mike had brought this bunny home twice and neither time was the bunny harmed.  I also knew that the bunny needed to be free and wouldn't survive without his Mother or at least another female rabbit.

I set the rabbit free and Mike and I watched him/her hop off to whatever fate awaited it.

We went back outside a hour later and Mike sniffed around but we didn't see any sign of the little bunny.  I hope it made it and I know I will never see another rabbit without wondering if it was the one.