Lost Westfield Bunny Finds New Home With Bound Brook Girl, 7

WESTFIELD, NJ — A white rabbit found in a Westfield park earlier this month has a new home and a new name.

When Lara Wolf saw the bunny hopping around Tamaques Park on March 11, she knew the domesticated rabbit might not be able to fend for itself there. She and a friend posted on Patch to find his owner.

"I can’t keep him," she said. "I have two rabbits already!"

Although no one called to claim him, plenty of people wanted to adopt him.

He now has a new home with Makayla, 7, of South Bound Brook.

"Charlene (Makayla’s mom) reached out," Wolf said, "and offered to take him if his owners didn’t come forward to claim him. She wanted to make sure that he went to a loving home. We met at a Home Depot to make the bunny transfer."

She said, "Charlene and Makayla have experience with rabbits and they currently have a male lop-eared rabbit named Rumble."

Wolf added that the exchange went well.

"Makayla was waving and super smiley and had a carrier ready for the rabbit," she said. "He was licking Makayla and sitting on her lap as soon as they got home."

She added that by all accounts, "He has been hopping around their living room and exploring. Basically he's adjusting well. Charlene assured me she had all the supplies needed to take on a second bunny — including A LOT of hay and an enclosed space for the rabbits to exercise."

Makayla has decided to call him "Snowball."

Be a responsible bun owner

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Wolf said people should know how difficult rabbits are to care for, before they buy.

"It's important for people to know that they need a lot of space," she said, "not just a little cage that you often see them in. They also need a lot of hay (to keep their teeth filed and to keep their digestive system healthy), as well as some fresh greens every day. Bunnies can also be litter box trained. While they could be considered an easy pet to keep, they do require fresh water and bedding every day, as well as toys and activities to keep stimulated and mentally healthy."

Also, "If people are going to have their buns free roam in their house, it's important that there is nothing dangerous that the rabbits can get into. They chew everything — including wires."

But, she said, "I think one of the best things about them is that they are vegetarians and they eat flowers and herbs. How cute is that?"

Here's "hopping" that Charlene, Makayla, Lara, Snowball, and Rumble enjoy their spring — and you, too.

Have you lost or found a pet? Want to get the word out fast at no cost? Email the Patch editor who covers your town (see below for Westfield) or post on your neighborhood Patch for free!

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