Gunner gets blamed

Gunner gets blamed

Yesterday I let Gunner into the back yard for his morning constitutional.  Normally he comes back to the door before I can make my first cup. Maddy was a bit late getting up, so I took my black java outside to see what kind of day it would be. I caught Gunner in the corner of my eye running across the yard carrying something in his mouth.  

It suddenly registered that he was carrying my neighbor's pet, a black rabbit. Gunner has been in a digging mode of late, and he must have gotten into the yard from a hidden spot behind the azaleas. This was terrible... and on several levels.  Only eight months old, I wasn't sure if it was a good thing to get rabbit blood in his mouth when he will start his training for hunting dove soon. Not only that, but a confrontation with my neighbor would be inevitable, because his three young kids are really attached. Every day after school, they feed him a copious amount of clover growing in clusters all around the yard.

What to do?

Suddenly it hit me. I had a couple of hours at least. I'd wash the rabbit, blow dry it, and put it back in its cage, with no one being the wiser. They would think he had died a natural, peaceful way, not the way Gunner plays with his toys. I used the sink in the garage, and blew-dry the poor thing with Maddy's hair dryer. Good as new, even better!

I jumped the fence and quickly ran to the cage where the door was almost unscrewed. Bam! I was over the fence in a flash, safe and sound. 

I cut the grass, and in the process looked for the hole, but couldn't find it. Perhaps it's behind the banana plant forest where I have some bricks blocking the way, I thought. I then heard the sliding glass door squeak open... the kids were home.

In a moment, I heard the oldest daughter of about eleven yell: "Mom! Bunny Boy is back in his cage!"

"What?" said the mother, "I don't believe it!"  and I could hear her opening the cage. "What kind of a sick mind would dig up a dead rabbit and put it back in its cage?!"