Bugs the bunny, escaped its enclosure a few days ago and was caught by members of the NESPCA on Tuesday. (Facebook/North East SPCA)

By Mat Barrett

Wrong turn

NESPCA tracks down escaped bunny in Melfort’s south end

Aug 5, 2020 | 8:00 AM

It could have been a very sad ending to the story of a bunny on the loose on the south side of Melfort on the morning of Tuesday, Aug 4.

North East SPCA Shelter Manager Kristy Mason said while doing their morning cleaning at the Harry and Eve Vickar Shelter, there was a phone call. Normally, Mason said she doesn’t answer the phone in the morning like that but decided to this time. She said there was a woman on the other end of the phone that had a domesticated bunny running through her yard and the animal looked hurt.

Mason said calls like that are normally directed to animal control, but not this time.

“I figured ‘Well, we’re going to go look for this bunny rather than direct her to animal control,'” she said. “Because I want to get there as fast as possible just so it’s not running off somewhere.”

The group of NESPCA staff found the animal in a neighbour’s yard. The bunny was then taken to the local vet clinic to get checked out. Coincidentally, the bunny ended up belonging to one of the staff members at the clinic and had been missing for a few days.

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Mason said there can be numerous risks for domesticated animals like bunnies if they happen to escape.

“The biggest thing is, they aren’t that smart when it comes to predators and vehicles,” Mason told northeastNOW. “So, they’re definitely at risk that way, and they just have a lot of trouble finding a food source.”

While animal escapes are typically rare, Mason said younger domestic rabbits can look similar to wild ones. If you spot a domestic animal in distress, Mason said the best course of action is to contact animal control. On top of that, if you’re comfortable, try to contain the animal.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6