Remembering a Rabbit Named Dori

I wish I could say this is an April Fool's joke but sadly it isn't. Yesterday I learned from a rabbit rescuer in Friends of Rabbits that an individual who had just adopted a rabbit from this group had to slam on the brakes while transporting this newly adopted rabbit home. The carrier the rabbit was in was not secured properly and the carrier slammed into the back of the front seat and flipped over, resulting in the rabbit breaking her spine. Unfortunately Dori, the rabbit, had to be euthanized. It is hard even to imagine the grief and horror the adopter is feeling. Needless to say, the folks at FOR are heartbroken beyond the power of words.

When such tragic incidents happen, it is human nature to act in a way that makes the deaths of those involved not be in vain. To do nothing or to learn nothing from such a sad incident would make this senseless death even more absurd and incomprehensible. I think we need to take Dori's sudden death as a wake-up call to how we transport ourselves and our animals. Face it, we have all done it--we get into our cars. Just going to the store a mile away, why bother with the seat belt? This despite the fact that statistics have shown that most car accidents happen close to home--why don't we ever seem to get this? We always think we will be just fine; true, in most cases we are. But when that one horrible day comes when we are NOT fine, look at the cost. We must be more vigilant with our own lives and certainly must do the same for the animals entrusted into our care. This is one of those things that you would assume common sense would make plain to all; but I think it is best if we are all more vigilant in rescue to remind anyone adopting an animal of the basic safety measures they should take to protect their animals during transport.

Godspeed, little Dori, to the Rainbow Bridge. May you live in peace among all the rabbits who have gone on before you.