[Moderator's note: Not quite ferret-related, but given the euthanasia
posts as of late and the shelter posts, perhaps it applies too...  BIG]
 
Today at 6:14 a.m. a little bunny named Princess passed over to the
bridge.  She was not loved by anyone, treated well or given a dignified
life until the last 12 hours of her life.
 
Some acquaintances of mine purchased a little bunny for their 3 year old
daughter for Easter from Scamps in the Beaverton Mall and the big brother
was supposed to be taking care of her.
 
Yesterday their son was distributing flyers for me, I'm a Realtor, and his
Mom called to say their bunny was dying.  I rushed over to their house and
this tiny little white bunny with feces encrusted all over face and neck,
she couldn't open her mouth, and her feet covered with urine and feces was
listless as they tried to feed her rabbit pellets and water.  I picked her
up and she was so skinny I could feel every vertebrae of her spine, her
ribs and the sharp edge of her jaw.  She was so tiny, now I don't know
anything about rabbits, but she obviously was taken from her Mommy way too
soon.
 
I told the boy how disappointed I was in him and I had expected better of
him.  I told him look what you have done to this little baby, what if your
Mom didn't keep you clean and take care of you.  You would be just like
this baby dying.
 
I immediately cleaned her little face which took lots of warm water on a
washcloth to even make a dent in the hardened feces.  Since the family had
a toddler I asked them if they had any formula or half & half or cream.
All they had was coffee creamer so we mixed it with water and warmed it up.
She gulped it down.  I told the family she was too young and wasn't able
to eat the pellet food she had so she was slowing starving to death.
 
After she was fed she seemed to feel much better and she actually became
very active.  I cleaned her face between feedings and found she had like
a huge lump that protruded from under her jaw like a tumor or maybe food
caught in her throat that she couldn't eat or God even knows it could have
been feces.  I placed my little finger down her throat and could not feel
anything and hoped if it was food the liquids would dilute it and break it
up.  I really think it was a tumor, goiter or birth defect of some kind.
 
I wrapped this sweet baby up in a towel and took her home to care for her,
stopped at Petco to get kitten formula and a kitten bottle to feed her.  I
named her Princess because she was too dignified for the existence she had.
She seemed to like me calling her Princess.
 
I cuddled, rocked and fed her.  Since she only started to eat a little at a
time I would feed her as often as she would stay awake.  She actually got
up the energy to want to walk around but then I fed her and she crashed
like baby's do.  I didn't have anything for her so I took one of my cat
carriers, soft towels and put her to night, night around 1 am.  with
blankets around the carrier and very close in my room.
 
This morning around 6 I was awaked to a terrible screaming.  I ran to
Princess and she was stretched out in pain.  She screamed as I picked her
up but I comforted her and she stopped.  I warmed a bottle and tried to
feed her but by this time I could see her breathing was labored.  She did
not want to eat but would swallow it when I gave it to her with a syringe.
If I moved her away from me even an inch to move her into a better position
she would scream.
 
I have never watched anything or anyone die before but from what my vet
told me about the process, I could tell she wanted out of this awful life.
As she looked at me I told her about the bridge and that was OK to go.
She relaxed and within a minute she was gone in my arms.
 
My cat Spunky died in March and I helped her cross because she was terminal
and miserable.  You can say what you want but I could tell this little
Princess was suffering.  If she were where she could be helped to the
Bridge at the end I would have done it to spare her the pain.  This poor
baby deserved better.
 
My heart is aching, I have a terrible feeling in my throat and the tears
won't stop for Princess and all the others.  All those sweet little Easter
bunnies out there who are probably going through a similar fate.  Can you
even imagine being a baby and not knowing anything about the world and what
is going on to begin with and having this horrible treatment be your only
existence.  It just breaks my heart.  How can people be so cruel to sell
these little ones for something to stuff in the Easter basket.  What do
they think is going to happen to them and all those little chicks and
ducklings who will suffer a similar fate?
 
Sandee would you find Princess and take her to Spunky my 13 year old cat
that just crossed and help them find Sam our Siamese that passed in 94.
Spunky and Sam were best of friends and they are both so nice I know they
will love Princess.
 
Goodbye my sweet little Princess you will always be in my heart and on my
mind.  I love you.
 
Kim - the Oregon one
Frankie, Poncho, Mitchika, Caesar, Cleopatra & Butchy
We're all missing Sammy, Spunky and our little Princess
[Posted in FML issue 3395]