Poppy

A family, a few houses down from us, have two white rabbits...they actually got the rabbits from friends of theirs about two months ago.  Anyway, they are planning on moving soon and didn't want the rabbits anymore and offered them to Haley and her friend (Haley visits the rabbits often).  This was Friday.  We told her we would sleep on it.  That night when Ryan and I went upstairs this is what we found on our bed...

I mean, really...this is hard to say "no" to.  Haley is our animal/nature lover, she always has been and I believe always will.  She recently started volunteering at the local animal hospital...she rides her bike there once a week.  She loves our dogs, has taken in a stray cat, captured and nursed an injured dove back to health, visits the deer in cul de sac and leaves them food to eat (from my fridge...grumble, grumble), this by the way would probably upset the neighbors as they despise the deer.  

So yeah, animals are her passion in life...and with that, we said "yes" to the rabbit.  This was Saturday.  She and Morgan got everything set up...I didn't do a thing.  All day Saturday and Sunday the girls were in bunny heaven, they named her Poppy.  

 They adored her.

Monday rolled around and after school Haley took Belle (our dog) for a walk.  All the kids were outside playing, and even a few neighbor kids.  While Haley was gone, Etta (our other dog) hit the back door to the garage open and with that was able to escape the backyard...she went directly to Poppy's cage and bashed it in.  Morgan was close by and ran as fast as she could to grab Etta (she even got a bonk to the head from the cage door doing so), but she just didn't have the strength to pull Etta out...Poppy didn't have a chance...Etta killed her.  Morgan witnessed the entire thing...the rabbit's squeals still haunt her.  By the time Ryan and I ran outside it was too late...I was hysterical...screaming at Etta...the children were wailing...it was awful...just awful.  I hated Etta...I still have a hard time looking at her.  I know that sounds juvenile, but it's true.  Why such violence?!  I know she's a dog and that was an instinctual move, but why the rabbit?!!  

I don't need to tell you how devastated Haley was when she came home and discovered what happened.  It was terrible.  As a parent, you just want to take away the pain and heartache...I just hate seeing my children so sad.

I put Poppy in a shoe box and we buried her under the pear tree.  The girls cried and cried.  It was just the most awful evening ever.

On my fridge is a small Polaroid of Poppy that Morgan took and a drawing from Piper.

RIP Poppy.