Big Mac: A Rabbit Rescue Story

The story of a bunny rescued from a McDonald’s.

Imagine you’re a small yellow bunny, warm and with a full belly in your home. Next, imagine you’re that same bunny outside on the cold concrete, lost and confused, darting back and forth under cars trying to hide. You’re surviving off human food that’s been dropped on the ground and the quickly disappearing grass along the road.

This is how Big Mac’s story starts… but (spoiler alert!) this story does have a happy ending! This is the story of how Mac went from a dramatic parking lot rescue to a happy and safe home.

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Mac’s McDonald’s Rescue

We don’t know where Big Mac started out, but his rescue story starts out with a teenage girl spotting him running and trying to hide under cars in a McDonald’s drive-thru during the morning rush. Luckily this sweet girl was willing to take time out of her day to catch Mac and get him warm and safe inside.

From what we were told, Mac was trying to shelter under the cars going through the drive-thru. The Friday that Mac was rescued, the low temp was in the 30’s (Fahrenheit) and much too cold for a house bunny used to staying warm and dry inside.

The girl who caught Mac took him home and kept him safe from her dogs by separating him in a bathroom. She got him to eat some carrots and celery and her mom posted on Facebook to try and find his owner.

Bringing Mac Home

Since all my friends and family in our town know that we have bunnies and my dream is to open a small animal rescue, I was immediately tagged in the Facebook post and received a few text messages about Mac. After a quick text to my boyfriend that we might end up with a rescue bunny, I sent a message letting her know I could take in the bunny if they didn’t find the owner and didn’t have anywhere for it to go.

She messaged me back later that day and we took a carrier to pick up Mac that evening!

Mac’s New Home

When we first picked up Mac, I wasn’t sure if we were going to be keeping him or if we would foster and try to find him a new home. My main concern was to set up a quiet space for him to settle in and recuperate from his time outside in the cold.

We set him up a nice space in an extra bedroom in our finished basement. We have two small beds in that room that have quite a bit of quiet dark space underneath them. I decided to put down some fleece under one of the beds, along with a hay pile, water bowl, and litterbox. I also grabbed a few new toys that I hadn’t used with any of my existing pets yet to give to Mac as well.

We ended up taking our high baby gate from our existing pet room and moved it down to the doorway of the basement bedroom as well. We’re able to keep Mac in his room during the night and let him out to play in our basement where he has tons of room to run and play.

He’s settled into our home amazingly well and has such a big personality. He loves to hop up on the couch with us, greeting us halfway up the basement stairs, and flopping flat out on the beds in his bedroom.

The only things mac has to worry about now are his upcoming vet checkup and when the Amazon box with his new toys is getting here!

The Need for Rabbit Rescues

While Mac’s story does have a happy ending, this is a good example of how needed small animal rescues really are. Just in my small town, there are five bunnies I know of that were dumped outside in just the past year – not including Mac!

We are working on starting a rescue in our area for this reason. Rabbits can, unfortunately, be sold in pet stores in most states, which leads to them being impulse purchases. Many people buy bunnies for Easter or for their children and don’t realize how much work and special care rabbits really need. Rescues are important because not only do they take in unwanted animals, but they also do important work educating people on proper rabbit care.

There are so many different ways you can support a rescue in your area as well! Many humane society shelters take rabbits, and a lot of larger cities do have dedicated rabbit rescues. You can donate money, supplies, or even just volunteer your time to help out. I promise the bunnies will thank you!