Naperville's 'Bunny' Finishes As A Runner-Up In Cadbury TV Contest

NAPERVILLE, IL — A rescue dog owned by a Naperville couple had hoped to take a starring TV role during the Easter season, but will have to settle for being counted among other pets who narrowly missed the cut.

Bunny, a Chihuahua that was adopted in 2017 by Jeff and Emily Meader, was not selected as the winner of the Cadbury Bunny Tryouts, which was announced on Tuesday. Bunny was one of 10 finalists along with a guinea pig, miniature horse, and other hopefuls for the role of the popular seasonal confectionary commercial pitching Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Instead, the honor went to a rescue cat in Boise, Idaho named “Crash” who garnered the top number of votes in a nationwide contest that ended on Monday. “Crash," an 8-year-old one-eyed orange and white rescue cat, received “an impressive number of votes,” Cadbury said in a statement to capture the $5,000 prize. An additional $5,000 prize will be donated to the animal rescue facility of the owner’s choice.

"Crash" was rescued after a devastating car accident that caused the cat to lose an eye among other injuries. While healing, Crash became a local favorite at the shelter and impressed people with his ability to do tricks, including giving high-fives, Cadbury said in a statement.

“We are jumping with joy to hear Crash is the next Cadbury Bunny but not surprised as he is always the center of attention in any room,” Crash’s owner, Maddie Corey, said in a statement released on Tuesday. “He's been through so much over the past few years, and we appreciate the love his friends, family, and cat enthusiasts across the country have shown.”

For Meader, just having rescue pets featured in the promotion made putting Bunny in the running all worth it. Bunny was adopted from Tails Animal Rescue in DeKalb, where executive director Michelle Groeper said Bunny’s presence as a finalist has already brought awareness to the importance of pet adoption.

Meader previously told Patch that the process of having Bunny selected as a finalist has been enjoyable for the local couple.

“It's not like a celebrity thing where we have downtown Naperville showing her off or anything like that, but it's been fun,” Meader told Patch. “People who see her love her, and it's just nice to see it get out there."