Rabbit Rescue: A Garden, Baby Bunnies, a Well-Meaning Westie, and a Whole Lot of Kindness

By Fran Weil, Pet Chaplain, Perfect Paws Pet Ministry

It was early morning on the North Shore of Boston, one of those beautiful summer days when the air smelled like fresh cut grass and honeysuckle. I accompanied my two Westies, Mitten, 7, and Brodie, 4, on their usual pre-breakfast exploration through our garden, lush with trees, shrubs, and greenery, and surrounded by a cedar fence.

Mitten—usually laser-focused on chasing and returning squeaky rubber balls that are in plentiful supply around the property—trotted over gently, holding something softly in her mouth. Not a ball, I knew. “Drop it,” I told her, and sweet girl, she did. Ever so carefully. As if she knew it was fragile.

It was a tiny baby bunny—brown fur, eyes closed, little limbs squirming. I rushed to get rubber gloves and gently picked up the adorable creature, so small I could barely feel its weight in my hand. I looked around the garden for a nest and found one tucked in the pachysandra, its entrance lined with dried grass. I carefully placed the bunny inside, hoping I had chosen the right spot.

Just as I finished, Mitten came over again… with another baby bunny.

Clearly, it was from a different nest. That’s when I spotted the real one — across the way, in the mulch, shallow and padded with tufts of mama's bunny fur and twigs. I could see a sibling there – just barely — so tiny, peeking out from under the nesting material. A sibling, I thought (and hoped), and gently reunited the three, whispering a small prayer that their mama would come back soon.
I had read that rabbit moms (called Does) will accept and care for other kits, as the little ones are called. So, even if Foundling Number One was from another rabbit’s litter, it had a good chance with its two tiny companions. That gave me hope.

Realizing I was in way over my head, I pulled out my cell phone and started Googling local wildlife rehabbers — and downloaded the free “Animal Help Now” app (also available online at https://ahnow.org/), a total lifesaver.

Rehabbers are incredible people – heroes without capes! They are licensed, unpaid volunteers who help sick, injured, or orphaned wild animals with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat.

Most hold regular jobs and conduct their rehabilitation work from their own homes, driven solely by kindness, compassion, and a generous heart.

I called and left messages for those listed nearby, knowing that summer is their busiest season and most places are overwhelmed.

Calls went unanswered. Then a glimmer of hope: Bill from Wakefield Wild Rabbit Rehabilitation Inc. (978-943-9995) texted back. He couldn't take the babies — there was no room at the inn — but he stayed with me through texts, offering support and advice, even though he was at work, jumping in and out of meetings! Based on the photos I sent, he guessed the bunnies were just 3 or 4 days old.

He told me to keep the kits together in the small nest, use string in a tic-tac-toe pattern to check if Mama Rabbit returned to feed them, and to look for injuries. Even a tiny nick could be life-threatening to these delicate creatures.

He provided me with links to rehabbers who might take them (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator), helpful contact information for additional assistance (New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth — 781-682-4878; Tufts Wildlife Clinic in North Grafton — 508-839-7918), and an online guide to caring for baby bunnies.

He was worried that one of the kits in the photos had a small cut on its head. And they were too thin, he thought. We needed Mama to come to the rescue!

I followed Bill’s instructions and also set up a webcam near the nest to watch it overnight. I waited for rehabbers to call me back. None did.

Next morning: there! Seconds into the video. A hint of mama peeking her head under the plastic milk crate I had secured at a 45-degree angle over the nest to block predator access. But I’m pretty sure it scared her. A really dumb move on my part! Now I was genuinely worried.

So, I reached out to Rachel (@chipchloesquirrel), a rehabber in Rochester, NY, whom I follow on Instagram. She had helped me some time ago with an awkward fledgling cardinal who was reluctant to fly. She responded within minutes via Instagram, using her phone and video chat, so she could see if the bunnies’ bellies would indicate when they had last been fed.

Gently, with one gloved hand, I lifted each bunny, turned it over, and used my other hand to aim the phone camera at its underside. The belly test was inconclusive, and yes, both appeared too thin. Not a hopeful sign.

Back to the drawing board.

I waited, worried, and prayed for a miracle.

Then, there it was: the little miracle. Rachel called back. She had reached out to Claudia Biddle Tavis(@goldenboughwildlifeinc), a rehabber she knew (and I also followed on Instagram) on Cape Cod—and luckily for me, Claudia was driving from her home on the Cape to Somerville, MA that afternoon. “Call her,” Rachel urged. I did. Suddenly, we had a plan.

I gently placed the surviving tiny babies—two out of the five I found in the nest—into a small cardboard box I prepared for this precious cargo. The box had plenty of air holes punched into the top and sides and was lined with an ultra-soft white T-shirt I had cut into squares to create a cozy, protective pocket.

Snuggled together, safe under the material I retrieved from the top of the nest, the little ones and I headed through heavy traffic toward the hope that Claudia's rescue skills would provide.

And there she was, on time, wearing a stylish straw hat and a warm smile, radiating calm and confidence. “They are dehydrated but look OK, considering,” she said, inspecting them before carefully placing them and their protective nest pocket into a small plastic pet carrier lined with fleece. She promised to keep me posted.

What a journey for them … and me!

I walked back to my car, feeling a sense of awe. So many strangers had stepped in to help two tiny, vulnerable creatures who had no idea how loved they had become.

Postscript: Lessons from the Garden

Heartbreakingly, despite all the efforts on their behalf, the bunnies did not make it. That part of this story is wildlife rehabber hard. Very hard. But the bigger story? That’s about kindness and love.

It's about Mitten’s gentle instinct to protect and bring me what she believed was an abandoned creature for help. It's about volunteers like Bill, Rachel, and Claudia, who dedicate their time and hearts, share their wisdom, and adjust their schedules to assist well-meaning “Samaritans” like me who stumble upon wildlife in distress and try to help.

So, here’s to everyone who tries.

Those who kneel in mulch. Those who search Google for baby bunnies and fur-lined nests. Those who build small cardboard carriers of hope, and primarily, those who accept the challenge to rescue and rehabilitate tiny wild beings that have no voice or chance without them. To these heroes who lead gently, with so much compassion and hope and without fanfare -- despite the odds, for no compensation or applause -- you are what wildlife rescue looks like.

And even when nature, in its quiet wisdom, welcomes back its creation, love still abides and softens the edges of loss.

Rescue Takeaways

- Don’t panic if you find baby wildlife! Sometimes they aren’t abandoned. Wait and observe first.

- Don't feed or intervene until you check with a rehabber. Nature's balance is so very delicate.

- Check your state’s list of wildlife rehabbers or download the free “Animal Help Now” app to find licensed help.

- Seek assistance from those who know and deal with wildlife rescue all year round. - Don’t underestimate the power of community. People want to help — even from far away.

And one more thing: if you want to support your local wildlife, donations to rehabbers, even small ones, go a long way — and sharing their work on social media truly makes a difference.

Some Key Points:

Spring and summer are peak seasons for wildlife rehabilitators. That’s when baby animals are born in droves—think fledgling birds, infant squirrels, bunnies, raccoons, possums, and more—and so many of them end up orphaned, injured, or displaced due to storms, tree trimming, or dog/cat and human interference.

During this time, rehabbers may feed baby birds every 20 minutes or bottle-feed mammals every few hours—around the clock. They’re also flooded with calls from the public seeking help with found or injured wildlife.

“We get a tremendous number of wildlife calls, averaging about four calls per day,” says Bill Havice from Wakefield Wild Rabbit Rehabilitation. “That may not sound like a lot, but each call can involve one or more bunnies whose lives might hang in the balance, so actually, it is time-consuming and stressful. And that is in addition to our working full-time and trying to rehab the animals in our care.”

Breeding season means a full-on lifestyle for these protectors of the vulnerable. Some rehabbers refer to it as “all-hands-on-deck” season because every spare moment is spent feeding, cleaning, and monitoring the animals in their care. No wonder rehabbers often don’t have time to respond right away. “But don’t give up!” urges Bill.

How You Can Help

Generally, wildlife rehabilitation is anything but a Walt Disney movie with happy endings. As Rachel Tindal (@chipchloesquirrel) says, “There’s a misconception that we spend most of our time feeding and playing with adorable baby animals. In reality, we deal with many seriously injured animals, illnesses, and death, and most of our work involves cleaning cages, doing laundry, food prep, and fundraising to help support our costs. The cute stuff we post on social media only accounts for about ten percent of what we do.”

“The State of Massachusetts could always use more rehabbers; there aren't enough people to respond to callers and provide care to wildlife,” says Bill Havice, who shared these links for more information on wildlife rehabilitation. https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-to-become-a-licensed-wildlife-rehabilitator, https://capewildlifecenter.com/can-i-be-a-wildlife-rehabilitator/, https://wraminc.org/home/become-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.

Despite the stress and, yes, the inevitable heartbreak that comes with wildlife rehabilitation when they lose a “patient,” Bill says, “It comes down to having the ability to make a difference in each animal's life. Not to get too profound, but I believe the meaning of life is to enjoy the experience we are blessed with, and if possible, help others to do the same.”

Rachel and Claudia agree. By offering a haven for the injured, the orphaned, and the wild-hearted, wildlife rehabbers offer every creature safety, solace, and a second chance.

If you’re considering volunteering or assisting a local rehabber, contact someone in your area who can provide guidance and support. You can easily find one by conducting a Google search for licensed wildlife rehabbers in your area or by checking Animal Help Now (https://ahnow.org). Many will appreciate help with feeding, cleaning enclosures, transporting animals, and even handling administrative tasks, such as answering calls from the public about injured wildlife.

While a license isn’t required to help with wildlife rehabilitation, volunteering provides a great chance to gain hands-on experience and truly make a difference. The work can be messy, unpredictable, and sometimes heartbreaking — but it's also deeply rewarding and, most importantly, a meaningful way to show love and compassion to the wild creatures in need.