Fresh from stage debut, Roxie the rabbit searching for forever home
Ask most pet owners if their fur baby is a star and they’ll enthusiastically agree, with only a camera roll full of photos and a heart full of love to back up their claims.
But whoever gives a forever home to a bunny currently up for adoption at a Winnipeg animal hospital will be able to make that claim handily.
That’s because hopeful adoptee Roxie the rabbit spent two weeks performing the title role in Manitoba Theatre for Young People’s “The Velveteen Rabbit”.
While some come to the theatre in search of stardom, like her jazz-singing namesake from the musical “Chicago”, this Roxie stepped into the limelight in search of a family.
The one-year-old was found by a community organization in the fall, abandoned and in need of veterinary care. She was brought to the Grant Park Animal Hospital where she has been living ever since, waiting to be adopted.
Having trouble placing her with a loving family, hospital staff decided to audition her to play “The Velveteen Rabbit”.
“She got that part, and she ended up performing for two weeks, several performances a day. She really did a very good job, and gained a lot of fans in so doing,” recalled Dr. Jonas Watson, veterinarian and owner of Grant Park Animal Hospital.
Sadly, none of Roxie's new fans were able to adopt her, and stardom left her back were it found her – living with animal hospital staff on weekends, waiting to be adopted.
Doctor Watson said her fame has not exempt her from a common trope in Winnipeg – a city with an overabundance of domestic rabbits who have trouble being placed in new homes. He said some have had to be turned loose into the wild during warmer months. As a result, many shelters and rescue organizations have intake freezes.
Just as the Velveteen Rabbit is saved from peril by a magic fairy who whisks him away, Dr. Watson believes there will still be a happy ending in the sometimes dramatic story of Roxie’s life.
“We've all become quite fond of her. If one of us here at the hospital could take her, we would have,” he said.
Her time on the stage didn’t breed any diva-like tendencies, either. The sweet, affectionate, bunny is litter trained, spayed, loves bananas and kale, and gives plenty of licks.
“We’re looking for a home where she'll get lots of attention, she'll get lots of opportunity to free roam and not be stuck in a cage and basically, a home where she’ll be provided with all the love that she deserves," Dr. Watson said.
Anyone who thinks they can give this scene-stealing rabbit a forever home is asked to call or email the hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.