Rabbit Thieves Return a Gigantic Stolen Bunny After Social Media Outcry

“HELP! If you were at the Farm today and noticed anyone shady and carrying a 20 pound gray rabbit please let us know.”

Sometime between 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., according to the Facebook post, somebody broke into the rabbit hutch and stole a rabbit named Dolly Parton, a Flemish Giant breed. Flemish Giants are – according to the rabbit forums I definitely spent too much time reading just now – not wildly common, but sought after for their gentleness and more normal-pet-like size. Still, even if Dolly Parton was a show-quality breeding rabbit (and we have no idea if that’s the case), she’d be unlikely to sell for much more than $150. Just an every day Flemish Giant? More like $25.

Money might not have been a primary motive, but guilt may have ensued anyway. After Wheeler Historic Farms began posting on their Facebook page with the hashtag #FindDolly, posts shared thousands of times, local news outlets like KUTV began covering the theft. And it seems like this all had a happy ending.

On the morning of Sunday, April 10, a Wheeler employee made his usual rounds – and to his surprise found that Dolly was back in her cage, safe and sound. There doesn’t appear to be any sign of abuse, and though the farmers are very concerned about what Dolly may have endured in her week as a hostage, they seem, more than anything, overjoyed to have her back. The prevailing theory is that the media attention and public outcry may have convinced the thieves to simply return Dolly to her cage. Shame: a potent crimefighter.