Bonding with Bunny

Dogs are great. We have two of them. Potter and Ginny are Hungarian hunting dogs; the breed is known as Vizsla (vee-z-shla). Vizslas are extremely family-friendly. They are known as “Velcro Vizslas” because they stick so close to their owners.

Ella and Pixie. (Photo by Michael Casten)

Ella loves Potter and Ginny, and the affection is reciprocated. However, the dogs are extremely active, so Ella has very little quiet time with them. She can’t run around the house with them the way that Henry and Ava can. Once in a while, she’ll sit on the couch with them, but the dogs often move after a short while.

Recently the dogs found a rabbit’s nest, and being the natural hunting dogs they are, they disturbed the nest, and the baby bunnies didn’t survive — all except one. We took this one bunny into our house and nursed him or her back to health, and then released the rabbit back into the wild. We had bought all the necessary supplies to feed and house it, and after the bunny was back in the wild we had a complete set of bunny materials, but no bunny. So, we decided to purchase a domesticated rabbit.

Now Ella has a pet that she can hold, both in her wheelchair and on the floor. It’s the perfect pet for a child with SMA. They are light, they allow you to hold them for long periods of time, and they are docile. Ella loves her “Pixie” and Pixie is falling in love with Ella. They spend much time together each day; cuddling, petting, and holding.

Potter and Ginny still hold a special place in Ella’s heart, and now that love is being extended to a little black rabbit named “Pixie.”

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