Gabriella Black

One evening in August 2023, I was driving down a street approaching a busy intersection. I was the second car from the light when I saw a small rabbit run out into the road. The rabbit was immediately struck by a car.

I quickly pulled over, grabbed a blanket from my car, and ran toward the rabbit. As I was running, two more cars drove over the rabbit, though thankfully they did not hit them directly. I jumped into the roadway and stopped traffic.

The rabbit was lying still and appeared to be dead. I gently placed the blanket over them and carried them to the side of the road near some bushes. The rabbit was still breathing, but blood was coming from their ears. I grabbed a box from my trunk, placed the rabbit inside with the blanket, and drove straight home.

I contacted the California Wildlife Center, but unfortunately they had already closed for wildlife intakes for the day. They instructed me to keep the rabbit in the box overnight in a quiet, secure room and not to give them any food or water. I followed their instructions.

About an hour later, I checked on the little rabbit and found that they had sat up! This was when I took the only photo I have of them.

The next morning, I drove 23 miles to the Wildlife Center and dropped the little guy or girl off for treatment.

Three weeks later, I received a phone call from an unknown number. When I answered, they said, “Your cottontail is ready for pickup.” I couldn’t believe it!

I asked them to please release the rabbit back into nature, as I couldn’t safely return them to the busy urban area where I had found them.

Always be willing to step in and help an animal in need. One small act of compassion can make all the difference.