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 happily agree, with just a camera roll full of photos and a heart full of love to back their claims.

But anyone giving a forever home to a rabbit currently being put up for adoption at a Winnipeg veterinary clinic will have no problem making that claim.

That’s because adoptee hopeful Roxie the Rabbit spent two weeks playing the title role at the Manitoba Theater in Young People’s The Velveteen Rabbit.

While some come to the theater in search of fame, 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 abandoned by a community organization in the fall and required veterinary care. She was taken to Grant Park Animal Hospital where she has been living ever since, awaiting adoption.

Because she was struggling to place her with a loving family, the hospital staff decided to audition her for the role of The Velveteen Rabbit.

“She got that role, and she ended up performing for two weeks, multiple gigs a day. She really did a great job and gained a lot of fans as a result,” recalled Dr. Jonas Watson, veterinarian and owner of Grant Park Animal Hospital.

Unfortunately, none of Roxie’s new fans were able to adopt her, and fame left her where it found her – living with the staff at a veterinary clinic on the weekends, waiting to be adopted.

Doctor Watson said her fame hasn’t freed her from a common trope in Winnipeg – a city with an abundance of pet rabbits who are struggling to find new homes. He said some have had to be released into the wild during the warmer months. As a result, many animal shelters and rescue organizations are on hiatus.

Just as the Velveteen Rabbit is saved from danger by a magic fairy who kidnaps him, Dr. Watson that there will always be happy endings in the sometimes dramatic story of Roxie’s life.

“We all grew very fond of them. If any of us here at the hospital could take them, we would have,” he said.

Her time on stage hasn’t spawned any diva-like tendencies either. The sweet, affectionate bunny is litter-trained, neutered, loves bananas and kale, and licks profusely.

“We’re looking for a home where she gets lots of attention, lots of opportunity to roam freely and not be trapped in a cage, and basically a home where she’ll be provided with all the love she deserves,” said Dr Watson.

Anyone who thinks they can give this scene-stealing bunny a forever home is asked to call or email the hospital.