Police, Neighbors Team Up For Rabbit Rescue

University Park police officers don’t just hop to it when people are in danger. They respond to bunnies in trouble as well. 

Police Officer Michael Calderon was dispatched to Caruth Boulevard on Sept. 24 after neighbors reported that they’d found a bunny in a bush. While rabbits in general aren’t an unusual sight in the Park Cities, this bunny was.

She was Coconut, or Coco for short, a big, white, fluffy bunny with pink eyes. Michaele Frederick’s family brought Coco and fellow rabbits Bugs and Chelsea home for her three children this summer. Frederick speculated that Coco must have burrowed her way out of the yard and hopped to freedom down the alley.

Calderon and residents worked as a team to catch Coco and put her in a box. Though capturing Coco wasn’t difficult, holding onto her was more challenging, according to Calderon.

Calderon was appreciative of neighbors’ help. He used to work near the Bronx Zoo, and has experience responding to calls involving raccoons, a hawk, and kittens. But in 10 years as a police officer, he had never previously been involved in a rabbit rescue.

While neighbors and police were trying to determine who owned the bunny, Frederick was notified that Coco had been found and came to claim her.

“She’s a sweet little bunny and we’re glad to have her back,” Frederick said. “And it’s very nice of the neighbors to be so considerate to help find her.” She added that she loves the communication and community in the Park Cities.

Frederick fortified her backyard to prevent additional bunny escapes, but Coco must have enjoyed her time on the run. Despite efforts to keep her at home, she quickly escaped again. Only this time, she made it back without the assistance of law enforcement.