The story of the rabbit, nicknamed "Miracle" by staff, began about six days ago when activities assistant Kim Andre saw a dog mauling it out back.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

The story of the rabbit, nicknamed "Miracle" by staff, began about six days ago when activities assistant Kim Andre saw a dog mauling it out back.

"I heard it making a noise and yelled and the dog let go, then I picked it up and put it in my pocket," Ms. Andre said.

She couldn’t just let the little thing die, so she carried the rabbit, which was bleeding a little, to social service worker Delphine Price, whom Ms. Andre knew would nurse it back to health.

Sure enough, the wee bunny nibbles on carrots and broccoli and comes out every day for a little romp around the room, activities director Jane Brown said.

"Some like to watch him, some like to touch him and some just like to watch him eat," Mrs. Brown said. "Oh, they loved him from the start. We just sit for hours at a time and play with the rabbit."

Now, the staff has decided to adopt the bunny as a sort of mascot for Sunset residents – with weekends off, of course, she said.

All they need now is a bigger cage.

All in all, Miracle has been a miracle, both in his rescue from the dog and in how he lights up the faces of everyone, Mrs. Brown added while feeding him pet milk formula from a syringe.

"It makes them happy, and we couldn’t have asked for a better activity," she said. "And just in time for Easter."

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They don’t mind keeping Miracle around one little bit, Mary Donohue says.

"It’s fun to have something to take care of."

"Now look at him, sitting like an old rabbit," Mrs. Crom says, reaching out for Miracle.

"Say, ‘I never saw so many strange people in all my life,’" she adds, looking up. "He likes to be talked to. ‘Where’d they come from? My goodness, where’s my home?’"

Mrs. Helton laughs, talks about the farm rabbits she remembers growing up in Pike County, but doesn’t want to say what happened to most of them.

"It’s fun playing with one here, again," she says.

"It’s something we can give love to and care for which everybody needs."