The dog and the dead rabbit—an urban legend that won’t die

This one has been around for many years but I keep getting emails and seeing it crop up in websites and blogs with many vivid details as if it really happened to the writer. It didn’t.

The basic story is that a family dog came trotting in into the yard carrying the neighbors’ dead rabbit in its mouth. The owners panic because they don’t want to have a bad relationship with the neighbors. They wash it, blow dry it and sneak over to the neighbor’s yard to put it back in the cage.

The neighbors are horrified when they discover the dead rabbit, not because it is dead, but because it died the day before and they had buried it.

A variation is that the dog owners bought a rabbit just like the dead one and put it into the cage. The neighbors are convinced that this is a rabbit god.

Expect to see this one around for a long time.

Comments

[Claire]

That's a new one for me, I've not seen that at all...interesting how they can hit you hundreds of times or not at all isn't it?!

[joellen]

Who makes up these things?

[Laura]

I've heard both versions of that story and I'm always amazed that people believe either one.

[Sally]

This is possible, but not at all probable. That's why urban legends go on.

[charles]

I've never heard this story

[Mary Jo]

I have a twist on this story that is true. My ex husband and I lived in a more country setting. When we met, he had a mix breed dog named Max that he pretty much let run around where ever he pleased. The next door neighbor was a hunter and one fall got a doe, bow hunting. He dressed it in his carport and left the head in the carport. Max snatched that thing and drug it all over the place! He would bury it, then dig it back up, you never knew where you were going to see that poor deer's head in the morning when you got up! The neighbor wasn't mad (he hadn't planned on mounting it), Max just got his teeth in it before he could dispose of it. Somehow the guys got rid of it where Max could no longer find it. I didn't want to know, I was just glad it was finally gone!

[Gordon]

This story could have happened. We managed to trap a gopher in our yard. We buried it thinking we had seen the last of it. But our neighbor’s dog dug it up and proudly took it home hoping for praise from its owner.

[mike]

Never heard it either but did see it on Dickie Roberts. I think someone been watching too much tv or take tv too seriously.

[mara chui]

Greetings,

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you made a great job for your Blog.Keep it up the good work..
Again thank you very much.. Cheers

Best Regards,
Mara Chui
http://www.retrievertrainer-4less.com/

[Brenda]

Believe it or not I just heard a "parenting expert" use this story on the Today show as a true story that happened to her friend illustrating the need for us to stop rescuing our children.