Here is the dog (note the crate in the background):
We let him out for the last time tonight, and when I called him to come back in I noticed he stopped and sniffed the ground intently. Fine. He's a dog. Then, I noticed that he picked something up, dropped it and picked it up again. He proceeded to dilligently trot into the house and straight into his room (aka the dog crate). It is his personal space, we just leave the crate door open at all times.
Well, I wanted to know what it was that he brought into the house and was now almost sitting on top of in the very back of his room.
It moved. "A mouse!" The dog continued to hover over the tiny creature. I looked again, and nope, it was a baby rabbit. It didn't even have its eyes open. He hadn't hurt it in any way, either. Apparently, labrador retrievers can be very gentle with their jaws. I'm guessing that he didn't want to eat it because he was very careful not to injure it, and I haven't known a dog to save a meal for later. Although, I have known them to hide their treats and bones around. So, in the end, I'm guessing I'm saying that I have no clue if he was saving the little thing for a midnight snack or if he was going to try to raise it.
Needless to say, he was excited when M lured him out of his crate with a dog treat, and then promptly upset with me when I wouldn't let him right back in. I took the baby rabbit outside and very gently pushed it through the bottom of the fence into my neighbor's in a spot where I know the rabbits squirm underneath. I didn't put it back in our yard because I know he'll remember tomorrow morning. I hope the poor thing makes it.
In other news, I loathe that wood paneling. My plan is to tear it all out, insulate the walls properly and put up drywall. Of course, where's the time to do that???
