09/21/2026
❤️🐰 BENITO UPDATE: SOMETIMES IT REALLY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE.
Remember the little 5-month-old bunny sitting at Harbor Animal Shelter with the leg that wouldn't support him properly?
The little boy we weren't sure we could responsibly say YES to?
Well... we said YES.
And because so many of YOU said yes with us, Benito is no longer sitting in a shelter.
He is safe. He has been examined. He has had his X-rays. He has a foster home. And, perhaps most beautifully of all, he is HAPPY. ❤️
👇 We’ll be sharing Benito’s X-rays, vet visit, rescue journey, and the wonderful humans who helped make this possible in the comments below.
Yesterday, many of us finally got to meet Benito at our adoption event.
And this little rabbit who has already been through so much?
He stole everyone's hearts.
His temporary foster sent us a message that we haven't been able to stop thinking about:
“He is a very happy, active and affectionate little guy! He flops for pets!”
😭❤️
That's Benito.
Not a diagnosis.
Not a shelter number.
Not a “major medical” case.
A five-month-old baby who flops for pets.
A little boy who wants affection. Who wants to play. Who is thrilled to be alive.
In fact, two people wanted to adopt him yesterday.
Benito isn't ready for adoption yet—but imagine that.
Days ago, we were asking whether we could even get him out of the shelter.
Yesterday, people were falling in love with him.
🩻 SO... WHAT DID THE X-RAYS SHOW?
The answer was not quite what anyone expected.
Benito's right hip is significantly abnormal. The X-rays show that the femoral head—the rounded end of the thigh bone that normally forms the “ball” of the hip's ball-and-socket joint—is essentially missing/flattened.
His left hip is completely normal.
At this point, the veterinarian cannot say with certainty why this happened. It could be congenital—something Benito was born with—or the result of previous trauma or another orthopedic condition.
Importantly, his examination found the abnormal leg non-painful with range of motion, and the X-rays did not identify another fracture or dislocation.
For now, the plan is long-term joint support, careful monitoring, soft padding and lots of love.
And perhaps the most beautiful sentence in Benito's discharge instructions is this:
“This likely won't slow him down.” ❤️
Rabbits can be extraordinary at adapting, particularly when an orthopedic difference develops very early in life. Benito will need careful lifelong monitoring—especially of his other foot for pressure problems—but right now, this little guy seems determined to get on with the business of being a bunny.
❤️ AND NOW WE NEED TO SAY THANK YOU.
To every single person who donated:
You helped us say YES when we couldn't responsibly do it alone.
Whether you gave $5, $10, $25, $100 or more—you became part of Benito's rescue.
To Amanda, our transporter: thank you for getting this precious cargo where he needed to go. 🚗🐰
To Benito's veterinary team: thank you for examining him, getting the X-rays we so desperately needed, and finally giving us answers and a plan.
To Kiyo & Katharine, his temporary fosters: thank you for opening your home and hearts to a little rabbit you barely knew and giving him the safe landing he needed.
And then there is someone else.
Benito now has a committed permanent foster. ❤️
She has asked to remain anonymous, and we will absolutely respect that.
But we can tell you this:
She is a nurse. She is extremely experienced with special-needs rabbits. And she has chosen Benito.
Of all the places this medically complicated little rabbit could have landed, somehow he found exactly the kind of person we dreamed of finding for him.
Sometimes rescue feels impossible.
And sometimes the pieces fall into place so beautifully that all you can do is sit there and cry happy tears.
🐰 BENITO'S JOURNEY ISN'T FINISHED.
He is completing his deworming protocol and needs to gain some weight and strength before his next procedure.
He is scheduled to return to the veterinarian on September 30 for his recheck and, if everything looks good, his neuter. The veterinary team will continue monitoring his hip and determine what he needs as he grows.
There will be more veterinary bills. There will be follow-ups. There will be supplements and potentially additional treatment throughout his life.
So if you would still like to contribute toward Benito's continuing care and the other medical rabbits who come through BWF's doors, donations are deeply appreciated.
But today, more than anything, we just want to say THANK YOU.
Thank you for sharing him.
Thank you for donating.
Thank you for transporting him.
Thank you for fostering him.
Thank you for believing that a funny little leg didn't make this little life any less valuable.
A few days ago, Benito was a shelter number with an uncertain future.
Today, he has a name.
He has a medical plan.
He has people.
He has a home.
He has a future.
And apparently...
HE FLOPS FOR PETS. ❤️🐰
What more could we possibly ask for?
Welcome to your new life, Benito.
You were worth saying YES to.
Bunny World Foundation
Los Angeles, California
All-Volunteer • Foster-Based Rabbit Rescue
501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
❤️ Thank you for helping us make rescue possible.