Nobody knew what would happen to rabbit Hoppy when his owner Diane collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
He was just left alone in his metal cage along with the other animals who lived on Diane's farm.
Sadly, Diane went into instant heart failure and was pronounced brain-dead. Fortunately, her kind-hearted landlord agreed to take care of the animals until homes could be found for them.
Friends and rescuers had the difficult task of placing the animals, including little Hoppy, some 15 dogs, and a bunch of horses and chickens, into new homes.
"It eventually came to my attention that the woman had died, and I was asked to help in placement of the remaining animals on the property who were still not adopted," animal advocate Amanda Sorvino told The Dodo.
Diane was a big-hearted person who took in dogs that no one else wanted, and she spent much of her money on feeding the animals.
And when Hoppy's original owner could no longer care for him, she took him in too.
Diane did her best for Hoppy, although she couldn't give him as much as she'd have liked. The ageing woman had a disability, so couldn't move about much, and she didn't have a lot of cash, so she was unable to build him a sanctuary - he had to live in a little rabbit hutch.
"It must have been frustrating and lonely for him," Amanda said. "He most likely longed to get out of the cage."
Hoppy had some teeth issues, and was most likely inbred, so it was important to find him a vet and a good home.
Amanda and her boyfriend took Hoppy in just days before this past Easter as their 'foster baby.'
He was given free rein of one room in Amanda's house.
However, Amanda was happy to part ways with Hoppy when she finally came across the perfect owner to care for him.
Terri and Trey, a couple who knew of Diane's fate, told Amanda they'd be happy to take Hoppy - they had an eight-year-old granddaughter, Belle, who'd love the little creature to bits!
And it quickly transpired that Hoppy and Belle had something significant in common - they were both grieving.
Hoppy had been orphaned, while little Belle was still mourning the death of her beloved father two years ago.
The first meeting between Belle and Hoppy coincidentally happened right after Easter dinner, when amanda brought Hoppy over to meet the family. When Hoppy and Belle first met it was magic.
"The two of them could not have been more compatible in every way," Amanda said.
"It was love at first sight for the both of them, and they seemed to understand each other."
Fortunately, Hoppy has seen the vet, and is set to have his elongated front teeth filed and reshaped with a burr under local anaesthetic.
He'll also be neutered as this will "make him more conducive to being a house rabbit" living in Belle's room.
So far, Hoppy is very happy with his new owner.
He's a very personable little dude, and he has a decent sense of humour, which they discovered during a recent game they played using a plastic teacup.
"He took the teacup and ran away with it," Amanda said.
"We were under the assumption that he would not come back, but he came back. He was showing off that he was in possession of this teacup and he was so proud of himself."
"He loves stuffed animals and really loves this little girl," she said.
"I just saw a little girl who had recently lost her father immediately bonding with a rabbit who had lost his owner," she added.
"In that moment I could see very clearly that they both understood their mutual loss. You could see that they could feel the same thing. They made a mental pact to help each other heal."
The loss of a parent is very tough for little kids to deal with, so it's touching to see Belle receiving some comfort from her new pet.
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