A Toronto family says it’s devastated after their beloved pet bunny Biscuit went missing at the annual Markham Fair, with both the family and fair organizers saying they believe he was stolen.
Biscuit, a fluffy Holland Lop rabbit belonging to Victoria McClelland’s family, went missing after placing first at the fair over the weekend.
“We just expected this to be a fun event and we expected to come and pick our bunny up again … it was devastating to get that phone call and know that somebody had possibly taken our bunny,” McClelland said.
She said her family looks forward to the Markham Fair every year, and her daughter was very excited to enter Biscuit into its rabbit achievement show this season.
She was delighted to find out Biscuit had won first place over the weekend, she said, but when it came time to pick him up on Sunday, they got a call saying Biscuit was gone from his cage.
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“Everybody is heartbroken. The kids are devastated, my daughter especially. [He] was her best friend,” McClelland said.
“I know he’s just a bunny to some people but he was part of our family.”
In a news release issued Sunday, the Markham and East York Agricultural Society said it was “deeply disappointed that someone would take an animal from the fair entered by a 10-year-old girl.”
The society said it is investigating the incident and it’s been in touch with police.
“The Markham Fair, now in its 182nd year, is one of Canada’s longest-running community celebrations and is organized entirely by volunteers. The safety and well-being of all animals at the fair is a top priority, and the society is reviewing its security protocols to help prevent similar incidents in the future,” the statement said.
McClelland said the family believes Biscuit was stolen because his cage was shut from the outside when fair organizers realized he was gone.
Devin King, president of Markham Fair, said they believe someone took Biscuit out of his cage on Saturday night, leading staff to find him missing Sunday morning when they went to feed the animals.
“If Biscuit had jumped out of the cage or something like that, the cage door would have been left open,” he said.
“However, when the volunteers found the empty cage the door had been closed securely from the outside, so somebody deliberately closed the door.”
King said he believes this is the first such incident at the fair, which is run by volunteers and exhibitors.
“Without those exhibitors bringing in all their hard work, and in this case their family pets which they love … we couldn’t put this on,” he said.
King said the fair did file a police report and posted callouts on social media to try and locate the bunny. It’s also looking to step up security in the future, including installing more security cameras on the premises.
A York police spokesperson confirmed with a CBC reporter over the phone Monday that its property crime unit is investigating the incident.
When asked about what she would say to someone who may have taken Biscuit, McClelland said the family just wants their pet back.
“Please just bring our bunny back if you’ve taken him. We just want our bunny back safely.”
Her daughter agreed.
“We really just want him back,” she said.
