Waukesha — A 7-week-old bunny named Cracker, snatched from its cage at the Waukesha County Fair, is enjoying s'more family time with siblings Chocolate and Marshmallow after being reunited Thursday with its owners.
Jayden Rajnicek, 9, had been showing the babies' parents at the fair last week when Cracker disappeared from its mother's cage, an incident that was reported in Thursday's Journal Sentinel.
After reading the article, Kathy Karalewitz of Genesee remembered her 26-year-old daughter, Jessica Milbrath, telling her about being handed a bunny while at the fair last Friday. She called her daughter.
"I told her, 'I think that's a hot bunny,' " Karalewitz said.
Milbrath, of Waukesha, told her mom that a man standing by the rabbit and goat tent asked her if she wanted a bunny. So she took it, Karalewitz said.
Milbrath later elaborated:
"A man and a woman, in their late 20s, early 30s were coming out of the tent and I saw them holding the bunny," she said. "I went up to them and wanted to pet the bunny."
The man asked Milbrath if she wanted it, an offer the young woman quickly accepted, she said.
On Thursday, Karalewitz called the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, who then connected Milbrath with the bunny's owners, the Rajnicek family of Waukesha.
The Rajniceks went to Milbrath's apartment late Thursday to claim their bunny. A dejected Milbrath had become fond of Cracker and was upset about not being able to keep the little rabbit.
Cracker, a female Holland lop, was snatched from her mother's cage sometime last Friday night or early Saturday, Waukesha County Sheriff's Detective Steve Pederson said.
The father was in a neighboring cage.
It was Jayden Rajnicek's first time showing rabbits, said her mother, Karin. The family was thrilled with the ribbons the adult rabbits received and surprised by the attention the babies were getting.
The rabbits are part of the family for the Rajniceks, who said they once held a wedding for the rabbit parents, complete with carrot cake.
The babies were so young, the Rajniceks didn't want to separate the family, so they brought them all to the fair.
For added security, they used zip ties to secure the cage, but the thief bent the cage door.
Sheriff's officials say they are still trying to determine who swiped Cracker.