A Newfoundland has “adopted” a group of newborn bunnies she discovered in her backyard. The pup, named Zuri, has taken the tiny creatures under her wing (err…paw) and become a TikTok sensation in the process.
Newfoundland becomes surrogate mother for bunnies
According to Parade Pets, on Sept. 17, TikTok user Ciera (@cieramartin951) posted a video of her 120-pound Newfoundland lying in the grass with a litter of brand-new bunnies.
“My dog thinks she gave birth to these baby bunnies,” the video’s voiceover says. “She comes out every day and watches over them.”
If the bunnies are sleeping, Zuri protects them. If they’re active, she plays with them.
“They hop all over her and take naps together,” the voiceover continues. “She refuses to come inside and be away from them. She even tries to clean them. She’s such a gentle giant.”
As if that wasn’t cute enough, the video is set to the Toy Story song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
“It’s the sweetest thing,” the dog mom adds in the caption. “Yes, the (real) mother comes back every morning and night and the bunnies just hopped off, leaving Zuri an empty nester.”
TikTokers fawn over bunny-loving dog
TikTokers fell in love with Zuri and the bunnies. Commenters couldn’t help but fawn over this unique animal family.
“The momma rabbit every time the dog comes out: oh thank God the nanny is here,” one joked.
“What a sweet surrogate mama,” someone else noted.
“She’s not the step mother she’s the mother that stepped up!!!” another opined.
Ciera responded to one comment with this heartbreaking bunny update: “They hopped away a couple days ago and she keeps going out and laying by the nest.” After a crying emoji, she added that Zuri “misses” the bunnies.
“I told her they’ve went off to college,” Ciera wrote.
While dogs and rabbits don’t usually get along, pups who are comfortable with other pets – like cats – can learn to peacefully coexist with other furry friends, like bunnies.
