Update 4/29/22: Haven Kitchen + Bar announced Friday afternoon their cherished "bunny butt" was dropped off in the early morning at the restaurant, bringing an end to #bunnygate2022.
"The hostage was returned in one piece (minus its previously broken leg from a prior incident)," shared the restaurant on social media.
"No hard feelings to this gentleman. I’m sure many of us have had a moment of liquid courage and wanted to snag a memento of a great night out. We welcome this man and his friends back any day and the first round of beers [is] on us."
Our original story follows in full:
You may not have expected to read a story about a stolen taxidermied rabbit tush this week, butt here we are.
Haven Kitchen + Bar in Langley had a fuzzy bunny bum (from a real rabbit) on its wall from the beginning; it's one of the restaurant's Alice in Wonderland nods (inspired by its "Down the Rabbit Hole" cocktail menu).
However, someone went too far down that hole this weekend, and while some may try to steal someone's heart while out for a nice dinner, one man went for the bunny butt.
"It was stolen over the weekend by a guest who was dining here Friday night," says owner-operator Hayley Ruscheinski, noting a manager ran out to the parking lot to try and track down the group, but had no luck.
Unusually for a stolen item, Ruscheinski says they know exactly who took it. The group had made reservations with a phone number and name; she's now called the number and texted it, but has not received any answer.
In an effort to encourage the bottom's return, the family-run business has turned to social media to add a bit of pressure. Haven's management has video of the people (two couples) who took the tuchus and on Instagram write that they'll share the footage unless the backside comes back.
"We're hoping this person sees it and doesn't want to be too embarrassed and brings it back," Ruscheinsk says.
The rear was near and dear to the team at the restaurant, as it was one of the first decor pieces they bought when planning the business just before COVID arrived. At one point one of the legs was broken, but it was repaired.
"It's in a lot of our pictures," says Ruscheinski. "It's at head level up at the booth and so makes its way into Instagram quite a bit."
This story was originally published on April 27, 2022 and has since been updated with new information.
With additional reporting by Lindsay William-Ross
