For the past few years, Cadbury has held tryouts for a Cadbury Bunny mascot. Yet, the Cadbury Bunny doesn’t have to be a bunny at all. Instead, it can be any animal that would look adorable in bunny ears (which, of course, is all of them!)
This year, there have been a lot of incredible pets trying out, but only one can be the winner. One of the most notable contestants from the first round was Howie, an adorable Maltese who was rescued from a puppy mill. He would make the cutest and most inspiring Cadbury Bunny!
Howie’s Story
Howie currently lives in North Carolina with a wonderful family, but his life wasn’t always so great. In his early years, he was a show dog, but he was later sold to a puppy mill in China where he spent five years. The poor pup went through a lot of torture just to make breeding easier for the puppy mill.
“Unfortunately, he was actually sold to a puppy mill where he was there for five years,” said Bridget Bryant, Howie’s mom. “And while he was there, they pulled his teeth and cut his vocal cords so that he would be easier to mate with.”
Bridget and her husband Scott adopted Howie after he was flown in from China. Puppy mill survivors are often terrified of the world, especially around humans, so the couple is amazed by Howie’s progress so far. He has become very loving toward them despite his trauma, so his family thought he would be the perfect candidate for the Cadbury Bunny this year.
This year’s Cadbury Bunny contest is specifically for rescue animals, so Howie fits right in. However, despite being adorable and strong, Howie didn’t make it to the finals. Even so, there are lots of other great rescue animals that Howie is likely cheering on.
Who are the 10 Finalists?
It’s a tough competition, and many dog lovers are surprised that Howie didn’t reach the top 10. Here are the animals that are still in the competition:
- Bodhi – A bunny rescued from a bad living situation where he lost his ear.
- Cypress – A beaver who became an orphan after someone blew up his dam.
- Bunny – An adorable little dog whose tongue sticks out like Howie’s does.
- Stewie – A miniature horse with dwarfism who works as a therapy animal.
- Ande – An adorable chinchilla who has a one-of-a-kind smile.
- RedBird – A blind guinea pig who came from a hoarding situation.
- Ping – A duck who was abandoned in a cardboard box on the side of a busy street.
- Timmy – He was once an orphaned lamb who couldn’t walk, but some vets helped him regain mobility.
- Hunter – A hound dog who was adopted on Easter.
- Crash – A cat who survived a car accident, but is now missing an eye as a result.
RELATED: The 2022 “Cadbury Bunny” Is A Nursing Home Therapy Dog Named Annie Rose
Of course, it’s sad that Howie isn’t one of the finalists, but even just trying out has helped his story spread. Hopefully, hearing about Howie will encourage more people to be careful about where they get their dogs. If you go to a breeder, look out for these signs that a puppy is from a puppy mill before supporting the business.
The ten finalists may not be puppy mill survivors, but they’re still very deserving of winning it all. Vote for your favorite on Cadbury’s website.
Featured Image: Facebook
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