The Adopted Bunny Who Played Cupid
When Matt adopted Joey the rabbit hoping for companionship, he never expected his new bunny would play matchmaker and help him meet the woman he’d eventually fall in love with.
Since 2013, Petco Love has celebrated the love that we share with our pets through our annual Love Stories campaign. We’re excited to celebrate the special connection between Matt and Joey, an adopted bunny from East Bay Rabbit Rescue.
Matt + Joey's Story
When I adopted Joey, I was looking for a best friend, but he turned out to be the best wingman ever. If it wasn’t for Joey, I would not have found the love of my life.
I had been going through a tough time and was feeling down and lonely. I needed a companion. I knew nothing about caring for or loving a rabbit, but I was willing to take the chance. I knew right away that Joey was the one for me. Joey is a quiet guy, and so am I. We understood each other. It was a joy to see him stretch out and relax in my house. All his fears seemed to melt away as we settled into our new life together.
Then someone named Tamara reached out to me on a dating app. We soon discovered we had some shared interests.
Photos and bunny stories flew back and forth. What I didn’t know then was that Tamara had checked out my Instagram page before she ever contacted me. She saw the pictures I had posted of Joey and figured that a guy who loved a bunny that much had to be a good bet. So, it was really Joey who got me that first date.
It didn’t take long for us to realize that we shared more than a love of bunnies. Tamara and I enjoy quiet time at home, a good book or movie and the joy of providing a loving home for our bunnies— our family. We both aspired to make a similar commitment to a life partner.
My relationship with Tamara grew deeper, and we knew we had a future together. When one of Tamara’s bunnies passed away suddenly, her girl bunny Lux was left feeling bereft. Joey stepped in to ease Lux's sadness. With our rabbits bonded, we soon followed suit and got married.
When we married, Tamara and I wanted our bunnies to be a part of the big day; however, we knew that they would be stressed at a wedding, so Tamara had cufflinks made with their images for me to wear, larger than life pillows made in Joey and Lux’s likeness for the gift table, along with various other bunny themed décor.
The bunnies brought Tamara and me together, and now we have built a house of love with Joey and Lux at the center. Joey changed my life for the better in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I’m so thankful I decided to bring him into my life—and that he brought me Tamara and Lux.
