David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Pinky's big adventure: Plush bunny lost at airport finds her way to 9-year-old owner
CBC News
July 18, 2018
Summer Tonne says she's making a cake to celebrate Pinky's return
Summer Tonne, in her younger days in this photo, says she loves Pinky because "she’s pink and that’s almost my favourite colour." (Facebook)
A bunny named Pinky had a wild adventure in the Halifax airport before taking a first-class flight to be reunited with her owner.
"We're going to make her a cake," says Summer Tonne, Pinky's nine-year-old owner, of her plans for the bunny's return. Probably chocolate, she added.
Summer has had Pinky since she was two — the stuffed rabbit was a present from her grandmother.
On Sunday, Summer and her mother, Lori-Anne Tonne, were flying from New Brunswick to St. John's. They live in Vancouver, but Lori Tonne grew up in Bay de Verde and they were going to visit family.
Lori and Summer were travelling from New Brunswick to St. John's. (Facebook)
But Pinky was mistakenly left behind in the Halifax airport during a hectic transfer.
"I cried every night before we found her," Summer said. "I was really sad.
"I really love her because she's pink and that's almost my favourite colour, and she has brown eyes just like me, and she's very fluffy."
Desperate to find the bunny, her mother wrote a Facebook post asking anyone going through the airport to keep an eye out for the toy.
And it worked.
'Pinky's back!'
A friend of Lori Anne's in St. John's shared the post and Lindsay Meldrum saw it. She works at the Halifax airport and had a look around.
Sure enough, there was Pinky.
Meldrum sent Lori Tonne a Facebook message on Tuesday and told her she'd found a bunny.
Lindsay Meldrum said she has a young child of her own and knows how much a stuffed animal can mean to kids. (Facebook)
"We screamed and yelled and we were like, 'Oh yay, Pinky's back!'" said Summer.
Her mom figured Pinky would be sent to them in the mail, but she was wrong.
All day Tuesday, Tonne received Facebook messages from Meldrum, showing Pinky having adventures and meeting new friends around the airport.
Double-double? (Facebook)
Pinky drove a police cruiser and had a snuggle with a police officer; she munched on some multi-coloured popcorn; she had a coffee at Tim Hortons; and she stopped in to check out some hoodies at a gift shop.
She even sat in the cockpit of the plane.
Pinky got to meet the pilots. (Facebook)
When it came time to take off, Pinky was tucked into her own first-class seat with a newspaper and a glass of juice.
"I just wanted it to be a little extra special for her, because I know how special teddies are to kids," Meldrum said.
'Thankful for people who have kind hearts'
Pinky touched down in St. John's Tuesday night just before midnight, and was greeted by Tonne's aunt and uncle.
"[They] sent me a photo this morning of Pinky resting on [their] couch and said that she's looking forward to seeing Summer."
First class only for this VIB (very important bunny). (Facebook)
Friends are picking Pinky up from her aunt's house and bringing the bunny to reunite with her rightful owners tomorrow in Carbonear.
"I can't believe that this has happened. It's just one of those things in life where you're just so thankful for people who have kind hearts and do their best to help other people," Tonne said. "We would have had tears every night, and it would have been a terrible loss for our family. Even though it is just a stuffed animal, we love her like she's one of our own."
CBC News
July 18, 2018
Summer Tonne says she's making a cake to celebrate Pinky's return
Summer Tonne, in her younger days in this photo, says she loves Pinky because "she’s pink and that’s almost my favourite colour." (Facebook)
A bunny named Pinky had a wild adventure in the Halifax airport before taking a first-class flight to be reunited with her owner.
"We're going to make her a cake," says Summer Tonne, Pinky's nine-year-old owner, of her plans for the bunny's return. Probably chocolate, she added.
Summer has had Pinky since she was two — the stuffed rabbit was a present from her grandmother.
On Sunday, Summer and her mother, Lori-Anne Tonne, were flying from New Brunswick to St. John's. They live in Vancouver, but Lori Tonne grew up in Bay de Verde and they were going to visit family.
Lori and Summer were travelling from New Brunswick to St. John's. (Facebook)
But Pinky was mistakenly left behind in the Halifax airport during a hectic transfer.
"I cried every night before we found her," Summer said. "I was really sad.
"I really love her because she's pink and that's almost my favourite colour, and she has brown eyes just like me, and she's very fluffy."
Desperate to find the bunny, her mother wrote a Facebook post asking anyone going through the airport to keep an eye out for the toy.
And it worked.
'Pinky's back!'
A friend of Lori Anne's in St. John's shared the post and Lindsay Meldrum saw it. She works at the Halifax airport and had a look around.
Sure enough, there was Pinky.
Meldrum sent Lori Tonne a Facebook message on Tuesday and told her she'd found a bunny.
Lindsay Meldrum said she has a young child of her own and knows how much a stuffed animal can mean to kids. (Facebook)
"We screamed and yelled and we were like, 'Oh yay, Pinky's back!'" said Summer.
Her mom figured Pinky would be sent to them in the mail, but she was wrong.
All day Tuesday, Tonne received Facebook messages from Meldrum, showing Pinky having adventures and meeting new friends around the airport.
Double-double? (Facebook)
Pinky drove a police cruiser and had a snuggle with a police officer; she munched on some multi-coloured popcorn; she had a coffee at Tim Hortons; and she stopped in to check out some hoodies at a gift shop.
She even sat in the cockpit of the plane.
Pinky got to meet the pilots. (Facebook)
When it came time to take off, Pinky was tucked into her own first-class seat with a newspaper and a glass of juice.
"I just wanted it to be a little extra special for her, because I know how special teddies are to kids," Meldrum said.
'Thankful for people who have kind hearts'
Pinky touched down in St. John's Tuesday night just before midnight, and was greeted by Tonne's aunt and uncle.
"[They] sent me a photo this morning of Pinky resting on [their] couch and said that she's looking forward to seeing Summer."
First class only for this VIB (very important bunny). (Facebook)
Friends are picking Pinky up from her aunt's house and bringing the bunny to reunite with her rightful owners tomorrow in Carbonear.
"I can't believe that this has happened. It's just one of those things in life where you're just so thankful for people who have kind hearts and do their best to help other people," Tonne said. "We would have had tears every night, and it would have been a terrible loss for our family. Even though it is just a stuffed animal, we love her like she's one of our own."
