Mystery of missing rabbit at the fair

Attention, all units: There's been a kidnapping in Cape Girardeau.

The victim is described as 5 years old with dark eyes, brown hair and rather large ears. He doesn't say much, and he's a very picky eater.

He's approximately the size of a football and goes by the name Cinnamon.

Lisa Ward has spent the past three days posting signs with photos of Cinnamon, her 5-year-old Holland lop rabbit, in businesses and schools in hopes that someone might return him.

Ward and her husband, Richard, are from Memphis, Tenn., and run a pizza stand at various fairs and festivals across the country. The Wards are operating at the SEMO District Fair and on Sunday, Cinnamon was stolen from his pen outside their trailer.

"I know it sounds funny, but he's a part of my family. We're so broken-hearted," Lisa Ward said. "If someone has the heart to bring him back, there's a cash reward."

Lisa Ward believes Cinnamon was taken between 9 and 10 p.m. Sunday, as she and her husband were closing the pizza stand for the night.

"He's not a normal rabbit. He's old and he eats special food. He won't eat the stuff from the grocery store," she said. "I'm afraid he might starve himself."

At one point, Cinnamon was a show rabbit, but now he's the family pet and travels with the Wards.

"Every week we're at a different place, but this has never happened before," Lisa Ward said.

The fair ends Saturday and the Wards will leave Cape Girardeau Sunday morning for another fair in Alabama, hopefully with Cinnamon.

If anyone has information about the rabbit, Lisa Ward can be contacted on her cell phone at (336) 266-1687.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128