When Bassma Abdulrahnan came to the United States in 2012, she said the culture shock was tough. She had to leave behind her friends, family and everyone she knew back home in Kurdistan, Iraq.
Abdulrahnan was studying for her doctorate in civil engineering at Auburn. After a trip home to visit her family, she said she walked into a pet store on a whim. When Abdulrahnan saw a small 10-week-old Netherland Dwarf rabbit, she took him home that day and named him Oreo.
Her friends said the two were inseparable.
"(Abdulrahnan) treated him as her son," said Suning Zhu, graduate student in business and friend of Abdulrahnan. "Oreo is a part of her life. I think she cannot live without him."
However, Oreo and Abdulrahnan are currently separated by more than 6,000 miles.
Abdulrahnan, who came to the United States on a Fullbright Scholarship, had to return to Iraq without Oreo.
Haitham Eletrabi, post-doctorate student in civil engineering and Abdulrahnan's friend, said he and Abdulrahnan spend a month researching a way for her to fly home with her pet rabbit. But there were no options.
Eletrabi is running a campaign on Indiegogo.com to raise $1,400 to send Oreo home to Abdulrahnan through an animal shipping company. He has raised $428 so far. The campaign ends Feb. 22.
"The cause itself might not be as strong as, say, a dog that has cancer, but the point is that the pain of the separation is real for the rabbit and for Bassma," Eletrabi said.
"Other stuff might be proclaimed as worth more, but this is big for both of them. Think of it as being separated from a family member."
Eletrabi said Abdulrahnan and Oreo were like family when they were together. Abdulrahnan would keep the door to his cage open, allowing the rabbit to wander freely around her apartment.
According to Eletrabi, Oreo would usually use his freedom to follow Abdulrahnan everywhere.
"This is really close, even for a rabbit," Eletrabi said.
Abdulrahnan said she even took Oreo to the park on a leash and let him run around, though Eletrabi said Oreo would stick close by Abdulrahnan.
With his old owner gone, Eletrabi said he's been doing his best to take care of Oreo.
He said this task has its own challenges, as Oreo has grown into a rabbit with a great deal of personality quirks.
Eletrabi said the rabbit has different moods and refuses to play except on its own time. It is also a picky eater and will not eat carrots, though it loves snacking on exposed wires.
However, Eletrabi said he can only take care of Oreo until he has to leave the United States in December.
He hopes to ship Oreo back to Abdulrahnan before then.
"I hope the Auburn Family will help reunite Oreo with his mom again," Eletrabi said.
"He was her family here, and I'm sure it will be great having him back home. I can feed him, I can be there for him, but I can't love him as much as she does." Abdulrahnan said she hopes to achieve her goal of bringing Oreo home with her. "I wasn't aware of animals' value until I had Oreo," Abdulrahnan said. "Oreo taught me really how precious they are."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
