So I did what bloggers do, and snapped a photo and shared it with readers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I also realized, belatedly, that I didn't take the doll to the store manager to put in their lost and found. Not sure why... unless it was out of some weird respect for the doll's poetic melancholy? There's something sadly sweet about an abandoned stuffed bunny.

Well, turns out a reader on Facebook saw the picture and recognized the doll immediately.

"It's BUN BUN!"

I'm happy to say that Bun Bun is now home, freshly washed, and reunited with a 4 year old who cherishes him and takes him everywhere.

From the dad:

"My daughter left Bun Bun in the grocery cart this evening. Before dinner she announced that she left him at the store and then it was crying time.

After the kids were asleep for the night I went to Safeway and was helped by the best employee in the history of Safeways. He works down in the garage but overheard me asking a manager about the bunny and he said he knew where it was. We went down to the pictured trash can and POOF it was gone.

Then this guy made it his mission to find Bun Bun. He walked me up to every employee who had been in the garage until we found the sheepish kid who admitted to throwing Bun Bun away bc he thought it was trash.

Super Safeway employee then went back into the dumpsters and emerged with Bun Bun a few minutes later."

The father told me he gave the employee some money as a thank you for his efforts.

Seriously, I think this was the best thing this blog has ever accomplished.