Florida rescue raccoon becomes 2024 Cadbury Bunny. Meet the social media influencer
Who says the Cadbury Bunny has to be, well, a bunny?
Not the Hershey Company, which owns the Cadbury brand.
Meet Louie the raccoon, who was crowned the 2024 Cadbury Bunny. The Florida raccoon from South Florida won the sixth annual Cadbury Bunny tryouts, the company announced Monday.
It's the second time in six years there has been a Florida winner of the Cadbury Bunny title. The first was a tree frog in Martin County.
Meet the 2024 Cadbury bunny, Louie the raccoon from Miami
Louie is a 2-year-old raccoon born in Miami in 2021 who was rescued by his owner, Jaime Arslan after he had been deemed unfit to live in the wild, according to Louie's website.
Arslan, a former vet tech, took Louie in about a week after her father passed away in 2021, caring for the raccoon baby after he was left without a mother. Arslan said in an Instagram post she named the raccoon Louie after her father, whose middle name was Louie.
"He is a social media influencer, fashion icon, fitness model, food connoisseur, and artist.
"Louie shares his home with his roommates consisting of his sister, Lucy, the raccoon, three dogs, three cats, and one fish. Louie is very passionate about giving back. He is currently partnered up with Samadi Wildlife Rescue to help raise funds for a new rescue location!" according to his website.
"After my father’s passing, I decided to take my mind off what I was experiencing and learn about wildlife rehabilitation," Arslan told USA TODAY.
When he isn't lounging in his favorite tree, Louie is busy fundraising for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers by creating art using his toe-painting skills, Hershey said.
Yes, not only does Louie have his only website but he's a social media influencer and "posts" on Instagram.
Louie the Raccoon has his own Instagram page
Arslan started the “Louie the Raccoon” Instagram page to “connect with other raccoon people” not knowing that Louie would become an overnight celebrity. The page now has more than 380,000 followers.
Louie as a 'baby' with his new family:
Louie joins his sister Lucy for a painting session:
Who says you need two feet to play soccer? Teeth are allowed, right?
Shower, bathtub full of toys. It's going to be a good day:
How was Louie chosen as the Cadbury Bunny?
This year's Cadbury Bunny Tryouts featured a bracket-style elimination tournament on Instagram, a first for the annual competition. Pet-owners submitted their pets for consideration through Instagram posts explaining why their beloved furry (or scaly) friend should be the next Cadbury Bunny, Hershey said.
Throughout the month of March, pet lovers and Cadbury fans voted for their favorite contestants as finalists were narrowed down.
"Each year, we look forward to crowning a new Cadbury Bunny, especially this year where we engaged fans in a new way through our bracket-style competition. It was incredible to see pet lovers getting in on the fun," said Natalie Shuntich, senior associate marketing manager at The Hershey Company.
"Witnessing how fans participated in each wave of voting, and the loving support for our thirty-cute finalists from Cadbury fans across the U.S. is a testament to the love for the Cadbury brand."
"Thousands of pet lovers across the country have spoken and Louie the Raccoon is officially the winner of the sixth annual Cadbury Bunny Tryouts, Hershey announced Monday.
What does Louie the Raccoon win?
"As the grand prize winner, Louie will not only have a starring role in the 2025 Cadbury Bunny Tryouts commercial but will also take home $7,000 in prize money," Hershey's officials said.
Past Cadbury Bunny winners
Prior Cadbury Bunny winners include:
Crash the Rescue Cat (2023), from Idaho.
Annie Rose the Therapy Dog (2022), from Ohio.
Betty the Frog (2021), from Stuart, Florida.
Lieutenant Dan the Treeing Walker Coonhound (2020), from Ohio.
Henri the English Bulldog (2019), from North Carolina.
Contributor: Amaris Encinas, USA Today
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Louie the raccoon from South Florida is the 2024 Cadbury Bunny
