It's like some sick taunting of exploited skinny dogs by a mechanical rabbit.
Oh, hey; time for a poll:
That line above, about the mechanical rabbit, puts you in mind of which bit of pop culture?
a toy in a battery commercial
1(16.7%)
The Simpsons' pet
0(0.0%)
Bugs Bunny kissing something electric
4(66.7%)
none of the above
1(16.7%)
(I'm procrastinating, yes---but really I'm only putting off more words until later tonight, so that's not technically pro-CRAS-tinating, as all you Latin scholars would no doubt realize.)