This visual case presents a comic version of The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits (UVA-OM-1618). A day-shift manager at a pet store, Martin Fesmire, thinks nothing of selling two rabbits to his best customer. But when the rabbits have a litter of bunnies overnight, Fesmire's professional world is thrown into turmoil that will grow to involve his boss, the corporate legal department, the CEO, the highest court in America, and an ever-increasing number of disputed rabbits. Service systems are inherently subject to variability, whether through customers, service providers, suppliers, or unexpected events. Yet customers demand excellence and consistency regardless of this variability. In general, there are two ways to handle this variability—through people or through processes. We use the concept of robustness to describe these two approaches. This tongue-in-cheek case gives students the opportunity to explore the implications of lack of robustness when people face unexpected variability. It allows for a discussion of the strategic tradeoffs between investing in robust people versus investing in robust processes. Excerpt UVA-OM-1675 Rev. Feb. 20, 2020 The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits: A Visual Case This fictional graphic case was prepared by Richard D. Dell Jr., Cartoonist; Stephen Maiden, Case Writer; and Elliott N. Weiss, Oliver Wight Professor of Business Administration. It was adapted from Ellis Parker Butler, Pigs is Pigs, American Illustrated Magazine, September 1905, available in the public domain at Project Gutenberg, (accessed Jan. 14, 2020). It was written as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright © 2020 by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an email to . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation. Our goal is to publish materials of the highest quality, so please submit any errata to editorial@dardenbusinesspublishing.com. . . .