A baby rabbit found abandoned in a field is believed to have been an unwanted gift this Christmas.
The poor bunny was found yesterday by a dog walker who contacted the RSPCA.
It came as Storm Bella swept in, and weather warnings were issued for Wolverhampton saying that there could be snow and ice from today.
The rabbit, named Lucky by rescuers, was left with a brand new cage and bag of hay and food, sparking concerns it had been given as a present.
Inspector Laura Baker collected the rabbit, which is now being looked after by the RSPCA’s Walsall branch. The rabbit is around 12-14 weeks old.
Laura said: ‘I can only guess this poor rabbit was perhaps an unwanted Christmas present as the cage was brand new, there was hay and food and the rabbit is young and in good health. It is very concerning if this is the case – animals are a long-term commitment, which is why we ask people to think very carefully before taking one on.
‘Generally we don’t see a spike in abandonments around Christmas – our peak time for abandonments is the summer months. However, that’s not to say we don’t see abandoned animals at Christmas and there is always the possibility that they were bought as presents but were unwanted. In my experience, this is one of the quickest Christmas abandonments I have had to deal with.
‘Thankfully this rabbit was found by the dog-walker, who spent a while trying to catch the rabbit – which had escaped from her cage – before calling us. We are very grateful for their help.’
Laura said: ‘The branch told me all the rabbits they currently have up for adoption is less than a year old and they have seen a massive spike in people wanting to rehome their bunnies when they returned back to work or their furlough ended.
‘Rabbits are hard work and need lots of cleaning and attention and early handling. I love rabbits and have four but they take up a lot of time and I think unfortunately people in lockdown seem to have gone out and bought small furries as pets for children not realising the time commitment involved.’
Anyone who has any information about Lucky, who was found in Barnhurst field, Pendeford, Wolverhampton at around 10.30am on Sunday 27 December, should call the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 123 8018.
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