The RSPCA is investigating after seven rabbits were found dumped in a Manchester alleyway. The discovery comes as the charity warns animal centres across the country are 'bursting at the seams with abandoned and unwanted rabbits'.
The black and white-coloured rabbits were found cooped up inside a cage and a cat carrier both left in an alleyway behind a house on Agnes Street in Levenshulme, Manchester, on April 20.
A member of the public called the RSPCA after spotting the cages and moving them into her back garden.
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Animal rescue officer, Lee Ferrans, collected them and took them to the RSPCA's Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, where they were vaccinated and underwent health checks. Their owners have not been traced and the charity is now appealing for the public's help.
The RSPCA is also urging people to consider carefully whether they can meet the commitments involved in owning rabbits after what they described as the 'latest abandonment in Manchester'.
A spokesman said: "Currently, animal centres run by the RSPCA and other small animal charities are bursting at the seams with abandoned and unwanted rabbits. The numbers of rabbits arriving at RSPCA animal centres increased by 48 per cent to 1,090 in 2022 compared to the previous year.
"The charity’s branches also dealt with 1,942 unwanted rabbits during 2022. The surge in numbers has, in some cases, been caused by overbreeding and the RSPCA urges owners to promptly neuter their rabbits to keep numbers down.
"It also advises those who are struggling to keep their pets because of the pressures caused by the cost of living crisis to seek help before taking drastic action like this."
Mr Ferrans said: "People think it's easy to look after rabbits, but there's a lot more work involved. It may be the case that this large number of rabbits has proved to be too much for someone after they started off with just a couple. People need to neuter their rabbits and they also need to research what it takes to look after them properly before they take up ownership.
"Six of the rabbits were in one cage and there was another in a cat carrier. Neither the cage nor the carrier were large enough to accommodate them, although they probably hadn't been living like that before they were abandoned.
"This is not an unusual job for our inspectors and animal rescue officers at the moment - I myself have dealt with three or four rabbit abandonments in recent months."
Thankfully, the rabbits were given a clean bill of health. They're now at a private boarding home in Lancashire waiting to be rehomed.
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