PETA Offers Gbp 1,000 To Nab Rabbit Dumpers

For Immediate Release:
13 February 2009


Contact:
Sam Glover 020 7357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]


Bartley, Southampton – According to news reports, nine rabbits were thrown from a car window and left for dead at the side of Brockishill Road in Bartley on Monday, 19 January, at around 5:30 pm.


A witness saw the rabbits being dumped from a silver car – believed to be a Vauxhall Astra or Ford Escort – before it drove off. The witness managed to catch most of the rabbits. One of the rabbits was in poor health and had to be euthanized whilst another could not be caught. The remaining rabbits are waiting to be adopted into caring homes at the RSPCA Ashley Heath Animal Centre.


PETA is offering up to £1,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for this horrific crime.


Members of the public who are able to offer these rabbits a home or who witnessed this crime are encouraged to come forward. Information will be passed onto the RSPCA.


“Animal abusers are cowards”, says PETA spokesperson Suzanne Barnard. “They take their issues out on the most defenceless beings available to them.”


Southampton residents have good reason to be concerned about animal abuse cases such as this one. History shows that serial rapists and murderers often have histories of past incidents involving cruelty to animals. Child-killers Mary Bell, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables as well as serial murderers Ian Huntley, Thomas Hamilton (Dunblane massacre), Fred West, Denis Nilsen, Ian Brady and Jeffrey Dahmer all started out by deliberately harming animals.


Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the PETA Foundation on 0207 378 0363.