Family’s disgust after finding beloved pet rabbit shot dead

[dutchman]

A beloved pet rabbit has been shot dead with an air rifle in Bedworth.



The gruesome discovery was made by the rabbit’s owner on Sunday afternoon and X-rays show a pellet lodged in the poor animal’s skull.

Ian McPheat was at home with his family in Coventry Road when his wife went out in the garden and spotted the lifeless body of Angel the rabbit inside her hutch.

Angel had been the cherished pet of Ian’s 22-year-old daughter Laura for nearly five years.

Ian said: “We were in the house and my wife went out to the garden to hang some washing out and she noticed that Angel was lying on her side.

“She was dead and there was blood coming out of her nose and then I noticed blood on the top of her head. You could see the hole in her skin where she had been shot.

“We took her to the vets and on the x-ray you can see the pellet in her head.

“It was just the one hit that killed her – it went straight through her head and landed at the top of her mouth.

“She was a beautiful rabbit and Laura spent so much money on her.

“She has had her for almost five years now and everyone is stunned and Laura is heartbroken.

“It is sickening and despicable that someone could do this to an animal.”

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “This is very sad and we are alarmed to hear what happened to this poor rabbit.

“We would urge anyone with information to contact the police, or the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.”

The family reported the incident to Warwickshire Police who confirmed that officers are investigating and are currently examining CCTV.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101.

[dutchman]

RSPCA will not probe Bedworth rabbit death - because it was shot only once!

The RSPCA will not try to track down the callous yob who shot dead a pet rabbit in Bedworth – as it was only shot once.

The McPheat family were left heartbroken when Angel was found dead in her hutch at their home in Coventry Road.

X-rays revealed it had been shot with an air rifle or pellet gun.

However, they have now been told that as Angel – who belonged to the family’s 22-year-old daughter Laura – “would not have suffered”, that the RSPCA will not be investigating as there would be “insufficient evidence” for a prosecution.

A RSPCA spokesman said: “One of our inspectors immediately consulted with an independent vet, who stated Angel would not have suffered as she would have died instantly from the gunshot.

“We relayed this information to the family and explained we investigate on a case-by-case basis and on this occasion the vet felt there was insufficient evidence for us to be able to realistically consider bringing a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act.”

Laura’s dad, Ian, said: “We are very disappointed and my daughter told the RSPCA officers so when they were here.

“It almost gives licence to people to shoot animals as long as it is done ‘humanely’. This was shooting someone’s pet in cold blood.”