Gerbils and rabbits dumped (From Bucks Free Press)

Gerbils and rabbits dumped

1:26pm Thursday 24th January 2008

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CONCERNS over animal cruelty in Bucks were on the rise again after the shocking discovery of 17 abandoned pets in the first week of the new year.

Two separate incidents saw a pair of small gerbils and then 15 rabbits - many of them very young - left dumped and defenceless.

RSPCA animal collection officer Andy Eddy said: "It is heartbreaking to think that people will just abandon their animals when they tire of them. At this time of year our animal centres are full and it is always hard to find space for those pets which have become unwanted.

"People need to realise they have a responsibility to their pets and they need to make sure they can care for them for the whole of their lives, not just until they can no longer be bothered."

On Wednesday, January 2, a motorist discovered two terrified gerbils in a plastic carrier bag at the side of Market Square in Princes Risborough. One of the animals had a cut across its nose, thought to have been suffered when it scrambled about in the bag. The gerbils were taken to Blackberry Farm, just outside Aylesbury, where staff named them Ferrero and Rocher.

And two days later, on Friday, January 4, 15 rabbits were found dumped in a cardboard box, on a path stretching from Peters Lane, which runs alongside woods in Princes Risborough. Witnesses reported seeing a silver Peugeot saloon in the area around the time the animals were abandoned. The rabbits, which included two mothers and three young litters, are currently being cared for by a fosterer at the South Bucks branch of the RSPCA.

Sophie Wilkinson, RSPCA press officer, explained that the animals were all on the road to recovery. She said: "People have got to treat their pets more responsibly. If they have got pets they can't look after they should contact us as soon as possible."

Anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal could face a maximum six-month prison sentence and/or a £20,000 fine. If you have any information about these incidents, contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 1234 999.

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