Thirteen abandoned bunnies have been discovered in a cardboard box at a roadside in Camlough.
The bunnies, made up of a mother, father and eleven babies, were discovered in the Green Road area of the Co. Armagh town yesterday (January 4).
Some of the bunnies were furless, which means they are less than seven days old.
The animals were found by a member of the public who brought it to the attention of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA).
The charity says that the bunnies were “in a state of sheer distress and freezing” and says that if they had been left at the roadside they would have “inevitably perished.”
Colleen Tinnelly, USPCA Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are horrified and appalled that someone abandoned these poor defenceless animals. They were essentially left to die at the roadside. The USPCA condemns the actions of the individual responsible for the abandonment.
“Once again, we have been reminded that there are cruel, heartless individuals out there who do not care for the welfare of their animals. We plea with the public to do their research before getting a pet to prevent cases like this happening.
“Each animal, be it a dog, bunny or cat has its own set of needs and unless you can meet these needs and give the animal the best life possible, do not consider getting a pet.
“Thankfully, following examination from our veterinary team, the bunnies are in good health. However, this could have been a very different story if they had not been found and brought into our care.
“We commend and thank the member of the public for bringing them into our care, rather than leaving them to a slow and agonising death at the side of the road.”
