Seven dead and decaying rabbits have been found down an alleyway in south east London, and the RSPCA is appealing to the public for help after the heartbreaking discovery.
A teenager made the grim discovery of three wild dead rabbits in an alleyway between Riverside Road and Footscray Meadows near a primary school in Sidcup on Monday (18 March) at about 5pm.
The RSPCA were alerted and found the dead and decaying bodies of three rabbits, as well as a further four decaying wild rabbit bodies inside a blue plastic bag in the same alleyway.
A witness in the area confirmed the animals were not there at midday when they walked their dog meaning they had been placed there between midday and 5pm.
Inspector Harriet Daliday, who is now investigating, said: “These wild rabbits had been deceased for some time but it is not known how they died or why they were placed in the alleyway. If anyone has any information about how these rabbits came to be placed here, or how they died, please get in touch with us.
“This must have been an incredibly distressing discovery for the young person who found these dead rabbits and I sincerely hope that no one from the nearby primary school came across them. We want to see a world where every kind of animal is treated with compassion, respect and kindness, and we hope to teach the next generation that dumping animals like this is not acceptable.”
The RSPCA is asking anyone with any information about this to contact them on their inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
This year the RSPCA celebrates its 200th birthday. To mark this special anniversary the animal welfare charity wants to inspire one million people to join their movement to improve animals’ lives. To find out how you can join their million-strong movement for animals visit www.rspca.org.uk/200.
