West Midlands and Nottinghamshire are two of the worst counties for rabbits being abandoned, says RSPCA

Snuggles and Cuddles were found dumped at Bartley Reservoir in a cardboard box in Birmingham Credit: RSPCA

The RSPCA has revealed 50 pet rabbits were abandoned in the West Midlands last year, and 46 were abandoned in Nottinghamshire.

That makes them two of the worst 10 counties in the UK for rabbits being abandoned.

It has prompted the animal welfare charity to remind people that rabbits are not simply an easy first pet to have, they are actually complicated animals that need good care.

The RSPCA says it is concerned that as restrictions and lockdown ends, the 'novelty' of owning a rabbit might wear off and they will see higher numbers coming into rehoming centres.

Humphrey the rabbit was found abandoned with overgrown nails and a lump on his chest in Witton Lakes in Birmingham in March Credit: RSPCA

In one case, two rabbits were found dumped at Bartley Reservoir in a cardboard box in Birmingham.

In a separate incident, a rabbit was rescued by the RSPCA after being abandoned with overgrown nails and a lump on his chest in Witton Lakes in Birmingham in March.

In Basford in Nottinghamshire, three rabbits were found abandoned together in March, and were brought into the care of the RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre .

Three rabbits were abandoned in Basford in Nottinghamshire and came into the care of the RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre. Credit: RSPCA

Across the UK there were 1,174 abandoned rabbits reported to the RSPCA’s cruelty line in 2020, and the charity took in 2,653 rabbits altogether - which means 44% of all rabbits coming into its last year were abandoned.

Dr Jane Tyson, RSPCA rabbit welfare expert, said: “Unfortunately, we do see many rabbits abandoned and rescued by our officers.

"We suspect that in many cases these rabbits have been bought on impulse as ‘starter pets’ for children but owners quickly realise that they’re complex animals to care for and sadly they end up coming into our rescue centres.

“We have seen a huge demand in pet ownership during the lockdown with Google searches for ‘Rabbits for sale’ rising from 23,000 in April 2019 to 40,000 in April 2020, and whilst it’s lovely that so many people have sought the companionship of a pet, we’re concerned that this boom will mean many people may not have done their research properly and could struggle to care for them once the lockdown ends, or the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic takes its toll.

"This is something we’re already starting to see with many of our centres and branches reporting that they were overrun with rabbits back in April.”