7:18pm Monday 17th July 2006
By Jane Lavender
A THUG hacked the ears off a pet rabbit using a pair of scissors after breaking into a hutch in the back garden of a house.
And another rabbit was stolen during a second raid on the hutch in French Grove, Darcy Lever.
Now owner Debra Wrigley is warning other animal owners in the area to be on their guard.
Miss Wrigley, aged 20, said: "I want people to know that there is a sick person out there doing terrible things to rabbits.
"They should keep a careful watch. I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
Miss Wrigley recently moved to Farnworth, but left her four rabbits at her mother Amanda Wrenall's home in French Grove, where her three sisters, Charlotte, aged 14, Jaime, aged 13, and nine-year-old Dana, have been looking after them.
The rabbit which was attacked used to be called Blackjack, but has been affectionately renamed Stumpy following the incident.
Debra's mum discovered Stumpy when she went to feed the rabbits two weeks ago. She managed to tend to the wounds by cleaning them and said they were clean-cut, as if scissors had been used.
The second incident happened on Friday, when the intruders stole a rabbit named Sandy from the hutch.
Miss Wrigley said: "My sisters are really upset, especially Dana, who spends a lot of time with the rabbits.
"She was so upset with what happened to Stumpy because she was convinced he was going to die.
"After what happened to him we tried to make the back garden more secure so we could protect the other rabbits.
"I can't believe someone has got in again and done something like this. Every time I think about it I feel like crying it's just so cruel."
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