On the evening of Thursday 2nd April, someone left a rabbit in a cardboard box outside The Bunny Bothy — our shop and appointments office. There was no prior arrangement, no message, and no way to identify who was responsible. Based on volunteer activity in the area, we know the box was left between 5:00pm and 6:25pm. It was clearly placed there for us to find at the start of our next shift.
Inside the box was a brown mini-lop male, who we have since nicknamed Vector.
Vector’s Condition
Vector arrived in a deeply concerning state. He was malnourished and suffering from significant muscle wastage, a sign of long-term neglect, with severely overgrown claws, a soiled and matted bottom, and heavy wax build-up in both ears. He had clearly not received proper care for some time.
He is now safe and in our hands, and we are doing everything we can for him. But making space for Vector at this stage required urgent, unplanned adjustments on our part. We did not have a space allocated for him. We never should have needed one.
Let Us Be Clear: This Is a Crime!
We want to be absolutely direct about this.
Abandoning an animal, even outside a rescue centre, is illegal under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. It does not matter that the intention may have been for us to find him. Leaving an animal unattended in a box, without care, without notice, and without consent, is an act of abandonment, and it is a criminal offence.
We have reported this incident to the police, and we will continue to do so for any future occurrences.
Our CCTV footage from Thursday evening was unfortunately unable to identify the individual responsible. However, we want to be clear: we are actively working to install improved signage and upgraded CCTV systems at The Bunny Bothy, specifically to address the risk of future abandonments. Any evidence we capture of an animal being abandoned will be passed directly to the authorities to support criminal prosecution where appropriate.
We will not tolerate this. We have a zero-tolerance position on abandonment, and we will take every available step to hold those responsible to account.
The Wider Impact
What may seem like a quick solution has real, lasting consequences, not just for Vector, but for every rabbit and owner already waiting for our support.
Our waiting list is carefully and deliberately managed. Every family or individual on it has gone through our process, explained their circumstances, and is waiting for the right space and the right match. By arriving unannounced, Vector has displaced that process. People who have been waiting, some in difficult and urgent situations not unlike whoever left Vector, now face longer waits. That is not fair to them, and it is not fair to their rabbits.
Beyond the waiting list, unplanned admissions place real pressure on our volunteers, our resources, and our capacity. Beloved Rabbits runs entirely on the dedication of a small team of committed people. Moments like this stretch that team in ways that were never planned for.
We Are Here To Help – But There Is A Right Way
We understand that rabbit ownership can become overwhelming. Circumstances change. Financial pressures, health problems, housing moves, and family crises can all create situations where someone genuinely doesn’t know what to do. We know this, and we want to help.
That is exactly what we are here for.
Beloved Rabbits has multiple pathways to support owners who are struggling. Our process allows for different approaches to rehoming, and we prioritise cases based on individual circumstances. We may not always be able to provide instant solutions, as space and resources are finite, but we work hard to find the right outcome for every rabbit and every owner who comes to us.
If you are struggling with your rabbit’s care, please reach out to us through our proper channels. A message, an email, a conversation: that is how we can actually help you. Leaving a rabbit in a box is not a solution. It is a crime.
A Note to Anyone Who Knows Something
If you were in the area of The Bunny Bothy on Thursday 2nd April between 5:00pm and 6:25pm and saw anything, or if you know someone who you believe may have been involved, we would ask you to get in with Police Scotland via 101 or the Kirkintilloch station office. Any information, however small it seems, may be useful.
Vector Made It. Others Might Not.
Vector is now safe. He has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but he is in the right place. That is what matters most right now.
But we owe it to him, and to every rabbit on our waiting list, to make sure this never happens again.
🐇 If you need help with your rabbit, please visit https://belovedrabbits.org/rescue for more information, or get in touch with our team.
Your Support Makes All The Difference!
Every additional mouth to feed brings additional costs in food, bedding and especially veterinary care.
Anything you can offer to support us if very much appreciated!
