A TINY rabbit was dumped and left to freeze outside a pet shop this morning.
It was abandoned in a cardboard box outside Angell Pets in Abbeymead.
Temperatures were around -3C at the time and it had been left with no covers or insulation.
Luckily, a mum noticed the box outside the shop as she was dropping off her children at the nearby Abbeymead Primary School and took the animal into the warmth of her car.
She waited until staff arrived to open up the shop and handed it over to their care.
Shop owner Richard Angell said: "It was freezing this morning and the poor little thing was frozen stiff.
"It must have been there since at least 8am and we don't open until 9am."
He said that if it had been left much longer it could have died.
"It had been dumped in just the box with no blanket or paper and it just said 'male rabbit' on it. If it had been there overnight it could well have died.
He added: "Whoever did this obviously doesn't care if it lived or died.
At the best they were thoughtless and worst deliberately cruel."
He said the black mini lop rabbit was not the first animal to be left at the shop door.
"We have had a snake posted through the letterbox. And we have rescued other snakes and rabbits that have been dumped in people's gardens."
It has also had to look after guinea pigs, a dog and dwarf hamsters either abandoned or attempted to be left at the shop.
Richard said: "People need to realise an animal is for life not just a fad.
"You are responsible – legally and morally."
The rabbit is now happily living at the pet shop and fortunately seems none the worse for it's ordeal.
Richard said: "We have had a few people offer to take it but we are going to keep it a few days to make sure it's OK and make sure it goes to someone who is serious and not just acting on an emotional response."
It was abandoned in a cardboard box outside Angell Pets in Abbeymead.
Temperatures were around -3C at the time and it had been left with no covers or insulation.
Luckily, a mum noticed the box outside the shop as she was dropping off her children at the nearby Abbeymead Primary School and took the animal into the warmth of her car.
She waited until staff arrived to open up the shop and handed it over to their care.
Shop owner Richard Angell said: "It was freezing this morning and the poor little thing was frozen stiff.
"It must have been there since at least 8am and we don't open until 9am."
He said that if it had been left much longer it could have died.
"It had been dumped in just the box with no blanket or paper and it just said 'male rabbit' on it. If it had been there overnight it could well have died.
He added: "Whoever did this obviously doesn't care if it lived or died.
At the best they were thoughtless and worst deliberately cruel."
He said the black mini lop rabbit was not the first animal to be left at the shop door.
"We have had a snake posted through the letterbox. And we have rescued other snakes and rabbits that have been dumped in people's gardens."
It has also had to look after guinea pigs, a dog and dwarf hamsters either abandoned or attempted to be left at the shop.
Richard said: "People need to realise an animal is for life not just a fad.
"You are responsible – legally and morally."
The rabbit is now happily living at the pet shop and fortunately seems none the worse for it's ordeal.
Richard said: "We have had a few people offer to take it but we are going to keep it a few days to make sure it's OK and make sure it goes to someone who is serious and not just acting on an emotional response."