Most furparents in Singapore believe that all animals deserve to be loved and cared for. But that’s unfortunately not the case for all pet owners.
A rabbit was found malnourished and living under horrifying conditions along an unspecified corridor on Sunday (8 Sep), according to rabbit welfare group House Rabbit Society Singapore (HRSS).
The rabbit was living inside a rusty wire bottom cage with nothing but pieces of carrots for sustenance.
Here’s a screenshot of HRSS’ updated Facebook post on Tuesday (10 Sep).
Thankfully, Haru’s rescuers convinced his previous owners to give up the rabbit to seek urgent medical treatment at a vet.
After finding out that his ex-owners did not give the bunny a name, the rabbit has been dubbed ‘Haru’.
Haru is currently recuperating at a fosterer’s home, but here’s how the epic rescue gave him a second chance at a happy and healthy life.
On 8 Sep, HRSS and Bunny Wonderland were alerted of a neglected rabbit left at a corridor. When rescuers went down to check on the rabbit, they were horrified by its living conditions.
Rabbit owners know that the 2 most important things in a rabbit’s diet are water and hay — both of which were not provided to Haru.
Haru was left in a rusty wire bottom cage. A few stray pieces of carrots were his only source of sustenance.
Contrary to popular belief, carrots should only be given to rabbits in moderation due to their high sugar content.
With sadness in his eyes, Haru had no choice but to chomp on the dehydrated carrots to fill his little tummy.
When the rescuers finally met him, they thought he resembled a mouse rather than a rabbit.
About their first encounter with Haru, they described,
He was so skinny and tiny — looked like a mouse (not) a rabbit.
After the rescuers successfully got Haru’s owners to give him up, they brought Haru back and sent him to the vet the next morning.
During the consultation, they found out that Haru was 490g light — the weight of a 500ml mineral water bottle — when a healthy rabbit of his breed should weigh at least 1kg.
His size was also no longer than a human hand.
As the consultation continued, the vet discovered Haru had a set of bad teeth and the underside of his body had turned yellowish — possibly due to the over consumption of carrots.
Viewer’s discretion is advised for the following photo of Haru’s heartbreaking condition.
Source
In addition, he was infested with fur mites but the vet decided not to conduct a blood test as it would be difficult to locate the vein due to how skinny he was.
Fortunately, apart from the above stated conditions, Haru’s heart and lungs were operating well.
We also learnt that the vet did not prescribe any medication for Haru. The best way to help Haru get better was simply to provide him with adequate food, water & shower him with love and care.
Haru is currently under intensive care and supervision at a fosterer’s home.
He is provided with a healthy and balanced diet containing hay, rabbit pellets and water.
Haru is now given space to roam around and is finally living a cage-free life.
With these changes made in Haru’s life, we hope that he will soon feel better both physically and mentally.
If you’d like to contribute to Haru’s living expenses monetarily, donation details can be found here.
Looking at how Haru was neglected by his owners, made us realise how easy it is to simply put our pets at the back of our minds as we go about our daily routines.
Potential owners who aren’t prepared to prioritise their pet’s welfare, probably shouldn’t be too quick to commit to welcoming an animal into their lives.
With that, may we continue to be responsible for our pets and to treat them as rightful members of our families.
Feature image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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