An individual who purchased a ‘hostile’ dwarf rabbit on Gumtree was compelled to give it away due to being frightened of the animal.
The woman acquired the 14-month-old Netherland Dwarf rabbit, one of the tiniest breeds, after encountering an advertisement on the renowned website.
Having had the rabbit, named Midge, for six months, she eventually reached out to Croydon Animal Samaritans, expressing her fear to interact with him because of his perceived aggression.
Rachel Parsons, a member of the animal welfare charity in south London, now alerts others about procuring pets on platforms like Gumtree.
She points out the challenge in determining the conditions in which animals have been raised and treated.
Regarding Midge’s situation, she commented, ‘The owner described the rabbit as highly aggressive and prone to biting, so I inquired whether it might be due to nervousness or if it had been neutered, to which she confirmed it had.’
‘They approached the breeder, who was uncooperative and declined to take the rabbit back.’