An Angus family whose rabbit was burned to death have branded the killer ”mentally deranged”.
Arbroath woman Lauren Beattie (31) and her mother Susan are offering a reward for any information leading to an arrest, after the family pet called Dennis Hopper was found dead in his hutch.
Tayside Police have begun the hunt for the perpetrator, who is thought to have scaled a six foot wall to get to the rabbit.
The animal lived in the garden of Lauren’s home in Demondale Road. Susan said Dennis was ”part of the family,” adding that her daughter was so close to her animals that they were ”like her children”.
”I think there must be something wrong with whoever did this and they should go for some kind of mental treatment,” she said. ”There is something terribly wrong with them.
”The police have been very good and we are hoping they can track this person down.”
The attack was reported to the police at around 8.15am on Thursday morning and the family are still struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Lauren said she now worried for the safety of her other animals, and said whoever had killed her pet was ”evil”.
”I won’t be having any more animals outside,” she said. ”If there is anybody out there who has pets outside, then take them in because if they’ve done it once they’ll do it again.
”God forbid I’d had kids and they had gone looking for the rabbit in the morning and found him like that. That would have been horrible.”
It is understood a neighbour reported seeing a male in his mid to late teens or early 20s hanging around the house last week.
Lauren said the latch to the hutch had previously been lifted and her rabbit was found running around in the garden. Officers have now taken the box away to be analysed for fingerprints.
Lauren said Dennis’ fur was blackened in several areas and added that the police had speculated he may have died of shock during the attack.
”It looks like somebody had grabbed him by the leg and pulled him out and tried to burn him,” she said. ”His head was still in the covered bit of the hutch, but the rest of him wasn’t, and that’s where he has been burned.
”I’ve sat up all night trying to think why someone would do that to an animal and I don’t get it.”
A spokeswoman for Tayside Police confirmed they are investigating the incident.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: ”We haven’t received any reports regarding this incident however, setting fire to any animal is sickeningly cruel and would cause a great deal of pain and suffering.
”We would urge anyone with information to contact the police as soon as possible.”
Anyone who may have seen anything that could assist officers with their inquiries should contact Tayside Police on 0300 111 2222.