ANIMAL lovers are wanted to help offer homes to rabbits that have been neglected and abandoned.

Volunteers at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have been inundated with rabbits, which they say is a result of people going on holiday.

Volunteer Diane Hillier said: "We have rabbits coming out of our ears. Many people buy baby bunnies for Easter and dump them when they go away on their holidays."

Mrs Hillier said some of the worst cases of neglect the charity encountered involved rabbits. "We recently had two female rabbits in that had been starved and were pain-fully thin and dehydrated.

"Their claws were so long they could not stand. Also, they had burns on their bellies and feet from sitting in their own urine. The excuse given was that the person just didn't have time to look after them, so they were left at the bottom of the garden in a tiny hutch to suffer. Luckily, a neighbour reported them and we got the rabbits out."

Mrs Hillier said it was not an isolated incident and that potential pet owners needed to be educated about how much of a commitment the animals were.

"It's far too easy to pick up a rabbit but few people realise the amount of time and care rabbits need. Many garden centres are selling small animals and many are bought on impulse, then end up with us when people tire of them and the kids lose interest.

"They are social animals and are very inquisitive and need stimulation and freedom. Their diet needs to be right and they can succumb to many diseases if not cared for properly."

Mrs Hillier said the hot summer months were particularly hazardous for rabbits as they could suffer from heatstroke and get fly strike - a condition where hatching flies eat away at healthy tissue.

She said: "A rabbit kept captive in a hutch with little care is simply a prisoner and many live lives of utter misery," she said. On the other hand, there are many caring and splendid rabbit owners."

People interested in re-homing a rabbit should contact Mrs Hillier on 01905 820828.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA has announced it raised £230 at a coffee morning in Worcester Guildhall, and would be holding another one on Friday, August 3.