Release: East Bay Rabbit Taped to Explosives and Thrown in Lake

[Guest guest]

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin Williams, HRS Shelter Director, (510) 970-7575

www.rabbit.org

 

East Bay Rabbit Taped to Explosives and Thrown in Lake: Rabbit Rescue

Group Seeking Prosecution of Cruelty

 

RICHMOND, Calif. (July 28, 2004) ... House Rabbit Society (HRS), a

national nonprofit organization headquartered in Richmond, CA, rescued a

rabbit this weekend who had been duct-taped to explosives and thrown in

an East Bay lake.

 

HRS was initially alerted to the situation last week by an online

posting containing photos of a bedraggled and terrified rabbit

apparently being retrieved from Lake Don Castro in Castro Valley. The

rabbit was wrapped in duct tape, and five young people had allegedly

attached explosives to her before throwing her into the water.

According to investigators, the fuse on the explosives was lit but did

not detonate. The teens had allegedly taken the rabbit - a family pet

named Lucky - to the lake with the intent to blow her up and document

the atrocity with a camera.

 

HRS alerted the East Bay Regional Parks District Police, and officers

confiscated the rabbit and placed her in HRS care. Detectives completed

their investigation and submitted the report to the Hayward District

Attorney today. The individuals will be charged with Penal Code 597,

Cruelty to Animals. This is a felony.

 

HRS Shelter Director Erin Williams stated, " The cruelty that Lucky

suffered through is nothing short of sadistic. While being taped and

thrown in a lake was undoubtedly terrifying and horribly cruel to the

rabbit, the use of live explosives is incredibly disturbing. The fact

that these individuals tortured and nearly killed an animal and took

photos is shocking. "

 

Lucky is currently in HRS foster care and is in good condition.

Although Lucky lived through this horrible incident, she has shown since

her rescue that she is still willing to trust people. HRS will provide

her with any medical care that she may need, and the organization plans

to find this special rabbit a loving, permanent home.

 

HRS urges the Hayward District Attorney Tom Rogers (510-670-5100) to

hold the perpetrators accountable for the cruelty inflicted on this

rabbit. Williams added, " Any cruelty inflicted upon an animal is simply

unacceptable. The abuse of Lucky is awful enough, but the fact that

they were actually proud enough of their actions to document this

torture is horrifying. These individuals pose a serious threat to other

animals, and they must be held responsible. "

 

HRS is seeking donations for the care of Lucky and rabbits like her, as

well as loving homes for homeless rabbits. For updates regarding this

case, please check http://rabbit.org/rabbit-center/index.html

 

# # #

 

What You Can Do:

 

Contact the Hayward DA and ask that his office prosecute these young

people to the full extent of the law.

 

Tom Rogers

Hayward District Attorney

24405 Amador Street - Room 103

Hayward 94504

510-670-5100

FAX 510-670-5159

Thomas.Roger

 

 

--

Erin Williams

Shelter Director

House Rabbit Society

Richmond Rabbit Center

148 Broadway

Richmond, CA 94804

(510) 970-7575

www.rabbit.org

[Guest guest]

Anybody up for a little protesting/visibility on this issue? Please

contact me off the list.

--Kitzcatzhatz, Bunnyperson

 

, Erin Williams <erin@r...> wrote:

> For Immediate Release

> Contact: Erin Williams, HRS Shelter Director, (510) 970-7575

> www.rabbit.org

>

> East Bay Rabbit Taped to Explosives and Thrown in Lake: Rabbit

Rescue

> Group Seeking Prosecution of Cruelty

>

> RICHMOND, Calif. (July 28, 2004) ... House Rabbit Society (HRS), a

> national nonprofit organization headquartered in Richmond, CA,

rescued a

> rabbit this weekend who had been duct-taped to explosives and

thrown in

> an East Bay lake.

>

> HRS was initially alerted to the situation last week by an online

> posting containing photos of a bedraggled and terrified rabbit

> apparently being retrieved from Lake Don Castro in Castro Valley.

The

> rabbit was wrapped in duct tape, and five young people had allegedly

> attached explosives to her before throwing her into the water.

> According to investigators, the fuse on the explosives was lit but

did

> not detonate. The teens had allegedly taken the rabbit - a family

pet

> named Lucky - to the lake with the intent to blow her up and

document

> the atrocity with a camera.

>

> HRS alerted the East Bay Regional Parks District Police, and

officers

> confiscated the rabbit and placed her in HRS care. Detectives

completed

> their investigation and submitted the report to the Hayward District

> Attorney today. The individuals will be charged with Penal Code

597,

> Cruelty to Animals. This is a felony.

>

> HRS Shelter Director Erin Williams stated, " The cruelty that Lucky

> suffered through is nothing short of sadistic. While being taped

and

> thrown in a lake was undoubtedly terrifying and horribly cruel to

the

> rabbit, the use of live explosives is incredibly disturbing. The

fact

> that these individuals tortured and nearly killed an animal and took

> photos is shocking. "

>

> Lucky is currently in HRS foster care and is in good condition.

> Although Lucky lived through this horrible incident, she has shown

since

> her rescue that she is still willing to trust people. HRS will

provide

> her with any medical care that she may need, and the organization

plans

> to find this special rabbit a loving, permanent home.

>

> HRS urges the Hayward District Attorney Tom Rogers (510-670-5100) to

> hold the perpetrators accountable for the cruelty inflicted on this

> rabbit. Williams added, " Any cruelty inflicted upon an animal is

simply

> unacceptable. The abuse of Lucky is awful enough, but the fact that

> they were actually proud enough of their actions to document this

> torture is horrifying. These individuals pose a serious threat to

other

> animals, and they must be held responsible. "

>

> HRS is seeking donations for the care of Lucky and rabbits like

her, as

> well as loving homes for homeless rabbits. For updates regarding

this

> case, please check http://rabbit.org/rabbit-center/index.html

>

> # # #

>

> What You Can Do:

>

> Contact the Hayward DA and ask that his office prosecute these young

> people to the full extent of the law.

>

> Tom Rogers

> Hayward District Attorney

> 24405 Amador Street - Room 103

> Hayward 94504

> 510-670-5100

> FAX 510-670-5159

> Thomas.Roger@a...

>

>

> --

> Erin Williams

> Shelter Director

> House Rabbit Society

> Richmond Rabbit Center

> 148 Broadway

> Richmond, CA 94804

> (510) 970-7575

> www.rabbit.org