The Student Room Group

Neighbours killed my rabbit

My rabbit Mittens was killed last week. He vomited in the evening after coming back from the garden, then about 9pm in his cage he started convulsing and fitting. I didn't know what to do, the vet was closed, so I just brought him onto my lap. I know in terms of humans you should never try to restrain someone fitting, so I just kept stroking him. Eventually he stopped, and slowly stopped breathing. Tried CPR to no avail.

I've been feeling really guilty. Had I known he was dying, I really should have put him out of his misery when it started. I can't get the images of him suffering like that out of my mind.

Yesterday, my neighbours told me that a few days before, he'd got under the fence and they'd seen him eat some of their flowers, so they laid down baited rodent poison where he came through. I would have happily put down wire mesh under the earth to keep him in our garden, but the fact that they didn't even come to us says to me that they just wanted him dead.

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Reply 1
That's a criminal offence, get a recording of them admitting to it and report it to the police.

/thread
Original post by cacra
That's a criminal offence, get a recording of them admitting to it and report it to the police.

/thread


Killing mice is not a crime but killing rabbits is? One law for the cute another for the not so cute.
I'm so sorry, this is awful, and I know how you feel. We went through something similar when I lived abroad - we also had a rabbit, the neighbours shot it (although it was in OUR garden at the time!). They were locals so there was nothing we could do.

Original post by cacra
That's a criminal offence, get a recording of them admitting to it and report it to the police.

/thread

As much as I wish this were right, unfortunately, the UK law is against you here. Since they were, in the eyes of the law, an :animal causing nuisance" to your neighbour's property, as far as I can see, they were within the law to put down a poison dedicated for that type of animal, since it's considered "humane". Humane my ****ing arse, a load of **** considering what your rabbit went through, but the rulings are the rulings.

But I might still talk to a no-win-no-fee lawyer, perhaps you have a harassment case, claim emotional damages or such like. But honestly, it won't bring your rabbit back. And neither will any kind of retribution. And the last thing you want is your neighbours having some grudge against you and taking it out on any future pets you may have.

I wish I had some nice answers for you here :frown:
Aww poor rabbit :cry:
Reply 5
Despicable.
how did you not just attack your neighbors right there? If one of my neighbors killed an animal of mine in such a careless horrible way (to such an easily avoidable problem..), then they are never being on good terms with me again. I would litterally destroy them, and if it was not possible - then every friend/family I have is going to come and help. You dont kill someone elses animal and get away with it.

Also agree with the poster above, before taking any action - get a recording of them admitting guilt, may be useful down the line. but the police or lawyers being involved will probably end up not doing anything to be honest.. its only a rabbit to them.

Seems like the sort of thing you need to deal with yourself.
Reply 7
Sneak into their garden at night and destroy all of the flowers left over that Mittens didn't eat.

Justice for Mittens the Rabbit! :h:
my money's on the flowers something like primrose or marigold is lethal in the right quantity as the seeds carry an amount of cyanide or lily of the valley seeds carry traces of ricin which while a human has to eat a lot a smaller animal does not have to eat the same volume
trying to bring a legal case would cost you a lot even no-win no-fee as they have costs and will find ways to charge you

Spoiler

Reply 9
The legal route won't get you anywhere.

Though I do quite like the weedkiller idea! (Not that I advise it)
Reply 10
I would ring the non-emergency Police number, 111, and report this. That's not right behaviour at all. When they were matter-of-factly telling you about laying out the rat poison, did they indicate that they were aware that your rabbit had got to the flowers? If they actually aimed to kill your rabbit, their flowers should be mysteriously destroyed.
Reply 11
Original post by XMaramena
I'm so sorry, this is awful, and I know how you feel. We went through something similar when I lived abroad - we also had a rabbit, the neighbours shot it (although it was in OUR garden at the time!). They were locals so there was nothing we could do.



As much as I wish this were right, unfortunately, the UK law is against you here. Since they were, in the eyes of the law, an :animal causing nuisance" to your neighbour's property, as far as I can see, they were within the law to put down a poison dedicated for that type of animal, since it's considered "humane". Humane my ****ing arse, a load of **** considering what your rabbit went through, but the rulings are the rulings.

But I might still talk to a no-win-no-fee lawyer, perhaps you have a harassment case, claim emotional damages or such like. But honestly, it won't bring your rabbit back. And neither will any kind of retribution. And the last thing you want is your neighbours having some grudge against you and taking it out on any future pets you may have.

I wish I had some nice answers for you here :frown:


Why would them being locals make a difference? And I'm sorry about your rabbit.

Original post by fallen_acorns
how did you not just attack your neighbors right there? If one of my neighbors killed an animal of mine in such a careless horrible way (to such an easily avoidable problem..), then they are never being on good terms with me again. I would litterally destroy them, and if it was not possible - then every friend/family I have is going to come and help. You dont kill someone elses animal and get away with it.

Also agree with the poster above, before taking any action - get a recording of them admitting guilt, may be useful down the line. but the police or lawyers being involved will probably end up not doing anything to be honest.. its only a rabbit to them.

Seems like the sort of thing you need to deal with yourself.



Original post by m_james
Sneak into their garden at night and destroy all of the flowers left over that Mittens didn't eat.

Justice for Mittens the Rabbit! :h:


I called him Mittens because he was black with little white paws :frown:

Original post by jamesthehustler
my money's on the flowers something like primrose or marigold is lethal in the right quantity as the seeds carry an amount of cyanide or lily of the valley seeds carry traces of ricin which while a human has to eat a lot a smaller animal does not have to eat the same volume
trying to bring a legal case would cost you a lot even no-win no-fee as they have costs and will find ways to charge you

Spoiler



They knew we had a rabbit, and they laid down the poison directly at the point our fence met theirs. I actually went round their house to drop off a parcel that had arrived for them when they were out. They told me that my rabbit had ruined one of their flowers and that they put poison down for "the little brat".

Original post by CCC75
I would ring the non-emergency Police number, 111, and report this. That's not right behaviour at all. When they were matter-of-factly telling you about laying out the rat poison, did they indicate that they were aware that your rabbit had got to the flowers? If they actually aimed to kill your rabbit, their flowers should be mysteriously destroyed.


Yes, they were completely aware that it was my rabbit who had damaged their flowers, and they put the poison down specifically for Mittens.

I'll call 101 on Monday morning. You never get anywhere with anyone on Sundays.
Original post by Poldark00
Why would them being locals make a difference? And I'm sorry about your rabbit.



This was the United Arab Emirates. The law there was written on paper, but practised on mood. And mood depended on where you came from. Everything ran on race - for example, an English person would always win a case against an Indian person. But an Arabic person would always win a case against an English person.

Although if you were muslim, that helped too. It was all about Wasta. But if we'd have made a complaint, we'd have probably been arrested. It's that sensitive when it comes to locals v everyone else.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by CCC75
I would ring the non-emergency Police number, 111, and report this. That's not right behaviour at all. When they were matter-of-factly telling you about laying out the rat poison, did they indicate that they were aware that your rabbit had got to the flowers? If they actually aimed to kill your rabbit, their flowers should be mysteriously destroyed.


101, not 111


Posted from TSR Mobile
That is really horrible! I would just be terrified and horrified at the same time. That really sounds just horrible. Don't you have like an agency that protects wildlife? Can't you call them and report your neighbor. My complete sympathy. That is just horrible watching that. Your pet is like your family.
Original post by XMaramena
This was the United Arab Emirates. The law there was written on paper, but practised on mood. And mood depended on where you came from. Everything ran on race - for example, an English person would always win a case against an Indian person. But an Arabic person would always win a case against an English person.

Although if you were muslim, that helped too. It was all about Wasta. But if we'd have made a complaint, we'd have probably been arrested. It's that sensitive when it comes to locals v everyone else.
I guess I am naive I live in the United States. Do some countries still seriouslly live like that? I mean it's 2016. The world doesn't seem to change. If someone abused an animal here you can call the police on them and if someone did something to it they would get arrested.it doesn't matter who they are
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by emobambam
I guess I am naive I live in the United States. Design pantries seriously still living like that? I mean it's 2016. The world doesn't seem to change


Design pantries?
Original post by Poldark00
.
They knew we had a rabbit, and they laid down the poison directly at the point our fence met theirs. I actually went round their house to drop off a parcel that had arrived for them when they were out. They told me that my rabbit had ruined one of their flowers and that they put poison down for "the little brat".


the way it was worded the rabbit was nowhere near the poison so i was going for chemical composition
My piranhas killed my angle fish :frown: poor guy
Original post by XMaramena
I'm so sorry, this is awful, and I know how you feel. We went through something similar when I lived abroad - we also had a rabbit, the neighbours shot it (although it was in OUR garden at the time!). They were locals so there was nothing we could do.


As much as I wish this were right, unfortunately, the UK law is against you here. Since they were, in the eyes of the law, an :animal causing nuisance" to your neighbour's property, as far as I can see, they were within the law to put down a poison dedicated for that type of animal, since it's considered "humane". Humane my ****ing arse, a load of **** considering what your rabbit went through, but the rulings are the rulings.

But I might still talk to a no-win-no-fee lawyer, perhaps you have a harassment case, claim emotional damages or such like. But honestly, it won't bring your rabbit back. And neither will any kind of retribution. And the last thing you want is your neighbours having some grudge against you and taking it out on any future pets you may have.

I wish I had some nice answers for you here :frown:


Get a savanna monitor lizard not a cuddle as a rabbit but if next doors have a cat or small dog you could set it on that think of it as payback failing that how about a reticulated python same idea if they have a bigger dog.

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