HYANNIS, MASS. (WHDH) - Three frostbitten, skinny, and sick rabbits are lucky to be alive after they were found abandoned in a Whole Foods parking lot in Hyannis.
Officials at the MSPCA’s Cape Cod Adoption Center say the animals were rescued by a Barnstable Animal Control officer in January and brought to the shelter, where they have been recovering, the organization announced Thursday.
The rabbits, named “Tempeh,” “Jackfruit,” and “Seitan,” were found cowering under a parked car. Officials say it was obvious that they had been intentionally abandoned.
“The fact that they were all huddled together in the same place points to them being dropped there versus having escaped from a home,” said Mary Sarah Fairweather, director of the MSPCA-Cape Cod Animal Care and Adoption Center.
All three rabbits were said to be underweight by about two pounds, which means they would not have survived long outside in the freezing winter temperatures. They were also suffering frostbite as well as conjunctivitis and hair loss.
Tempeh underwent surgery earlier this week to fix an “entropion” lid to his eye. The issue would have otherwise caused blindness.
The rabbits are feeling better and their personalities have also begun to shine, according to Fairweather.
“We’re so lucky that they were brought to us in time because if they didn’t die from exposure they could have easily succumbed to their illnesses,” Fairweather said. “Now that they’ve put on a bit of weight their futures look much brighter.”
Anyone interested in adopting the rabbits can email capeadoptions@mspca.org for more information.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)