CONVICTED (2014) | Dionne Burd, born 11 October 1988, from Harlow in Essex – left a rabbit in his hutch to starve to death An RSPCA inspector called at Burd’s home on October 4, 2013 and found the corpse of the rabbit, named ‘Tommy’ in his hutch. He was thin and underweight and both the food and water bowl were empty. A post-mortem examination by a vet revealed the rabbit had died from chronic malnutrition and dehydration in the previous 24-48 hours. There was no food or water in his stomach and he was emaciated, a condition which would have taken “many days of neglect to occur”. Mother-of-five Burd who changed her pleas to guilty on the day of her trial, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the grey and white rabbit between September 17 and October 1, 2013 and to failing to ensure he received a suitable diet including fresh drinking water. Sentencing | 12-month community order and £300 costs; disqualified from keeping rabbits for five years (expired 2019). Original news sources removed.