Dannevirke news: Family distraught after pet rabbits killed by stray dogs

Dannevirke's Carlewen Morgans at the empty rabbit hutch where Nora, the family pet, was killed by a stray dog early Wednesday morning. This was the second rabbit killed on the property in four days. Photo / Christine McKay

A Redfern St family is distraught after two precious family pets have been killed by stray dogs in just four days.

"Both Nora and Minnie are very much loved family pets and we think of them as our babies," a tearful Carlewen Morgans told the Dannevirke News.

The rabbits were given to the family in July 2013 and were kept in separate, well-secured hutches in the back garden. But it appears the well-built homes were no match for a stray dog.

On Saturday, wire netting on the home of little Minnie, a Dutch rabbit, was ripped apart and the bunny was gone when the family got up in the morning.

Then early Wednesday morning, the same thing happened to a separate hutch, the home of Nora, a "blue" bunny with upright ears.

However, this time the sight was gut wrenching for the family, when Carlewen went outside and discovered pieces of Nora left by the marauding dog.

"I didn't hear anything," Carlewen said. "But it must have happened between 5am when my partner left for work and 6.30am. I opened the curtains and thought, that's funny, I can't see Nora ...

"We love our rabbits so much and I haven't stopped crying all morning."

For son Leighton Dixon, 12, the distress at the loss of his beloved pets was too much and he stayed home from school on Wednesday. "It's terrible," he said.

Carlewen said she can't understand why anyone would let their dogs roam.

"We've got the remains of Nora in a box and I'd just been and purchased a rose to plant in memory of little Minnie, but now I'll have to buy another one for Nora's grave."

And although the family loved their rabbits, Carlewen said she was too upset at the moment to think of replacing them.

"I just don't know," she said.

Tararua District Mayor Roly Ellis is urging residents to report sightings of stray dogs.

"We can't do anything about them if we aren't told," he said.

"Often these dogs are out in the early hours of the morning or at night, so we rely on people ringing the council."