A COUPLE who left their rabbit so hungry it started eating its own hutch have been sentenced for animal cruelty.

Gemma and Jason Huntley have been banned from keeping all breeds of rabbit for three years by Oxford magistrates.

The pair were sentenced at the city’s magistrates’ court after earlier admitting two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

One of the charges related to failing to ensure their rabbit, Snowy, received an appropriate diet and the other was for failing to provide a suitable environment.

The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA after it received an anonymous tip-off claiming the rabbit was dying.

An inspector visited the couple’s home in Thame Road, Warborough, on March 31 last year, but found that Snowy had already died.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “An initial post- mortem was carried out and found that Snowy was in a lean body condition and had no subcutaneous fat.

“Although there was a small amount of paper in her mouth, her stomach and small intestine, no food was found.

“The couple said that they had been feeding and watering Snowy daily, and that she had always been thin.”

Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Will Rippon said: “It was clear that this rabbit had not been fed or looked after properly for weeks.

“She was left in a hutch where she had gnawed away at the middle section, and it was in a filthy condition.

“This couple had walked past the hutch every day, but failed to help Snowy even though it was clear she was losing weight.

“Sadly we are finding more and more rabbits being neglected, because they are just left in their hutches in gardens and forgotten.

“No matter what type of animal you own, pet owners have a responsibility to ensure that all their animals’ welfare needs are met.”

In addition to their ban on keeping rabbits, Gemma, 30, and Jason, 40, were each given a two-year conditional discharge and told to pay £500 costs between them.