The owner of a 'rabbit house of horrors' refused to sign over a special bunny which watched television with him, a court has heard.

Andrew Michael Williams, 43, of High Street, Narberth, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates for sentencing on Monday, after previously pleading guilty to failing to take steps to ensure the welfare of 22 rabbits in his care.

The court heard that police and RSPCA inspectors gained entry to Williams’ home on October 8, and discovered a yellow bucket in his garden containing the putrefied remains of an unknown number of rabbits.

Williams was found in a drunken state on his vomit-stained bed, surrounded by empty vodka bottles, decaying food and flies.

He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Officers described the house as ‘unkempt’ with rabbit faeces on the carpets, and rabbits in the hallway.

A sack of food was found by the back door, but rabbits which died in a hutch outside the house had become so hungry they had eaten each other.

Jon Tarrant, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said: “There was evidence of cannibalisation in the cage. Only one of the rabbits had its ears intact, which suggests it was the last one to die.”

Some rabbits were emaciated after being left without food or water. Eight dead rabbits and 14 live ones were found at the scene, but some had water and clean dry bedding.

All the live rabbits except one called Loki were signed over to the RSPCA by Williams, who had formed a great attachment to him.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said Williams had kept rabbits since 2005, had a special fridge for their food, and had tailored his garden to their needs. He bought his clothes from charity shops when money was tight to make sure his rabbits had food.

He said: “They are very much part and parcel of his life, particularly one rabbit called Loki, a house rabbit, a descendant or a previous rabbit, that he had a very close bond with indeed.”

He added that Williams had suffered from mental health issues and alcoholism, and had been drinking so much when his father went away for two weeks that he was unaware the animals were not being cared for.

“He said he let his friends down and his family down, referring to the rabbits.”

Mr Kelleher handed magistrates pictures of Williams’ rabbits and Loki in happier times, and a letter from his GP supporting his return.

He added that there was no deliberate cruelty, and Williams’ mental health could suffer if he was unable to keep Loki, who slept at the bottom of his bed, sat on his lap and watched television with him.

“One might say it’s his best friend.”

Magistrates sentenced him to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. He was also banned from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay £415 in court costs and charges.

Following the case, RSPCA inspector Nic de Celis said:

"This was a highly complex and shocking case, involving a large number of animals. Within the property, I found dead rabbits, and those with no suitable access to food, or water, making this a challenging incident to deal with.

"Indeed, the needs of some 22 rabbits were not being properly met, with eight dead and many of the other 14 subject to poor body condition and weight loss.

"Rabbit welfare can often be compromised very quickly, and I am just relieved we intervened when we did, as this may well have saved the lives of those other 14 rabbits.


“This case clearly demonstrates the serious consequences of treating rabbits in this way, but at least many of the animals involved in this instance have a second chance of happiness.”