A RESCUE centre nursing abandoned rabbits has appealed for more animal lovers to come forward claiming thousands of pets have already been abandoned this month.

Cottonfields Rescue Centre, Westbury, is currently full with 35 rabbits but staff fear many more are being dumped in the wild.

Manager Mairwan Guard said: "The winter is bad because people buy rabbits at Easter and by this time of the year parents and kids don't want them anymore and they are dumped by the thousand.

"I get phone calls from people desperately asking me to take their rabbit but we are full so they tell me they are going to dump them and then hang up."

The centre no longer issues its address to the public because too many people dump animals on their doorstep.

All rabbits at Cottonfields have been vaccinated and neutered and are only available in pairs.

Mrs Guard said: "We try to discourage people taking our abandoned animals unless they will truly care for them."

The rabbits cost £25 each. Call (01373) 864222 for more details.