An abandoned rabbit has been found in Goresbrook Park - hours before it sadly froze to death.

The unwanted pet was found this morning - January 10 - in an unsealed Amazon cardboard box, along with some cat biscuits.

Katie Moore, who volunteers with pet-finding group Scruffy's Angels, was alerted to the situation by group founder Emma Mason.

Katie told this paper: "Someone had dumped the poor thing in a field used by dog-walkers.

"It was barely alive when I got there, so I wrapped it in a blanked, turned up the heating in my car and gave it CPR.

"Sadly, though, by the time I got it to the vet it was too late. It had frozen to death."

"Who would do something like this?"

Barking and Dagenham Post: The bunny was found in an unsealed Amazon boxThe bunny was found in an unsealed Amazon box (Image: Katie Moore)

The volunteer said it had been a "traumatic" experience, and she is determined to find out who is responsible. The cardboard box allegedly had an address on it.

She said. "I'm going to go there and speak to the residents. There's no excuse for doing something like this - if it was unwanted they could have taken it to the vets."

Scruffy's Angels has helped owners in Barking, Dagenham and parts of Havering find their lost dogs, cats and other pets since 2016.

Founded by Dagenham's Scruffys Dog Grooming Salon owner Emma Mason, the group's Facebook page now has over 11,000 members.

Barking and Dagenham Post: Emma Mason (l), Katie Moore and Cherrelle Priestley (r) volunteer for Scruffy's Angels in DagenhamEmma Mason (l), Katie Moore and Cherrelle Priestley (r) volunteer for Scruffy's Angels in Dagenham (Image: Katie Moore)

Katie has volunteered with the group for the past three years, working "full-time" to help find lost animals alongside Emma and Cherelle Priestly.

"We work 365 days a year, seven days a week. We're dedicated to what we do," she added.

Last month, the group began fundraising for the “expert help” of a £3,900 thermal imaging camera and two hunters' torches.

At the time of writing, it has far exceeded its initial target of £3,900, raising £4,018 for the equipment.

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