An appeal for information about the owner of a neglected rabbit dumped by a roadside has yielded no responses.

The body of the dirty and painfully underweight black-and-white bunny was found in a hutch in marshland on Vesey Street, Devonshire, on Monday morning, prompting the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to urge anyone who knew who it belonged to to step forward.

But SPCA Inspector Beaman Smith said yesterday that not a single call had been received. "No one called," he said. "It's not really surprising. I certainly didn't think anyone would be willing to say they threw that animal down there."

Dr. Neil Burnie, a vet at Endsmeet Animal Hospital in Devonshire who briefly examined the animal, said he estimated that it was 50 percent underweight and had not been looked after properly.

"It should have weighed between ten and 15 pounds and that one was six," he said. "The animal was emaciated at the time of death. It's deplorable that anybody should dump a rabbit alive or dead in that situation."

Though it is unlikely that a charge of animal cruelty could be proven against the pet's owner, the person responsible for dumping the creature could be charged with littering.

Anyone with information about the owner or unable to look after a pet of their own should call the SPCA on 236-7333.