Nebraska: Retired principal, Ray Perrigo, charged with animal neglect after leaving rabbit to suffer with broken leg

NEBRASKA -- A retired Omaha school principal said he can't believe an animal neglect charge has been filed against him, but the Nebraska Humane Society claims a lack of timely care for a pet rabbit amounts to neglect.

After his granddaughter scrambled for a bunny at the Sarpy County Fair, Ray Perrigo hopped into action. "I was considerate of the bunnies and tried to provide the best home I could for them," he said.

Don't you love how they try to make this a joke... "hopped into action"? Seriously, news reporter Mike McKnight is a moron.

Reporter Mike McKnight finds it funny to add humorous
phrases to a story which involved an animal suffering
horribly for a prolonged period of time before dying

Perrigo built a bunny ranch for the rabbits to get their exercise. He also built a heated shed so his grandkids could play with the bunnies.

But when he took a sick harlequin rabbit to the humane society, Perrigo got a misdemeanor ticket for animal cruelty.

"This rose to the level of an animal cruelty situation with the severe infection and broken right leg," said Mark Langan of the Nebraska Humane Society. "The rabbit was in such poor shape our veterinarians immediately had to euthanize it."

Perrigo said he didn't know the bunny had suffered a broken leg and he had been putting vet prescribed ointment on the infected ear.

"His ear was back up and he was jumping around good, so I never even gave it a second thought there was any problem because the way he was moving every time I'd open the gate," Perrigo said.

Then why did you dump it at the shelter?

 

Perrigo has supporters writing the NHS and prosecutors to drop the case, but he had to appear in court, where he pleaded not guilty.

It's not the habitat, but the necropsy photos of the rabbit that are the focus of the investigation.

"We have a picture of the infection in the right ear the size of golf balls," said Langan. "Mr. Perrigo neglected to get proper veterinarian care for this rabbit at least a couple of months and this rabbit was in terrible condition when he brought it in here to us."

Of course his granddaughter Peyton Venneman is going to
defend him. How could she not have known the rabbit
had a broken leg and also "golf ball sized" infected ears??

The retired principal said the investigation doesn't add up. "If I had been knowingly cruel to that animal, I would not have taken it to an agency that enforces those laws," he said.

If convicted of misdemeanor animal neglect, Perrigo could face up to six months behind a fence much tougher than what he built around the rabbit hutch.

Perrigo said the bunny hid in the shed and he didn't see the severe infection until moving the rabbit to the outdoor pen in the spring. Still, City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said it's a strong case of animal neglect and will go to trial in early August.

I'm wondering WHEN he took the rabbit to the vet? Did he take it to the vet BEFORE its leg was broken and the ear was only minimally infected? That would make sense that he had ointment for the ear... that he never bothered to take the dog back to the vet after the infection got worse and the poor rabbit's leg was broken. And how did its leg get broken? And if it was his grandkids' pet rabbit, why is he dumping it at the shelter???

(WOWT - June 17, 2016)