Child as a predator (UPDATE, she has returned!!! Pictures after she's had time to relax and eat)

[FireTigeris]

Today between 7am and 10am someone entered my yard and opened the pen with my two rabbits, one turtle and two chicks...

I found the turtle(Wolf) (an ornate box turtle, non native to FL)

One chick(unnamed-from the dove hatch- likley will name 'peace' or 'dove' or something silly like that) and Midnight (lionhead rabbit) were still inside the pen, in their areas...

Luckily the new duck had moved into the big pen already-

Likely a child from the next door area (Summer camp...*sigh*) ignored my "No Trespassing" and "Bad Dog" signs and entered the yard and opened the pen, all my other pens have key locks, this pen is ON the DECK of my house...



However the black chick(unnamed from dove hatch) and my 7-year-old English Spot (mismarked) are missing...

is this normal?
did this kid or adult come to pet the bunny get kicked and run off?
Did the pit bull bark at them?
Why take a rabbit and a chick?
Why not both chicks (easier) or both rabbits (more value).

This rabbit has been out before (Dawn) and she is lazy but smart, she would not have gone far and can be trusted within the yard.

Can anyone Help!?!?!

Pictured below-

 

[chickletteSarge]

Do you have motion sensor lights on your porch? That may be a good idea. If a dog is in the yard it will hear the "click" made from the lights turning on and investigate. And if the dog is loose in the yard when a bunny is out..... i dont know you or your dog but small fluffy and skiddish are a bad combo to any dog even if it just wants to play.
i hope you find your pets and find the heathen! Make em go fetch a switch! A nice and thick one!

 

[FireTigeris]

I do but this was after sun-up.

I also have one dawn-dusk light and I had just moved the car to that area of the yard (the gate was unlocked...my bad)

the dogs are inside unless supervised to potty, the fence is only four foot (long story) and the pit is not completely barrier trained yet, we saw hide nor 'hare' of Dawn-the-rabbit (not to be confused with Dawn the greyhound...)

I don't have extra funds for a motion camera but will make that next priority.

I have people in the neighborhood that are at least as crazy as the people in the 'organization-which-shall-not-be-named'

My back door is two feet away-



I doubt anyone could have skilfully carried Dawn-the-Rabbit, as she kicks like a mule.

The turtle's pen is not pictured, the chicks and rabbits were together.

That large spring wraps around and connects to a metal hasp- tight, my 2 year old can't move it.

 

[nzpouter]

a mouse trap strategically placed by the handles works real good for those pests...

 

[dainerra]

if a child did try to play with Dawn and she kicked them, then they probably dropped her. Then they probably tried to catch her. Put out a food dish and hopefully she can be enticed out of hiding.

for the chick, put his flockmates out in the yard where he can hear them. Is it possible for a small chick to squeeze UNDER the porch? If so that might be where it is hiding.

Good luck

 

[FireTigeris]

We went under the porch and under the house, we don't hear the single chick (black) distressing-

We set up the pen by moving everyone else out and having food and water there so she has the smell and food to go to-

Dawn is 7 years old and has never run away even when out- but I imagine if someone tried to carry her that would be a problem (petting is ok) or if the first thing she saw out the back door was the dogs when I was letting them out even though I was grabbing the egg basket to come out too.

I'm calling vets and pet stores to check for parents looking for where their kid got an obviously pet rabbit...

She's too old for this nonsense.

It's thundering and about to rain which will be a death sentence to the chick- the GHO ate last night but it wasn't rabbit, looked like two mice.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I hope you find your animals. I suggest locks on everything.

If you've got criminal kids next door, it's possible they won't stop at messing with your animals. Maybe run a low power electric fence, strong enough to give an unpleasant shock, but not permanently damage anyone. Put it just inside the top of the fence where it would not be easily seen but would be touched when reaching over the fence. Maybe that will discourage the children.

 

[leadwolf1]

My first thought would be to go next door to the camp and talk to the counselor in charge. Explain the situation and have them check for any pets that shouldn't be there. As you probably know, rabbits can break their backs by being handled improperly and kicking. I'm hoping that your animals are hiding and will come out soon. In the meantime, I would be over at that camp!

 

[FireTigeris]

Still no luck (on finding Dawn or chick), I got the chance to rescue another bunny that's silver and half-lopped- I'm assuming she's a mix - she's in QT for right now and everything is locked with key locks and I've got more hardware I still need to buy.

this really irks me.

If I had a remote/collar controled door for the dogs this would not have happened...

 

[FireTigeris]

WE FOUND HER!!!

Hubbie and son were right, she got all the way into the back yard and was hanging out by the coop, I caught her and checked her over, ear mites area maybe, poor quality food was definite- she was eating poorly or the wrong things and she's very dehydrated.

I had gotten reports form my neighbors seeing her too, I even think I know about where the kid lives now based on her return path.!!!!!