Aliciasmumlife: Influencer 'dumps rabbits in the woods' and is investigated by police
A mum influencer who flaunts a “perfect” family life online is being investigated for animal cruelty after she dumped her children's pet rabbits in a forest because she was "overwhelmed".
Alicia Vosgrau, 27, known as AliciasMumLife to more than 1.5m followers, reportedly released the pets in the Rantzauer Forest near the city of Norderstedt in Germany, with the incident coming to light on December 6 after the animals were found by walkers.
The Henstedt Ulzburg animal shelter said four rabbits had been discovered in the forest by members of the public. Shelter staff said one of the animals later died after being chased by an off-lead dog.
Deputy manager Philine Bestehorn said that the fear of the dog attack alone can trigger heart failure in rabbits even if they do not get injured.
Staff said that after sharing photos online, they received tips pointing to the influencer, who lives in the Hamburg area, and were able to match the animals with images in her social media content before alerting the police. Officials said the case had been passed from police to the local authority for further investigation.
The influencer issued a public confession on December 4, claiming that two of her original six rabbits had died unexpectedly and saying she and her family had made “an incredibly stupid” decision to free the remaining four in woodland, believing it would benefit them.
She wrote that the animals named Sterni, Teddy and Toffie had been found and taken in by a nearby shelter, adding that the fourth rabbit, Bounty, had died, which "broke" their "hearts".
She claimed she was "overwhelmed" after the birth of her smallest child, adding: "I am aware that there is no excuse for the situation described below, and that being overwhelmed is no justification."
Two of the surviving rabbits have since been rehomed while one remains at the shelter.
Shelter staff said parents must understand that animals are their responsibility, not their children’s, and said rabbits require continuous access to 3 square metres (32 square feet) of space each. The shelter shared images of the surviving rabbit still waiting for a new home.
Story: Newsflash