Four Teen Girls Abuse Defenseless Rabbit, Post Video on Snapchat, Public Outcry Ensues

A video of four girls, as young as 13 and 14, smashing a rabbit against a wall and kicking it when it tries to get away understandably outraged many on social media when it appeared last spring.

animal crueltyThe four teens, Dejanae Williams, Marleigh Ferguson, Taylor Breanna Thomas, and Ashlyn Boen, had reportedly hurt the rabbit previously as well. Thankfully, the bunny did survive after being confiscated by Nassau County Animal Control in Florida, although it suffered a broken leg and was no doubt severely traumatized.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by hundreds of horrified Snapchat viewers who saw the video that the girls posted themselves. Three of the teens were arrested and charged with animal cruelty, it’s unclear why the fourth was not.

The grandmother of two of the girls was later interviewed by News4JAX. She did not want to be identified but indicated that her granddaughters, who she apparently has raised on her own, have been on lock down and had privileges taken away for the awful act.

“All their electronics [are gone], no TV. They are in their rooms, only to do certain things out of their room and then they are back in their room,” she said. “They are really sorry, because of the fact they didn’t think it was that serious.”

But whether the grandmother or the girls think this was just a moment of bad judgment, one mental health counselor very much disagrees. Professional Audrey Dearborn says that actions like this by young children and teens are chilling signs of deeper underlying issues, and can often escalate to hurting humans as well. In fact, she says many such kids come themselves from a background of abuse, either witnessed or experienced or both.

Dearborn says a common thread often runs in these children and cautions adults to watch for the signs. “A lot of times these are kids that have some social issues. They can’t seem to make friends or have activities [where there] is some common bond, [except for] in [these] violent acts,” she says.

While the outrage on social media over the cruel incident was palpable, the grandmother defends their upbringing, saying there have been nothing but “little incidents at school” up until this one.

“They were just getting into something someone else was doing but they’re finding out it wasn’t funny,” she told News4.

Fortunately, the little bunny will never have to endure this again. Nassau County Animal Control says that once all its injuries are healed, the little cutie will be up for adoption, hopefully to a well-vetted home this time.

If you know someone who might like this, please click “Share!”