Paralysed bunny gets chance to hop again

A paralysed rabbit is hopping for joy after being given the chance to walk again - with a bunny wheelchair.

Bertha the bunny was left unable to move around her home after her hips collapsed in May.

But ignoring vets' advice to put her down, her devoted owner created a specially-designed wheelchair to give her a new lease of life.

Melanie James, who adopted Bertha as a baby four years ago, said: "When the vet said the nicest thing to do would be to put her down, she still had so much life.

"I've actually seen dogs in wheelchairs and I thought 'if it works for a dog, then why not a rabbit?'

"It took her two days to take to the wheelchair but it's given her so much independence.

"She's always been very dominant and if she didn't want to do something she wouldn't.

"She sits in it maybe for a couple of hours and then she has a rest."

The specially-adapted wheelchair hooks on to Bertha's back end and means she can finally roam freely around her home at the Ani-Mel charity in Bank Mill, Cumbria.

"It's actually a puppy wheelchair that's been adapted to fit her and hopefully within the not too distant future she was regain mobility herself," said Melanie.