‘I’m having rabbit stew.’ Iowa man accused of beheading bunny at shelter gets prison

An Iowa man accused of beheading a bunny named Petunia at an animal shelter was sentenced to prison, officials say.

Bobby Carothers, 64, was charged with animal torture in the rabbit’s death in December at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines, KCCI reported.

As employees closed the shelter for the night, Carothers was the last person to be escorted out of the building, KCCI reported.

The employees found the rabbit’s body at the “horrendous” scene of the crime a short time later, Animal Rescue League of Iowa CEO Tom Colvin said in a news release.

“Our sweet bunny, Petunia, had been violently killed,” Colvin said. “The scene was beyond gruesome.”

Investigators determined that Carothers killed the rabbit with a stick, the Des Moines Register reported. Carothers told police that he cut off the rabbit’s ears and head, the newspaper reported.

“I am having rabbit stew tonight,” an employee recalled Carothers saying as he left the shelter, the Carroll Times Herald reported.

After he pleaded guilty to animal torture in February, Carothers was sentenced to two years in prison, The Associated Press reported.

The animal shelter provided grief counseling for employees after the rabbit’s death and urged state lawmakers to pass stricter animal cruelty laws.

This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 12:21 PM with the headline "‘I’m having rabbit stew.’ Iowa man accused of beheading bunny at shelter gets prison."