PHOENIX — Teachers at a preschool in Ahwatukee were shocked when they arrived Friday morning to find their beloved classroom bunnies had been killed. One was decapitated, the director of the school said.
Phoenix officers responded to God's Garden Preschool, near Loop 202 and Desert Foothills Parkway, and found several animals had been "abused", officials with the Phoenix Police Department said.
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Michelle Rhodes, director of God's Garden Preschool, said three bunnies were killed and one of the bunnies was decapitated.
"I mean, this is, this is not normal. This is not something that, you know, we see out here in Ahwatukee,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes said the bunnies were put in their outdoor cage after school on Halloween. When teachers went to check on them Friday morning, they were dead.
At first, Rhodes thought it could've been the result of a coyote attack, but then she noticed someone tried to cut into the cage. When they were last seen by teachers, the bunnies were separated. Friday morning, their bodies were placed together.
“They were placed very deliberately inside the cage," Rhodes said.
Rhodes said the bunnies, Charlie, Ruby and their baby Sunny, were a fun part of the curriculum that the children helped feed and even got to take home over long breaks.
“The children learn about the bunnies. They can take them home with them, over breaks, over long holidays. We take them into the classroom. They read books on bunnies. They get the whole full experience,” Rhodes said. “It's sad. We're pretty devastated today.”
Rhodes said parents were concerned after finding out about the situation.
“They've been calling all day asking, 'Is it safe? Are my children safe?' We keep our doors locked. But you know, now we're thinking, what do we need to do around here to make sure it's even more safe?” Rhodes said.
Rhodes said the preschool plans to get security cameras and extra lighting outside.
“This is very serious for us," Rhodes said. “I'm angry, and I just don't know how they could do such a thing. You know? Why? Why would you do this?”
The Phoenix Police Department is investigating. Animal control is performing necropsies to determine the cause of death.
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