Everyone loves the Easter Bunny. So wow, what an exciting time of the year this should be for us!

The photos show Parsnip and Pete, two of a number of us long-eared cuties who make up "The Rabbits of Southridge" gang.

While we may seem to joyously hop, skip and binky around in our spacious, temporary home, with the feeling of spring in the air and the promise of extra yummy Easter treats and colourful eggs to brighten up our enclosures, there is a dark shadow that hangs over us all.

Each one of us arrived here having suffered cruelty in our own unique ways, abandoned, neglected and rejected by the humans who were supposed to care for us and love us.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Parsnip and Pete

We came to Southridge traumatised, bewildered and scared. Over time we have settled and learned to trust Jo and her team, who care for us with so much dedication, respect and affection, but we bear the scars of our awful pasts and some of us remain timid and nervous of people we don't know.

Why does no one seem to want to adopt rabbits any more? What is wrong with us? We have been waiting for so long for our forever homes.

We are sweet, charming animals, smart, good at problem solving, and are very clean, easy to toilet train, making us excellent house pets. We can see a 360 degree world without moving our heads - bet you can't do that!

Like humans we are very sociable and definitely don't want to be alone. We enjoy to snuggle up, give each other a wash and brush up in the bunny salon and just like you, enjoy a cosy shared dining experience.

Southridge can give you guidance in our care and accommodation needs. But to give you the basics we need an enclosure with a minimum size of 2m x 3m x 1 m high, although we are currently used to much more space and during the day have access to a large grassy area, so would appreciate some daily free range time too as we love to graze, run, frolic and "binky" around.

So while you decorate your Easter eggs, or tuck into your chocolate bunny, think of us and ask yourself could you make room in your heart and home for a couple of real Easter Bunnies?

To get in touch with RSPCA Southridge email southridge@rspca.org.uk or call 0300 123 0704. Visiting the centre is by pre-arranged, scheduled appointment only. The centre is located in Packhorse Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 3LZ