A homeless man named John Byrne’s rabbit was thrown off a bridge by 20-year-old Gary Kearney, who lives in Crumlin, Dublin, England. Kearney was sentenced to four months in prison for the vicious act.
A witness told regional media that John Byrne, along with Lily, his dog, and Barney, the rabbit, had been asking for alms and food on the O’Connell bridge when Kearney approached him without saying anything, took the rabbit without reason, and threw it in the river. Because he was in such a state of shock over Kearney’s cruel action, John bravely jumped over the bridge to save his rabbit. They were both saved by the Crumlin, Dublin Fire Brigade shortly thereafter.
Byrnes expressed his relief after saving his rabbit by saying, “I wouldn’t have left him there. I had to rush in to grab him… I caught him beneath the bridge and kissed him.”
As a result of his story, thousands of people have responded by giving food and donations. As a consequence of his bravery and selfless deed, John Byrne was later honored with the Compassionate Citizen Award by the Animal Rights Action Network (Aran) in Dublin, Ireland.
Having been homeless since he was 14, John Byrnes now has three dogs and has been offered a job by an animal farm owner in Tipperary, Ireland.
