· Horse killers are ‘scumbags’

A Victoria woman had a horrific fright when she went to check on 40 rabbits at a property east of Melbourne and found many stamped to death.

A woman was checking on 40 rabbits being kept on a farm in Garfield, just outside the city’s far eastern outskirts, about 3am on Wednesday, when she found many had been killed.

Police say many of the animals’ bodies were still warm, suggesting the incident happened shortly before the woman arrived.

Police have been left sick after 22 rabbits were slaughtered on a farm in #Garfield. @laura_spurway in #9NewsAt6 pic.twitter.com/Bkh6VsoU1q

— Nine News Melbourne (@9newsmelb) January 2, 2014

The rabbits were bred on the property to be sold for commercial purposes and were not pets.

Police say the animals were reportedly prone to scratching people so those responsible may have been injured in the incident.

They don’t have a motive for the animal cruelty deaths but believe more than one person was involved.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Colin Beard urged anyone who knows the people who killed the rabbits to call police.

“Hopefully they’ll be losing sleep and they’ll come and talk to us,” he said.