A WHITE rabbit dumped on a busy road is making a speedy recovery – with help from his doggy pal.

Nicknamed 'Starburst', the bunny was apparently thrown into a Cricklade Road gutter two weeks ago.

He was rescued by Gorse Hill café owner Maria Jackson, who introduced him to his new best-friend - Maria’s Staffordshire terrier Tia Louise.

Maria, 43, who also owns a gecko, giant rabbit, goldfish and axolotl (a Mexican salamander), said: “One of my customer’s children called him Starburst, because he’s a little star and he’s burst into our lives.

“He loves playing with my Staffie. When he jumps up in his cage, the dog spins around.”

She now hopes to keep Starburst.

“I can’t split him up from my dog now,” she said.

Maria, owner of the Lollipop Café on Cricklade Road, rescued the rabbit two weeks ago.

She said: “I saw a man walk around the corner with what I thought was a hand towel in his hands. He threw the animal into the road.

“I ran across Cricklade Road and chased the rabbit all the way up the road. I had to throw myself onto the pavement to try and catch him.”

When she finally caught the terrified rabbit, Maria was astonished.

The rabbit’s bottom was hairless and red-raw. It had been sitting in its own excrement for some time, Maria suspects.

The Haydon Wick woman reported the incident to the RSPCA.

She saw the rabbit dumped at around 3pm on Thursday, August 3. Later that day, Maria watched as the same man returned to the scene.

She said: “I was too angry to go out to him.”

The man was around six feet tall, Maria said, in his early 30s, white, clean shaven and wearing a 1980s-style shell suit top.

The RSPCA confirmed that the charity was investigating the case.

John Atkinson, RSPCA chief inspector, said: “We are appealing for anyone who witnessed anything or who knows anything more to come forward.

“Domestic animals are not used to surviving in the wild. They have been born and bred in captivity and the wild is an alien environment to them and they do not have the skills to survive.”

To report any information, contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.