McVities advert changed after complaints
The original cut of the advert shows a rabbit upside-down on a child's lap.
A Christmas advert for McVities has been changed after it attracted fierce criticism for featuring a rabbit on its back.
The advert shows a variety of animals including puppies, kittens and a duck coming out of a box of McVities Victoria biscuits. In the original cut, a rabbit is shown lying on its back on a child's lap. The scene prompted complaints from members of the public and charities alike.
Holding rabbits upside-down, often known as "trancing", induces tonic immobility - a hugely stressful state in which the rabbit plays dead in order to increase its likelihood of survival when it is being attacked by a predator.
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) criticised the advert for promoting the practice as acceptable.
McVities have since removed the scene from the advert. In a statement, the company said no animals were harmed during the making of the advert.
"We had a professional vet and handlers on set overseeing all the filming to ensure the welfare of the animals was our top priority.
"The professionals on set have confirmed that in their opinion the rabbit filmed was absolutely not in a state of tonic immobility or 'trancing'; the camera angles used in the filming are clearly misleading.
"However, we understand that the ad could mislead people into thinking that putting a rabbit on its back is recommended, when this is not the case. We have therefore taken the decision to remove this scene in the ad as soon as we can."
RWAF said they were "delighted" the company had been so receptive to its concerns.
In a post on its Facebook page, the charity said: "We are sure that McVities did not mean to cause any harm with their advert and were misled by the animal welfare professionals on set.
"This is an example of why pet rabbits get such a bad deal – not so much out of deliberate mistreatment but because people often simply do not know that they are being cruel."
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
