Baby products maker Pampers has cut ties with a popular mum influencer over an animal cruelty probe after she dumped her children’s pet rabbits in a forest where one later died.
Alicia Vosgrau, 27, who is known online as AliciasMumLife, has been accused of releasing four rabbits in woodland before walkers found them and alerted an animal shelter in the city of Norderstedt, in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, on 6th December.
The Henstedt Ulzburg animal shelter said members of the public discovered the rabbits in the forest and contacted staff.
One of the animals later died after being chased by an off-leash dog.
Deputy shelter manager Philine Bestehorn, 30, said the stress of such an incident alone can trigger heart failure in rabbits even when they are not physically injured.
She explained that domesticated rabbits cannot survive independently in the wild because key instincts and physical characteristics have been bred out of them over centuries.
Photos of the animals were shared online, which prompted tips identifying the influencer as their owner.
They matched the rabbits with images from Vosgrau’s social media content before informing police.
Authorities said the case has been forwarded for further investigation into possible breaches of animal welfare legislation.
Vosgrau, who currently has over 1.5 million TikTok followers, has issued a public statement saying she and her family made a “stupid decision” to release the rabbits after two of their original six pets died unexpectedly.
She claimed she believed freeing the remaining animals would benefit them and said she was overwhelmed following the birth of her youngest child.
She wrote that the rabbits named Sterni, Teddy and Toffie were found and taken in by a shelter, while a fourth rabbit named Bounty died, which she said broke their hearts.
The shelter said two of the surviving rabbits have since been rehomed, while one remains in its care.
Staff warned that parents must understand animals are their responsibility rather than their children’s.
Major companies have since ended or ruled out partnerships with the influencer.
A spokesperson for Pampers Germany confirmed the company decided to end the cooperation with Vosgrau, adding: “Respectful treatment of people and animals is a central part of our values.
“We take this issue very seriously and, in consultation with the influencer, have decided not to continue the cooperation.”
Travel company HolidayCheck also spoke out, saying: “A responsible and respectful approach to animals is very important to us and is non-negotiable. Therefore, no further cooperation would be an option for us.
“There is no longer an active partnership”.
L’Oreal Germany said there has been no active partnership between its brand Vichy and Vosgrau since October and said animal welfare is of the highest importance.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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