United Airlines' rabbit death in the cargo hold of a flight from London’s Heathrow airport to Chicago’s O’Hare airport – where a man was recently infamously dragged off one of its planes – really brings home the airlines' continuing public relations disasters. United is headquartered there.
Simon, a 3-foot-long rabbit expected to be the world’s biggest, was being sent by bunny breeder Annette Edwards to his new owner, an unidentified celebrity, according to CBS News.
“Simon had a vet’s check-up three hours before the flight and was fit as a fiddle,” Edwards told The Sun. “Something very strange has happened and I want to know what. I’ve sent rabbits all around the world and nothing like this has happened before,” she said.
United Airlines issued a statement regarding the 10-month-old rabbit's death, per The Telegraph.
“We were saddened to hear this news,” it said. “The safety and well-being of all the animals that travel with us is of the utmost importance to United Airlines and our PetSafe team.”
“We have been in contact with our customer and have offered assistance,” the spokeswoman added. “We are reviewing this matter.”
According to The New York Times, Simon is (or was) a continental giant rabbit – the kind of rabbit that is known to be “gentle, friendly and intelligent.”
These rabbits are “fantastic” house rabbits, but they should be kept away from “cables, wires, shoes, papers and anything important,” Pets4Homes noted.
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