by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:35 PM ET, Mon May 1, 2017
UPDATE: 2:45 p.m. ET 5/1/2017
In response to reports that United Airlines cremated the body of a large rabbit which died during a trans-Atlantic flight without the consent of the owner, the carrier released an official statement through its spokesperson Charles Hobart.
"We were saddened by the loss of Simon and have worked with Annette Edwards to reach a satisfactory resolution," Hobart said.
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Following the reported death of her giant rabbit, Simon, during a United Airlines flight last week, a woman is now accusing the embattled carrier of cremating the animal without her consent.
According to the New York Post, 65-year-old Annette Edwards believes that United is covering up the rabbit's cause of death because it disposed of the animal's body so quickly despite her attempts to contact the airline.
"The whole thing stinks of a cover-up," Edwards told The Sun. "I had been asking United over and over again for his body so that I can have him examined here in Britain but they never got back to me. All I want to know is how he died."
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz responded to the allegations with an apology, but there has been a backlash due to his perceived comparison of the animal to luggage.
"We are deeply sorry for the loss of anything from your luggage to, of course, a loved pet," Munoz said in a statement.
The three-feet-long Continental Giant rabbit was being transported by Edwards on a trans-Atlantic flight from London to Chicago's O'Hare Airport when the animal died. Simon had reportedly undergone a checkup with a veterinarian before the journey.
Officials from United claimed the rabbit was alive when it was removed from the cargo section of one of the airline's Boeing 767 planes, but no autopsy could be performed to determine a cause of death due to the animal being cremated.
Another report surfaced recently when The Sun heard from an anonymous source that the rabbit died after it was accidentally stored in a facility freezer for more than 16 hours. United heavily denied that claim and issued a statement in response.
[READMORE] READ MORE: United Had The Most In-Flight Animal Deaths in 2016[/READMORE]
"The assertion that Simon died in a freezer is completely false. Simon was cared for at the PetSafe kennel facility which is kept at room temperature (on average 70°F)," a United spokesperson said in a statement.
"He arrived at Chicago O'Hare airport in apparent good condition at 10:25 a.m. (local time). He was seen by a representative of the kennel facility moving about within his crate about 11:00 a.m. Shortly thereafter, a kennel representative noticed Simon was motionless and determined that he passed away."
The death and quick disposal of the rabbit are part of a much larger public relations nightmare the airline has been dealing with for over a month. The issues began with two girls being banned from a flight for wearing leggings and became even worse after a passenger was dragged off an overbooked flight.
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