Was Simon the Bunny Frozen to Death?

Image: PHOTO: A massive bunny similar to the one which died during a recent flight. (photo via Flickr/The Turtle)
Image: PHOTO: A massive bunny similar to the one which died during a recent flight. (photo via Flickr/The Turtle)
Monica Poling
by Monica Poling
Last updated: 4:32 PM ET, Sun April 30, 2017

United Airlines has spent much of the past month playing defense, trying to recover from a pandemically viral video showing a passenger being dragged off a plane. Now airline just can't seem to catch a break. Almost daily, a new story emerges demonstrating the seeming lack of care United takes in dealing with its passengers.

Just as the stories started to abate, a new story emerged about the death of a giant rabbit while in the care of United Airlines. But now the story of Simon the Bunny, who had he lived was destined to become the world's largest rabbit has taken another turn.

The Sun, a U.K. newspaper is reporting that Simon was accidentally stored in a facility freezer for more than 16 hours before he died. An anonymous source, allegedly a worker at the facility, said that United Airlines has started an investigation into the rumor, but no one knows who put the rabbit in the freezer.

For its part, United Airlines has responded to the Sun, saying the "assertions were totally false."

"Simon was cared for at the PetSafe kennel facility which is kept at room temperature (on average 70 degrees F)," said a United representative 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 am. Shortly thereafter, a kennel representative noticed Simon was motionless and determined that he passed away."


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