Letbunniesfly

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Rosie lost her life because her family had no safe way to relocate with her.

During an unavoidable move from Calgary to Lisbon, Rosie was forced to travel as manifest cargo for three days because airlines would not allow her to fly in-cabin with her guardian — or even travel as checked baggage on the same relatively short flight.

She was separated from her family for a journey that could have been completed in about 12 hours and arrived in critical condition.

Her guardian was told Rosie would be cared for during the journey, but she arrived weak and showing signs that she had not received the care she needed. Despite her family's desperate efforts to syringe-feed and support her, Rosie continued to decline and passed away.

Rosie's death was preventable.

Rabbits — and all animals traveling long distances — require proper monitoring and access to food and water during stressful situations such as transport. Rabbits, in particular, require constant access to hay to maintain normal digestive function. They should not be left unmonitored for multiple days during transit.

When airlines deny safe in-cabin options or other supervised or reasonably short travel alternatives, families are left with choices that can put their rabbits' lives at risk.

Rabbits deserve better. Their families deserve better.

Welfare-aligned alternatives exist, but airlines continue to choose policies that leave many families with no safe option.

In memory of Rosie, airlines such as @aircanada should work with campaigns like @letbunniesfly and rabbit-savvy veterinarians to develop transport policies that prioritize animal welfare while meeting operational requirements.

And no, not transporting them at all is not a humane alternative. Rabbits are the third most popular companion animals in many countries around the world. They deserve travel options aligned with veterinary science and reality.

Part 2 - More details on this case in our next post.

#LetBunniesFly #RabbitsDeserveBetter #NotWithoutThem #HayIsNotOptional InMemoryOfRosi