Men Who Bought Giant Rabbit Have Some Issues With United

When it comes to the case of Simon, the dead giant rabbit, United Airlines is down one headache but faces a second. A rep for the airline says it has reached a satisfactory resolution with the British breeder of the giant rabbit, which died after flying from the United Kingdom to Chicago last month. The rep adds that Annette Edwards declined United's offer of a necropsy, or postmortem examination, reports the AP. That lack of necropsy isn't sitting so well with the three Iowa businessmen who had purchased the rabbit. The Des Moines Register reports their Iowa-based "ownership group" had bought Simon with the intention of entering him in the Iowa State Fair's biggest rabbit competition and later raising funds for the fair and its associated foundation by displaying him.

Attorney Guy Cook said Monday that the owners are troubled that Simon was cremated without a necropsy soon after his death April 20. "It's circumstantial proof that there was something wrong here that they cremated the remains of Simon without the consent of the ownership group," he said. Cook added he sent a letter to United Airlines last week but hasn't heard back. The owners—retired Wells Fargo exec Mark Oman, People's Co. president Steve Breure, and Duke Reichardt of Benning Financial—are seeking the costs of buying and transporting the rabbit and future earnings. (More giant rabbits stories.)