Nearly a year after their rabbit died following a three-day journey with Air Canada, Rosie’s family is speaking publicly and supporting a campaign to allow rabbits to travel inside aircraft cabins.
Rabbit Dies After Three-Day Journey With Air Canada, Family Pushes For Policy Change
Rosie was a “companion rabbit” whose family was relocating from Calgary, Alberta (YYC) to Lisbon, Portugal (LIS) in late 2025.
Air Canada does not permit rabbits to travel in the passenger cabin, so Rosie was transported separately in the cargo hold. According to her family and the advocacy group LetBunniesFly, what might ordinarily have been a roughly 12-hour trip turned into a three-day journey that included a lengthy stop in Montreal.
When Rosie was finally reunited with her family in Lisbon, they say she was weak, barely responsive, and already critically ill.
She died several days later.
Rosie’s family did not immediately publicize what happened. Nearly a year later, they have shared her story with LetBunniesFly, which is now using the case to pressure Air Canada and other airlines to reconsider policies that prohibit rabbits from traveling in the cabin.
What Rosie’s Family Says Happened
Let me first say that the account below has not been independently established through a regulatory investigation or court proceeding, and Air Canada has not publicly provided a detailed account of Rosie’s transportation.
According to the family, Rosie traveled from Calgary to Lisbon through Montreal as cargo and remained separated from them for approximately three days.
They allege that:
- The itinerary was unnecessarily long
- Rosie was not given hay because it was considered too messy
- Her kennel appeared not to have been properly cleaned
- She did not receive adequate care during the journey
The hay allegation is particularly significant because rabbits require a near-constant supply of fiber to keep their digestive systems functioning. Per the family. a rabbit that stops eating can quickly develop gastrointestinal stasis, a potentially fatal condition.
LetBunniesFly says Rosie was already severely compromised by the time her family collected her from the cargo facility in Lisbon. Despite attempts to save her, she died a few days later.
The organization argues that even if Rosie had been required to travel as cargo, a more direct itinerary and species-appropriate care might have produced a different outcome. But the central claim of the campaign goes further: Rosie should have been allowed to travel with her family inside the cabin.
Rosie’s Family Wants Air Canada To Allow Rabbits In The Cabin
LetBunniesFly has launched a change.org petition asking Air Canada to revise its pet policy in Rosie’s memory.
The group is proposing a phased approach:
- Immediately permit rabbits in the cabin on flights within Canada and between Canada and the United States
- Develop procedures for in-cabin rabbit travel between Canada and the European Union within two years
- Expand the policy to other international routes within three to five years wherever regulations permit
The petition argues that a rabbit small enough to fit inside an approved carrier beneath the seat should be treated similarly to a small dog or cat.
It also says Rosie’s family did not have a realistic alternative. They were moving permanently rather than taking a vacation, and surrendering her to an already crowded animal shelter was not something they considered acceptable.
Airlines adopt different approaches to rabbits. Many restrict in-cabin pets to dogs and cats, while some carriers allow rabbits on at least certain routes. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines restored in-cabin rabbit travel in January 2026.
Air Canada Has Not Publicly Explained Rosie’s Journey
There are still important unanswered questions.
It is not clear why Rosie’s journey lasted three days, precisely what care Air Canada Cargo agreed to provide during the Montreal connection, or whether hay was for some reason prohibited by the airline, a cargo handler, or another party involved in the shipment.
There is also no publicly available veterinary report establishing Rosie’s exact cause of death or directly attributing it to a particular act or omission by Air Canada.
That does not mean the family’s account should be dismissed, but it does mean that much of what is now being reported remains their version of events, amplified by an advocacy organization seeking a broader policy change.
Air Canada’s own explanation would therefore be helpful (Live And Let’s Fly has asked).
The airline may contend that live-animal shipments involve specialized documentation, import requirements, handlers, and risks that differ significantly from an ordinary passenger itinerary. It may also point to government or public-health considerations when defending its limit on the species allowed inside the cabin.
But those broader issues do not answer what happened to Rosie during this particular journey.
A Broader Debate Over Rabbits On Aircraft
Rosie’s death has become part of a larger campaign over whether airlines should distinguish between rabbits and more commonly accepted household pets.
Those supporting a policy change argue that rabbits are quiet, clean, and generally remain confined inside small carriers. They also say rabbits are physiologically sensitive animals that may be especially poorly suited to long periods in cargo facilities without direct supervision.
Airlines, meanwhile, must consider allergies, sanitation, animal behavior, destination regulations, and the practical difficulty of accommodating an ever-expanding range of species.
There is also a legitimate distinction between saying that rabbits should be permitted on some flights and claiming that every airline must transport them on every international itinerary. International animal entry rules can be complicated, and an airline may be unable to offer the same policy in every market.
The petition directed at Air Canada attempts to account for that by asking for a gradual rollout beginning with routes where its organizers believe the regulatory issues are clearest.
CONCLUSION
Rosie died several days after completing a three-day journey with Air Canada from Calgary to Lisbon. Her family says she arrived severely weakened after traveling without adequate food or care, though Air Canada has not publicly supplied its own detailed account of what occurred.
Nearly a year later, Rosie’s family is working to turn her death into a campaign for change.
Their immediate goal is to persuade Air Canada to allow companion rabbits to travel in the cabin on domestic Canadian and transborder flights, followed eventually by service to Europe and other international destinations.
What are your thoughts on this issue? As the #3 household pet (behind dogs and cats), should rabbits also be allowed to travel in cabins or be considered “service” animals?
This is a joke, right?
If only…
Maybe they shouldn’t have shipped a bunny, knowing the challenges of international travel?
Quite a rabbit hole to go down.
My condolences to Rosie’s family. Domesticated rabbits can be sweet and nice pets. However, they can be easily traumatized by loud noises and refuse to eat. By encouraging bunnies in the cabin the family is putting them in harm’s way. Adoption would be a better choice.
Cabin isn’t the same as cargo. This was cargo and easily prevented if bunnies were allowed in cabin.
Would you give your baby to adoption if they did the same things to babies?
I have to wonder, who in the world decides to form an advocacy group and settles on rabbits in airplane cabins? Me, I thinking of forming LetPigsFly. They should be allowed in the cabin.
I want my emotional support spitting cobra in the cabin…and for it to be allowed out of its container during meal times!
Sorry, best we can do is ‘Hope’ …Change is gonna take more time.
Rabbits seem like they’d be no more trouble in a carrier in the cabin than a cat would be, and probably even less trouble. But I’ve owned several rabbits over the years. I doubt any one of them would have survived an airplane trip in either the cabin or in cargo. Rabbits are sensitive and delicate. I’m sorry this family lost their pet.
International air travel is a funny thing. It enables humans to do things humans shouldn’t do. Seeing sunburnet Brits walking the beaches of Mexico is awesome, and seeing Colombia fans hug a man from Congo after he sings his national anthem in a stadium in America is moving. But then you have people who want to move from Calgary to Lisbon and take their rabbit.
I don’t hide that I’m an animal lover on here, and I will basically come to the defense of any well behaved dog or cat in cabin. But rabbits are different, even if they are the number 3 pet. Cats and dogs crossed oceans as companions on ships. Rabbits were food and lived in cages. I don’t doubt that people really like having their rabbit around, but I think there’s an arguement to be made that theyr’e different than cats and dogs.
Rabbits are in fact just as much family members as dogs and cats. Often cared for even more, because they’re delicate, and suffer in silence, unlike cats and dogs who howl loudly if a need is not being met, so they need to be protected. Humans have eaten all kinds of animals throughout history, cats and dogs too, the argument that rabbits are lesser because they’ve been a food source is illogical. Rabbits are quiet, gentle, and love their kin deeply. I’m sorry you have not experienced the trust and love of a bunny, as it is something quite special.
If tbeir pet rabbit was so precious to them, they should have consigned her passage to a specialist freight handler that deals with the international shipment of live animals. Of course, those services are expensive, even for a rabbit, so perhaps they went the cheap route, or liked the idea of Rosie travelling with them. So how did that turn out? No animals in the cabin. Pay the money for specialist freight, you cheap bastards.
The family chose the only option that was available to them. If they were allowed to keep their rabbit with them in the cabin, they would have. Perhaps in the future, instead of assuming what happened, you could approach a situation with a curious mind, and ask why someone would choose a path, considering that circumstances could have led to very few choices?
Just don’t fly with the rabbit, period.
I am so saddened by this. Rabbits are probably the most inoffensive pets in the world. Intelligent and silent. I cannot understand why Airlines would not transport them in cabin. Makes no sense.
I love my cat dearly but would never consider flying her to Europe. I have moved trans-con USA 3 times with cats in cargo and it was not pleasant for either party.
I do wish the family had not tried to bring her a long, but I do get the love we have for our animal family members.
The beloved rabbits are quiet and clean, but they are also fragile. They are prey animals and easily frightened. Therefore, flying in the dark or in a noisy cargo hold can be fatal. They can literally die from fear or heat stress. Experts strongly recommend keeping them in the cabin where you can observe them. Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle to rabbits, which cannot receive service training, traveling in the plane cabins is that if left free, they could endanger flight safety by gnawing on cables or seat plastics.
Another preventable death of Mother Nature’s innocent children… Condolences to her family!
It was a rabbit. I had rabbit terrine for appetizer at lunch last Sunday. It was delicious.
For those interested, the companion pet rabbit Rosie’s exact age is not publicly known. AC does not share these personal pet records.
Rarely, if ever, do you have something valuable to add to the conversation, but this is tasteless.
Why stop there? Why can’t my Rabbit have a Aeroplan account and earn Super Elite status?
My first rabbit reached 75K miles in-cabin. Too bad no frequent flyer program for pets. Current rabbit is flying 15K miles per year, so should easily reach 150K miles in his lifetime.
Before everyone whines about putting the rabbit in a cage, i have to ask, have you smelt a rabbit before? Even on a 12 hour flight, that thing is gonna shit 4 times, pee even more, and you want that to be everyone elses problem? Atleast a domesticated pet knows when to go. The thing doesnt have enough hay? What, did you expect the airline to source it for you? Pack the things crate with all the supplies it needs or dont bring it. Either care for your rabbit or put it up for adoption. 12 months later and you are still trying to get people to talk about this. Get a grip Lenny.
Yes I have smelt a rabbit before. Pet rabbits are generally neutered/spayed, and do not have a strong smell unlike their unfixed counterparts. Hormones are what cause the change in urine smell. Moreover, Rosie’s family was TOLD not to pack hay because it was “too messy” and the airline didn’t want to deal with it. Your average house rabbit is quiet, clean, doesn’t smell, and isn’t much different than a cat in terms of how much a fellow traveller would notice them. I would argue that you’d notice a house rabbit LESS than a cat if they were in the vicinity of your seat because they don’t howl or scream the way a stressed cat might.
I’ve had rabbits most of my life and they don’t smell bad. I have to ask, have you smelt a rabbit before?
My rabbit holds his pee for the entire 17=20 hour trip duration. I put down paper towels as the top layer of the carrier so it can be changed if there ever is a pee accident. Cat pee has a stronger smell than rabbit pee. Rabbit poop is much more pleasant then other pets.
This is absolutely devastating. Rabbits are the third most popular pet right now. They are quiet and don’t cause any trouble while in their carriers. They are lagamorphs, not rodents. They are vetted and vaccinated before travelling. There is absolutely no reason to ban them from travelling with their human companions.
It’s a mess, they die all the time. Animals shouldn’t be on passenger planes to begin with.
Rabbits are intelligent and unconditionally loving creatures. They are clean, sensitive and gentle. For me, they are better companion than most of the people…and the majority of the comments here just confirm my conclusion… My condolence to the family who lost their beloved friend… And to those, joking and showing no compassion I wish you get what you deserve in person!
Families have to move and some don’t have a choice. The only alternative is to surrender their pet at an overcrowded shelter. The real issue is that airlines in 2026 give them no other option. This didn’t use to be this way and to those who are saying bunnies cannot travel safely in-cabin either they have done so for decades before airlines started implementing arbitrary rules. And no, they don’t smell. Most house rabbits are perfectly litter trained just like cats and for long-haul flights even dogs and cats should always have pee pads in their carriers for accidents. And about the escape and chew risks that’s an old wife’s tail that stems from the rodent misconception (they are not rodents). They travel in secure carriers just like cats and in the unlikely case one was to ever get out they are freeze prone animals. Unlike a mouse or rat they will freeze in place and can easily be picked up. And relocation companies are rarely an alternative. They use commercial cargo as well. The problem is the length of the journey that pets are put through if airlines decline safe in-cabin travel or even checked luggage options on the same plane. #letbunniesfly
My first rabbit flew 75K miles (120K kilometres) in-cabin with me within the USA. Many times, people had no idea she was there. My current rabbit is flying about 15K miles each year in-cabin.
Rabbits fly perfectly fine with their owners just like small cats and dogs. They are the largest group of domestic pets after cats and dogs. They are allowed to fly by other airlines. They do well in cabin next to their owner. Alternatively – the whole community of bunny owners are humans and suffer immensely and unnecessarily. Bunnies are smart intelligent smell-less gentle small pets and are a part of many families who have to fly and relocate. They also do no harm and are safe quite polite travelers.
Rabbits are the third popular pets, just after dogs and cats. They are amazing creatures that deserve a fair treatment. It’s such a tragedy that owners are left to make a heartbreaking decision to leave them behind or rely on mere luck that they survive cargo when they have to move. There isn’t a reason they shouldn’t be allowed in cabin. They’re usually smaller than many cats and dogs, quiet, and clean.
Rabbits are clean and quiet companions. They belong in the airplane cabin with their families—not in the cargo hold. They are family, not luggage.