One rabbit owner experienced a nightmare this week in Almere. Okkie the rabbit was sitting in his pen in the back garden when a 15kg box of dog food was thrown on top of him.
The culprit? A PostNL delivery driver.
The deliverer threw the heavy package over a 1.91-metre fence, not knowing the rabbit pen lay on the other side.
Okkie broke his pelvis after the package landed on him. A vet later advised his owner, 41-year-old Roeland Vreeswijk, to have the beloved pet put down.
A witness and a scream
Initially, Vreeswijk was left completely unaware of what had happened to Okkie.
A boy living next door heard the rabbit let out a scream and later witnessed the PostNL worker — who returned later to move the package — holding the food.
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When Vreeswijk returned home, it was the little boy and his security camera that would tell the story of what led to poor little Okkie’s fatal injury.
The PostNL worker left no note to explain what happened. “There is, of course, a lot of pressure on those guys. But at least put a note in the mail that something went wrong,” Vreeswijk tells Omroep Flevoland.
People on Twitter are calling for the PostNL employee to be sacked.
@PostNL Ik neem aan dat de bezorger is ontslagen?
Bezorger gooit pakket over schutting, konijn Okkie dood https://t.co/Rz3vBwor7I— Massa-immigratie = geweld en discriminatie (@PaulZoetermeer) September 20, 2023
Translation: @PostNL I’m assuming the deliverer will be fired?
An apology from PostNL
The manager of the PostNL employee paid Okkie’s family a visit to offer flowers and their sincere apologies. The worker in question will have a talk with their management later this week.
Vreeswijk is happy with the company’s response, telling Omroep Flevoland, “We had a nice conversation, he apologised. All vet costs will also be reimbursed.” — and here’s the tear-jerker — “But it will not bring Okkie back.”
Someone pass the tissues to this writer, alsjeblieft. 🥲
Do you think PostNL’s response is enough? Tell us your thoughts in the comment below.