Many dog owners are aware that taking their animals on airplanes can be difficult, but this tale takes the cake: one man purchased three seats so that his Great Dane could fly with him!
Despite the unusual circumstances, this large dog captured the hearts of everyone on the plane and countless others online.
Recently, Gabriel Bogner had to find a way to fly his dog Darwin across the country when he relocated from Los Angeles to Brooklyn. Gabriel revealed in a TikTok video that he has Crohn’s disease and that Darwin serves as his service dog.
As a large, 140-pound Great Dane, Darwin is a bit of an exception to the rule that most airlines have regarding service animals traveling with their owners. Gabriel claimed to have looked into a variety of options for transporting Darwin and discovered that the Great Dane was too big to fit in the biggest crate.
However, he quickly discovered a solution: American Airlines informed him that he could take Darwin on board with him if he purchased three seats for the dog, providing Darwin with enough room to fly in comfort.
Gabriel concurred, and the result was a flight that everyone will never forget. A popular TikTok video depicting this large dog’s flight adventure has received nearly 18 million views.
The caption was written by Gabriel and read, “Who says Great Danes aren’t airplane dogs.”
Darwin can be seen unwinding in the boarding area in the video:
Meeting the pilots of the flight, who were undoubtedly taken aback by their large passenger:
And while comfortably seated in his three seats—just enough to fit this Great Dane—:
Watch the video below:
@gibbon1215 Who says Great Danes aren’t airplane dogs. Shoutout to @American Airlines for making our move to Brooklyn a piece of cake though! (Yes I bought 3 seats for us on the plane) #greatdane #dog #gay #fyp #tiktok #newyork #brooklyn #doggo
So what was the general consensus when this enormous dog boarded flights? It was “definitely a shocker for people walking through the airport to see a literal horse coming towards them,” according to Gabriel, but almost everyone appeared to be in awe of Darwin.
According to Gabriel, who spoke to SWNS for the New York Post, “There were no issues, she was great, and the entire crew was amazing.” “People were shocked and in utter disbelief, but they were all so eager to see her… I’ve never seen an airport with such a large smiley population.
The feedback on the TikTok video is overwhelmingly positive, with many commenters stating they would happily “pay extra” to be seated next to the Great Dane.
One commenter stated, “As a flight attendant, I would do anything for him on my flight.”
Another person said, “If I got to sit next to this angel, my flight anxiety would be nonexistent.”
“Why can’t this ever happen while I’m on a flight?”
@gibbon1215 Wanted to share a few more videos of Darwin showing how tight it was for her on the floor, hence why I asked if she could come on the seats. The last video is her on the seats just looking up (not howling) with sound. #greatdane #tiktok #dog #fyp
Darwin is fantastic! How would you feel if this large dog traveled with you on a plane? Please tell us about this experience! 🐾❤️