In this modern age, service or therapy dogs are allowed to travel by plane with their owners who need emotional support. The owner will have to buy a ticket so their dog can sit beside them. However, recently, a man traveling by plane purchased 3 tickets so his dog, a Great Dane, could stay with him in the passengers’ cabin. Despite the unusual situation, the huge dog won the hearts of the people on the plane and online.
Recently, Gabriel Bogner had to move from Los Angeles to Brooklyn. However, he had to consider his Great Dane, who was going to travel with him across the country. In a TikTok video he shared, Gabriel claimed that he needs his service dog to stay with him at all times since he was suffering from Crohn’s Disease, which according to Mayo Clinic, is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which extends from your stomach down to your anus.
Airline companies allow service or therapy dogs inside the passenger cabin alongside their owners. However, Gabriel’s Great Dane, Darwin, is a 140-pound giant dog. Gabriel explored other options on how to transport Darwin, but the biggest crate available for dogs was too small for the Great Dane. The solution came soon enough. American Airlines informed Gabriel that Darwin could fly alongside him if he purchased 3 seats for both of them. Additionally, the dog can rest comfortably in the plane seats.
Gabriel agreed, and the flight became an unforgettable experience for the passengers and the crew. He released 2 TikTok videos, which had millions of views, showing Darwin and Gabriel’s in-flight adventure.
“Who says Great Danes aren’t airplane dogs,” Gabriel wrote on TikTok.
▼ Here is the video showing Darwin and his dad relaxing before boarding the plane:
@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, how did the passengers react to the giant dog on their flight? “It was definitely a shocker for people walking through the airport to see a literal horse coming towards them,” Gabriel said. However, everyone in the plane was charmed by the presence of the gentle giant.
“There were no issues, she was great, and the entire crew was amazing,” Gabriel said in an interview with SWNS. “People were absolutely gobsmacked and shocked, but everyone was so excited to see her… I’ve never seen so many people smiling at an airport.”
Comments on the TikTok videos were overwhelmingly positive. Some of them claim that they would “pay extra” for a flight if they could sit beside Darwin.
“As a flight attendant … I would do anything for him on my flight,” one commenter wrote.
“My flight anxiety would be nonexistent if I got to sit next to this angel,” another user commented. “Why can’t I ever be on a flight when this happens.”
@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
Seems like Darwin captured the hearts of everyone on board the flight. Don’t you wish Darwin would be on your next flight?
Cover Images credits: © AeroTime
Screenshot images credits: © Gibbon @gibbon1215/TikTok
