Three Texas dogs got to fly in style when their owners took a $100,000 round-the-world trip in a private plane.
The wish of Melanie, 26, and Albert Demi, 27, to travel with their three dogs—a 15-year-old Golden Retriever, a 6-year-old Dachshund mix, and a 2-year-old Great Dane—has long been a goal of the couple.
When the pair started aggressively saving in May 2020, Melanie said in an interview with South West News Service, they planned to bring the dogs across the pond.
They claimed that selling all their possessions, including their car, saved them $45,000 before boarding the plane.
“Getting the dogs from the US to Europe took so much planning, but we couldn’t leave them at home – we want to see the world with them,” said Melanie.
“We saved around $45,000 over 2 years and sold everything we had to be able to afford it.”
The pair would experience firsthand the special complexities of traveling with pets.
After traveling from Texas to New York, the Demis learned that their Great Dane was much too large to sail in the cargo hold of a boat and that the sole cruise operator that allowed pets refused to accommodate that breed.
The two sought to arrange a private flight to Portugal or England after being forced to look into alternate modes of transportation but could not do so on the specified dates.
Thankfully, they weren't forced to struggle on their own.
In order to split the cost of a private trip, Melanie said they eventually found 10 other people on social media who were all traveling with their pets.
“We planned our own charter trip and managed to find 10 other people heading to Europe with their dogs,” explained Melanie.
“It took more than 3 months of planning and cost $11,000 per person and over $100,000 for the whole flight.”
The stress of the journey, according to Melanie, was comparable to that of a full-time job.
“I knew how much work would go into finding people who wanted to do the same thing. I’m a very busy person with essentially two full-time jobs.
To book the flight, we had to ask people to send the money over, and that’s a lot of money to ask someone to send when you’ve only spoken over Facebook.”
With their puppies in tow, the group made it to France.
“Sitting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and seeing them roll on the grass, or at the Christmas markets where they got a lot of pets, or running on the beach in Edinburgh, it’s all just incredible.”
The Demis asserted that if they couldn't work remotely, they wouldn't be able to accomplish this.
The pair explained that they typically work from late afternoon to late evening so that they may go on adventures with their dogs in the mornings.
“Being able to travel in general is something I’m very grateful for, but doing it with the dogs makes me feel very lucky,” said Melanie.
‘It’s important for them to see more than the backyard.’
Melanie claims that some others have questioned why she and her husband don't simply leave their dogs at home.
“I think it’s important for them to see more than their backyard or couch.
I think it’s amazing for people to see the world with their dogs by their side. Taking my traveling zoo on a world tour has been fun.
We’re making it work with a Great Dane – it doesn’t have to be little dogs.”
Due to the difficulty of traveling with three dogs and luggage, Demi came up with a plan to donate the couple's extra clothing.
“Moving from place to place with the dogs has made me realize we have too much stuff to get on a train, for example.
We’ve been trying to donate clothes as we go. I gave a full suitcase to a friend.”
The family is currently touring Scotland after visiting France, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and England thus far.
The itinerary calls for visits to the French Riviera and Italian wine country.
The couple will also visit a family in Albania before leaving for Germany to attend Oktoberfest and their last stop before traveling back to the United States.
“There’s just so much to see.
There’s something just so amazing about getting a rental car and driving from country to country.”
