Melanie Demi, aged 26, and her 27-year-old husband, Albert, share a common love for their furry friends. The couple’s lifelong dream of traveling with their beloved pooches finally came true when they decided to sell all of their belongings and rent a private jet to fly their dogs to Europe. And their adventures have continued for the past four months, with the pack of hounds accompanying them on their travels to six different countries so far.
Their doggy crew comprises Great Dane Lucas, two, Golden Retriever Cooper, 15, and Dachshund mix Brooklyn, six. Despite having to let go of all their possessions, the couple remains resolute in their quest to explore new lands with their furry companions.
Melanie and Albert, hailing from Austin, Texas, worked tirelessly for two years, saving a whopping $45,000 to make their dream of traveling with their beloved dogs come true. In a remarkable feat, the couple sold all their possessions, including their car, to finance their globetrotting adventure.
Melanie revealed that the inspiration behind their journey came from the tragic loss of their four-year-old Great Dane, Apollo, to cancer, which taught them a valuable lesson about the fragility of time.
They joined nine other pet owners and their furry companions on a transatlantic journey to Europe. The couple paid a total of $11,000 to fly their two dogs from the US to Paris in September of last year.
This incredible adventure was made possible after the couple lost their jobs during the pandemic, which Melanie described as “an absolute blessing in disguise.” The loss of their beloved Great Dane, Apollo, also served as a wake-up call for them to explore the world and make the most of their time. They took the opportunity to travel within the US with Apollo before he passed away.
According to Melanie, completing their “travel bucket list” with Apollo showed them the wonders of dog-friendly travel, inspiring her to document their journeys around Europe on her popular TikTok account @herboozytails.
After Apollo’s death and the adoption of Lucas, they decided to embark on a year-long European adventure and were determined not to leave their beloved furry friends behind.
Due to their size, the couple’s larger dogs were unable to fly on a commercial airline, unlike Albert and their smallest dog, Brooklyn, who only cost $135 plus a $60 pet fee to fly.
Melanie and her husband Albert have always had the desire to travel with their furry friends, consisting of a Great Dane named Lucas who is two years old, a 15-year-old Golden Retriever named Cooper, and a six-year-old Dachshund mix named Brooklyn. The trio of pups can be seen staying in an Airstream caravan in the US.
Lucas, the Great Dane weighing a whopping 150lbs, and Cooper, a Golden Retriever weighing 75 lbs, were in for a luxurious travel experience. They were flown in a private jet and got to travel with their owner Melanie in the plane’s cabin.
This was because they were too heavy to be accommodated on a commercial flight that Brooklyn, their 13lbs Dachshund mix, was able to travel on. Melanie and her husband, Albert, had always dreamed of traveling with their dogs and the couple decided to make that a reality. They paid $11,000 along with nine other pet owners and their dogs to get from the US to Europe, finally landing in Paris in October.
After arriving in Europe, Melanie and Albert, along with their beloved dogs, have been utilizing rental cars, trains, and even another private jet to explore the continent.
So far, the couple and their pack of hounds have visited six different countries, including France, Germany, Austria, Czechia, England, and Scotland, and plan to stop at eight more countries before their adventure comes to an end.
Melanie shared, ‘Sitting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and watching our dogs roll on the grass, or being at the Christmas markets where they received lots of affection, or running on the beach in Edinburgh, it’s all just incredible.’
The couple’s travel plans don’t end with just six countries, as they have their sights set on even more destinations. They plan to visit Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, the Netherlands, and Denmark before concluding their once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Melanie and Albert, who work remotely in media and as an account executive, have been traveling with their dogs for four months and intend to continue until November 2023. They have been staying at dog-friendly Airbnbs throughout their journey.
Melanie, a media marketing consultant and content creator, emphasized the amount of planning involved in bringing their furry friends from the US to Europe. However, the couple’s passion for traveling with their dogs has driven them to see the world with their beloved pets.
Melanie and Albert arranged a charter flight with 10 other pet owners to bring their dogs to Europe.
For Melanie, the most important thing is that her dogs live their best lives. The canines are now some of the most well-traveled in the world and have explored cities such as Paris, Prague, and Vienna, with plans to tour the Scottish Highlands.
The couple spent three months planning the trip, which cost $11,000 per person and more than $100,000 for the entire flight. They sold everything they had and saved $45,000 over two years to fund their adventure.
Melanie believes that her dogs genuinely enjoy traveling with them, and she often receives questions from social media users about why they don’t leave the dogs at home.
Melanie and Albert have been on a European tour with their furry friends, having visited France, Germany, Austria, Czechia, England, and Scotland. Prior to this, the couple and their pets explored the Caribbean and traveled around the United States, as shown in a photo taken in Key West, Florida.
While their dogs may not fully understand where they are, Melanie and Albert believe that their pets enjoy exploring new places and cherish the memories they create together. Melanie shared, “It’s about having them with us and making memories. 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 couple had decided to embark on their transatlantic adventure in May 2020, and after saving and planning, they set off on their journey.
Due to their Great Dane, Lucas’ size and breed, Melanie and Albert were unable to find a cargo hold or a pet-friendly airline to transport him from the US to Europe. As a result, they embarked on a 3,000 mile drive from Texas to New York and chartered a private jet to take them to Paris.
Melanie and Albert planned their transatlantic adventure with their furry friends in May 2020, and after landing in France, they have been exploring various European countries. Despite the challenges of finding pet-friendly transportation options, the couple believes that it’s worth it to have their furry companions with them as they make unforgettable memories.
The couple explored other options such as boarding other private planes flying to Portugal or London, England, but none of the dates suited their plan. Consequently, they decided to take the risk and charter their own private jet along with ten other people who were also traveling with their furry friends. However, the charter cost them a whopping $102,000.
According to Melanie, “I was aware of the effort it would take to find people with the same interests, and I’m very occupied with essentially two full-time jobs.”
Booking the flight was not an easy task as they had to request people to transfer the required amount of money, which was a significant sum to ask for considering they had only communicated through Facebook.
After landing in France, Melanie, Albert, and their furry companions explore new places every day while working remotely in the evenings.
Melanie expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to travel, particularly with her dogs, stating, ‘I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do this with my dogs, and I never take it for granted. Sometimes I catch them just gazing around, taking everything in.’
To ensure their pets’ comfort, the couple always stays in pet-friendly Airbnb accommodations, as seen in their forest retreat in Cambridge, New York State.
Melanie shared that they were motivated to travel with their dogs after losing their four-year-old Great Dane Apollo to cancer, which taught them to value time. The couple believes that their furry companions enjoy exploring new places, and they make sure to have them by their side to create memories together. Melanie shared, “I have a video of my Great Dane just resting his head on the Charles Bridge in Prague, and it looks like he’s just taking it all in. I think they’re happy wherever we go.”
To ensure the dogs are happy when flying, Melanie and Albert made sure that their dogs were in the plane’s cabin with them. The couple typically spends their days exploring and adventuring with the dogs while working remotely in the evenings. Melanie said, “We have a rule of two big adventures a week with the dogs – like taking them to the beach. All I care about is them living their best life.” They have been staying in pet-friendly AirBnBs during their travels and working American hours from 4 pm to 11 pm, which has worked out well for them and their furry companions. Despite their unique lifestyle, Melanie said that they have been asked why they don’t just leave their dogs at home.
According to Melanie, leaving dogs at home while traveling is not necessary, but taking them everywhere is also not compulsory. She believes it’s essential for them to experience more than just their backyard or home.
Melanie shares tips on how to travel responsibly with dogs, emphasizing that it’s possible with larger dogs like their Great Dane, Lucas. She believes that it’s wonderful for people to explore the world with their furry companions, and taking their “traveling zoo” on a world tour has been a thrilling experience.
The couple and their furry companions have been using hire cars, trains, and even another private jet to get around Europe since they arrived. Melanie acknowledges that traveling with dogs and their extra luggage can be challenging, and they’ve been attempting to donate items they don’t require as they go.
Melanie said, “Moving from place to place with the dogs has made me realize we have too much stuff to get on a train, for example.”
Melanie and Albert have a lot of adventure ahead of them with their furry companions. Currently in Edinburgh, they flew on another private jet – this time just with their pets – from Paris to Scotland.
The couple’s itinerary includes exploring the French Riviera and Italian wine country, stopping in Florence before heading to Kosovo, with a detour in Albania to visit Albert’s relatives.
Their next stop is Oktoberfest in Germany, followed by the Rugby World Cup in France. Melanie said, ‘There’s just so much to see. There’s something just so amazing about getting a rental car and driving from country to country.’
While traveling with dogs and their luggage can be challenging, the couple has been trying to donate items they no longer need along the way. Melanie added, ‘We’ve had to take two cars before for dogs and luggage. We’ve been trying to donate clothes as we go – I gave a full suitcase to a friend.’
Read More: Mail Online