Couple Saves $45K to Take Their Great Dane, Golden Retriever and Dachshund on Private Jet Trip

Meet the couple who chartered a $100,000 private jet for their Great Dane, golden retriever, and dachshund so the pets could travel the globe with them.

Melanie Demi, and her husband, Albert, dreamed of traveling Europe with their three dogs — great Dane Lucas, 2, golden retriever Cooper, 15, and dachshund mix Brooklyn, 6.

The couple, who lives in Austin, Texas, saved $45,000 over two years to turn their dream into a reality — selling most of their belongings, including their car, to fund the adventure. The rest of the jet’s $100,000 bill was covered by other pet owners looking to take a charter plane from the U.S. to Europe with their animals.

Eventually, Melanie, 26, and Albert, 27, collected enough to rent a jet and fly to Europe with their canines. The pack has visited six countries together, including France, Germany, Austria, Czechia, England, and Scotland. Since the group jetted to Europe, they have used cars and trains to travel from country to country.

Melanie and Albert work remotely and have been on the road in Europe with the pups, staying at dog-friendly Airbnbs along the way, and plan to keep going until November 2023 before heading back home to Austin.

“Getting the dogs from the U.S. to Europe took so much planning, but we couldn’t leave them at home — we want to see the world with them,” Melanie, a media marketing consultant and content creator, told SWNS.

“We planned our own charter trip and managed to find 10 other people heading to Europe with their dogs,” she added. “It took three months of planning and cost $11k per person and over $100k for the whole flight.”

Even with these expenses, the couple says the project to get their pups abroad safely was worth it.

“Now the dogs have seen Paris, Prague, and Vienna, and we’re planning to drive around the Scottish Highlands,” Melanie said. “I think the dogs really enjoy it.”

“The dogs might not know where they are, but they love exploring new places, and it’s about having them with us and making memories,” she added. “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.”

Melanie and Albert started saving for the trip in May 2020, initially planning to take the dogs on a commercial flight. The couple realized they would need to charter a private jet when it became clear that their Great Dane could not travel in the cabin unless he were on his own plane.

“Being able to travel in general is something I’m very grateful for, but doing it with the dogs makes me feel very lucky,” Melanie said.

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She, Albert, and the dogs are currently in Edinburgh, Scotland, and have a jam-packed year of sightseeing planned before returning home to Texas.

After Scotland, the group wants to travel to the French Riviera, Italy, Croatia, and Albania.