Rescue dog flying business class draws mixed reactions online
How a luxurious flight has turned a rescue dog into an online sensation
Fifi, a rescue dog from Hong Kong, has recently become an online sensation after a video of her travelling in style on a business class flight to Istanbul, Turkey was posted on social media.
The dog is seen in the video looking cozy under layers of blanket and a pillow on the flight from Hong Kong to Istanbul.
The four-year-old long-haired miniature dachshund was adopted by a British woman named Helen Rosalie when she was just one year old.
While many people have praised Fifi’s calm and collected demeanour during the 11-hour flight, others have criticised Helen for treating her dog as if it were her daughter and spending so much money on pet travel when there are children in need of care.
'Adorable, calm and collected'
Helen shared that Fifi was “calm and collected” throughout the 11-hour flight, which the overwhelming majority of the netizens find adorable and charming.
“So cute! All pets should be able to travel like this!” an Instagram user said.
“I would have so loved to be sitting next to you and your dog. Would have been the best flight ever. Dogs in cabin in planes are the future,” another user noted.
Meanwhile, others commended Turkish Airlines for readily accommodating the dog, saying that they hope that in the future, pets could travel with their owner without any hassle.
Money not wisely spent?
However, some are not comfortable with how the dog was able to travel in style, and Helen’s pronouncements that she treats her dog as if it was her daughter.
One Instagram user commented: “I’m not a hater. You can spend your money on whatever you want. It just seems a bit sad that you’d prefer to spend tens of thousands on a dog (a very cute one I agree) – and call it your daughter, when there are thousands of children in care homes that you could make into a real daughter.”
Helen bit back, saying that only those who do not have pet dogs, or are not dog lovers, would not understand how she treats Fifi.
The South China Morning Post has reported that the pet travelling business is becoming a trend, with owners paying US$95 to US$125 for the airfare of their pets. Meanwhile, a total of US$522 million was estimated as the accumulated profit for pet transportation in 2022 alone and is expected to grow by $812 million this year.
Marvin Joseph Ang is a news and lifestyle writer who focuses on politics, the economy, and pop culture. Follow him on Twitter at @marvs30ang for latest news and updates.
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