A pair of homeless hounds were plucked from the kennels to join the jet set when their new owner picked them up – in a private plane.
The pampered pooches had their heads firmly in the clouds after being spirited away to start a life of luxury.
Nine-year-old Terrier Cross, Troy, and six-year-old Bonnie, a Corgi-Cross, have had a wuff time of it since their owner passed away – that was until they were spotted by Mike Owen and his family.
After catching sight of the pitiful pair at the Dogs Trust in Manchester, Mike knew they were coming home to Guernsey with him, his wife Eleanor and his kids, Christopher, 11, and Katie, 16.
But getting the family’s new four-legged friends home proved to be a pickle. Their original plan was to take to the seas for the crossing but the weekend ferries weren’t running.
Luckily, when a family friend heard of their dilemma, he offered to fly them in his plane.
Dogs Trust rehomes nearly 15,000 dogs a year but this is the first time a new owner has chartered a private jet to transport their furry pals home.
Mike says: “We couldn’t believe it! We were so lucky to see them in the first place.
“We had been thinking about getting a dog for some time and were visiting my parents close to Dogs Trust Manchester.
“We went along and when we saw Bonnie and Troy we all fell in love with them. Only then did we start to think about the logistics of getting them to Guernsey!
“When it looked like we couldn’t get them back because the ferries weren’t running my son was distraught. We had to find a way to bring them home, and then we were offered a plane ride!”
The dogs loved it, and after such a high flying start they are thoroughly enjoying their first class island life playing on the beaches and having cosy nights in with their family.
Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Manchester, Dawn Bishop, says: “It was so sad when Bonnie and Troy came to us. They were much loved but unfortunately when their owner passed away other family members weren’t able to keep them.
“They are definitely the first dogs we’ve had leave in a plane and although they’ve had a bit of a bumpy ride recently, it looks like the next stage of their life’s journey is going to be wonderful.”
