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- Gabriel Bogner, a startup founder, took his pet Great Dane on a flight from LA to New York.
- The 27-year-old's dog was deemed too large to fit in a crate in the cargo hold.
- He said passengers were "gobsmacked" at the sight of Darwin on the flight, per The New York Post.
A startup founder surprised passengers when he boarded an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York with his Great Dane dog, the New York Post reported.
Gabriel Bogner paid for a row of seats on the flight for himself and his dog, Darwin, the outlet reported.
He took the 140-pound Great Dane on the flight when he moved from LA to Brooklyn after he said she was deemed too big to fit into the airline's cargo crate, per the outlet.
In a TikTok that's received over 17.9 million views and 2.9 million likes since it was posted at the end of May, Darwin is seen sprawled on her back in the airport before meeting the flight's pilots.
"People were absolutely gobsmacked and shocked, but everyone was so excited to see her. I've never seen so many people smiling at an airport," he told South West News Service, per The Post.
He added that it must have been "a shocker" for people to see a "literal horse coming toward them," The Post reported.
During the five-hour flight, the TikTok also shows Darwin lounging across two seats next to her owner and sticking her head over the seats in front.
Bogner said airline staff joked that Darwin had got an upgrade.
He added that the trip was "smooth" and that "she was great, and the entire crew was amazing."
In response to the TikTok, one user commented: "I would 1000% gladly sit next to your buddy than some of these humans who remove their damn shoes!," while others said they wished they'd been on the flight.
Bogner, who has Crohn's disease, said Darwin had helped him cope with his illness and that his physicians told him she qualified as a service animal, The Post reported.
Gentle giant Darwin helps him manage his symptoms by placing her head on his stomach and accompanying him to the bathroom, Bogner said in another TikTok.