When Paul Salley and Brianna Feehan Got Their Custard Golden retriever In January last year, they decided to leave the dog with their parents when they traveled.
As content creators, they spend 80% of their time on the road filming and producing hospitality and lifestyle content for their clients, as well as run their Instagram account and blog.
But when leaving Their dog, Koda, behind, began to get too difficult for them. “When we’re gone, we still miss her,” Feehan told Business Insider.
The couple decided to take fewer international trips and focus on domestic travel. Last April, they took Koda on his first road trip from Connecticut to Florida.
“She had a great time,” said Feehan, who described Koda as the “happiest dog in the world.”
Today, the couple, who are in their 20s, take Koda with them on every trip. To date, they say they have taken about 15 trips and visited 22 states together.
They plan their trips around Koda
Feehan on a paddleboard with Koda at Lake Tahoe. Paul Salley and Brianna Feehan
From the discovery Dog-friendly accommodations and restaurants to ensure Koda is comfortable on the road, Salley and Feehan now center their trips around her. That means they stay longer in each accommodation.
“If we go from Airbnb to Airbnb every night, she'll stop eating. She doesn't drink as much,” said Salley, who added that Koda has anxiety if they don't spend enough time adapting to a new environment.
Car rides are also longer. For their first road trip to Florida, Apple Maps estimated their drive would take 18 hours. But after making more than 10 stops along the way, make sure the dog was comfortable and I had enough water and treats, the trip lasted 24 hours.
Before acquiring Koda, they were sticking to a tighter budget
When traveling with Koda, they often have to pay extra for accommodations. So far, the cheapest pet rate was $30 at a Best Western hotel, while the most expensive was at a Marriott hotel, where the pet rate was $75. Airbnbs typically charge about $50 for pets, they noted.
Salley estimates they would spend less than $1,500 on a weeklong trip to Florida if they went alone. He added that the couple would also have I saved money by staying in hostels And cheaper places in the past.
But with Koda, their total expenses for this trip were about $3,000.
For longer trips with Koda, they set a maximum budget of $6,000 for seven weeks. “We’re not trying to spend that much either, but we’re definitely putting a lot more aside for worst-case scenarios,” Salley said.
They recall one terrible incident where Koda had diarrhea 14 times on the road. They rushed her to the vet and spent $1,100 on X-rays and blood tests.
The couple say they always put money aside in case Koda needs to visit the vet. Paul Salley and Brianna Feehan
“It was a lot of money, and we wasted two or three days watching her go out and be sick. It was horrible,” Feehan said.
Salley added that pet owners who travel with their pets should consider purchasing pet insurance“Don't expect things to go as planned. There will always be surprises with an animal,” he said.
They found that Wyoming was the most dog-friendly state and Los Angeles was one of the least dog-friendly.
The couple found Alabama and Wyoming much more dog-friendly than cities like New York and Los Angeles. Paul Salley and Brianna Feehan
“We could just walk into a restaurant with our dog and eat with her sitting next to us at a table,” Feehan said of Wyoming.
Alabama is in second place. “The beaches, the bars, the shops – everywhere, dogs are accepted,” she added.
On the other hand, the couple said they would never take Koda to New York City for a vacation, even if they only live an hour away.
They one day cut their three-day trip short by Los Angeles because they saw a lack of dog-friendly accommodation – and were dismayed when they saw this one Dog park membership costs $120 per month.
“A lot of dogs live in Los Angeles, but we’re not used to city life, so we changed course and went somewhere else,” Feehan said.
Their next goal is to fly overseas with Koda
They are not alone. In June, a Forbes Advisor Survey A study of 10,000 dog owners in the United States found that 33% of them travel with their pets on planes. Of those, 37% also said that not being able to take their dog on the trip was their biggest inconvenience.
As more pet owners prefer to travel with their pets, some commercial airlines simplify the process of welcoming pets on board. American Airlines updated its policy in March to allow travelers to bring their pet on board in addition to one piece of carry-on baggage.
A growing number of shared private jet flights allow owners to travel more comfortably with their pets, even if the price is high. In April, BI reported on pet subscription service BarkBox launch of its ultra-luxury private jet carrierBark Air. The round-trip from New York to Los Angeles costs $12,000 and includes “dog champagne” and a private chef.
Some pet owners have gone further by arranging private jets for their animals. Hong Kong investment banker Gladys Tsoi told BI that she spent $38,000 She flies to Japan with her poodle on a private jet. Even though the trip was expensive, she plans another trip for her two dogs.
The couple can no longer see themselves travelling without Koda.
Koda now accompanies the couple on all their trips, and one of his favorite activities is sledding. Paul Salley and Brianna Feehan
“It’s so complete being the three of us. We don’t miss anything from home except the comforts of home,” Feehan said.
“It just helps us relax at our destination and enjoy the beauty of watching her swim or sniff,” Salley added.
Before they had Koda, they would wake up at sunrise to film and vlog all day. But with Koda, they have learned to slow down.
