Meet Hank, the fat dog who flies first class

Monday was the day we met Hank, though we didn’t know his name yet, through a photo and a tweet by an observant traveler:

Madeleine is right, this is a very large dog. He also, according to her account, is living his very best large dog life:

Madeleine was intrigued by Hank, as we all were, and did a little bit of digging to learn more.

She told Mashable that on board the plane, Hank was being a very good dog:

The dog boarded the plane last and sat in the front row of first class with his owner, who’d seemingly purchased two tickets. The dog spent most of the flight lying on the ground near its seat, and didn’t bark or make noise for the duration of the trip.

She added, “Everyone, both while boarding the plane and on the plane before takeoff, was speculating as to how the dog got so fat… You could legitimately hear hushed whispers of ‘He’s riding first class.'”

According to Dogster, Hank’s full name is of course Hank the Tank. He belongs to a woman named Kari Whitman, an interior designer who makes eco-friendly dog beds for celebrities like Jessica Alba. Whitman is also the founder of a dog rescue called Ace of Hearts. Hank was a rescue dog, per Dogster:

Whitman’s own dog, Hank the Tank, is one of the ones with special needs. The 165-pound Mastiff moves with the help of a cart. He requires a great deal of care and attention, which is why he is her only dog.

How could we not fall in love with Hank? He is also a world traveler, according to his Instagram account, and can detect seizures.

And is generally adorable, according to Whitman’s Instagram:

Good boy, Hank.

Danielle Wiener-Bronner is a news reporter.