Meet Louis, the 3-year-old Miniature Dachshund whose £50,000 holiday has earned him the title of the UK’s most spoiled dog. Joining his owner Charlotte Thomson and her partner Joey Auger on a three-month trip around Europe, the couple was forced to spend a small fortune to keep the little pooch happy.
Describing Louis as a ‘proper little diva dog’, Thomson says her forever friend is a ‘sensitive soul who gets upset easily’, a temperament that often sees the pounds flying from her purse. While traveling across Italy and France on their romantic getaway, Thomson and Auger spent £50,000 on luxury 15-room villas after the little Dachshund refused to sleep in dog-friendly hotels.
Because their bookings were last minute, their lavish accommodation choices cost them around £3,000 a week, but Thomson insists the pair aren’t flash and paid for the trip by renting out their newly renovated home in Cornwall.
"It cost us an absolute fortune because we realised after the first couple of hotels that he didn't like sharing accommodation, but we’re not flamboyant, we don’t waste money on things. We’d just finished renovating our house in Portreath and put it up for rent on Airbnb for the summer and that sort of paid for the trip” Thomson explained.
Before setting off on their adventure the pair also purchased a £45,000 Porsche Cayenne which they were forced to sell after just a day when Louis had a panic attacking while being taken for a spin.
“We bought the car to travel in because it was big and pure luxury with heated leather seats and I thought it would fit all our bags in, it seemed like the perfect option,” Thomson explains. Turns out the sensitive Dachshund wasn’t so keen. “When I put Louis in his little car seat in the back he just sat there shaking like a leaf because it was so noisy. We tried him five or six times up the road and he completely freaked out.”
Forced to get rid of her dream car and losing £5,000 in the process, Thomson finally found a car that got Louis’ paw of approval - a quiet Mercedes E Class Convertible that cost her £30,000.
If you think it’s just holidays that Louis is particular about, think again. The sweet and lovable Daschund is prone to being just as diva-like at home, refusing to walk in the rain and expecting to be carried in a shopping bag to keep his paws dry.
“It's like pulling a Doberman sometimes when you try and make him walk and he doesn't want to, you would be surprised at just how strong he is for such a little pooch,” Thomson says, adding “he's got such a personality and he's so strong-willed.”
While the holiday cost them a pretty penny, Thomson says she’s utterly devoted to Louis and would never go anywhere without him. "Louis and I are just best friends. He's my little buddy, my little sidekick, he comes everywhere with me. He makes me laugh so much, if I feel sad or if I'm stressed he comes and sits on the sofa and just puts his paw on me. It's like he knows what I'm thinking, he's so loving."
With plenty of years left ahead of him, we have a feeling this pampered pooch is in for many more unforgettable adventures.
