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Owner Of Portly Service Dog That Flew First Class Talks About 'Hank The Tank'

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The owner of a very large service dog that became famous overnight is speaking out after someone posted a picture of the boxer boarding a flight at LAX.

The rather unflattering image of the overweight pooch gained him the nickname "Hank the Tank."

The dog flies first class with his owner, Kari Whitman, a former Playboy Playmate.

Whitman is now an interior decorator to the stars like Melanie Griffith and Kristen Bell.

Whitman suffers from optical migraines and says Hank has an uncanny ability to let her know when a headache is coming so she can take her medicine.

"He knows before I know," she says.

Hank is overweight because of a thyroid condition and complications from a torn ligament.

But Whitman says he is currently on a diet and has recently lost about 20 pounds.

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