This is Chico.
Like a lot of people, we got a dog soon after getting married. Although we never went overboard, Chico was our first "baby." (That all went out the window when Abbey arrived.) When we moved from Nebraska to Japan, we didn't know if we should bring him- they tell you not to bring your pets because housing that allows them is not guaranteed, and it is not always safe for them to travel. So Chico lived with my mom for a while then she brought him when she came to visit. (Thanks, Mom!)
Like a lot of people, we got a dog soon after getting married. Although we never went overboard, Chico was our first "baby." (That all went out the window when Abbey arrived.) When we moved from Nebraska to Japan, we didn't know if we should bring him- they tell you not to bring your pets because housing that allows them is not guaranteed, and it is not always safe for them to travel. So Chico lived with my mom for a while then she brought him when she came to visit. (Thanks, Mom!)
"I just flew in from Dallas, and boy, are my arms tired."
Now we are leaving Japan and we're rediscovering how unbelievably difficult it is to move a dog between countries. There is a lot of paperwork and everything on the kennel has to be just so. And because Chico is a snub-nosed dog, the temperature at which it is safe for him to travel is even lower than other dogs. So... the short version of this long story is that we are sending him tomorrow through a shipping company which specializes in this, so he will not be exposed to the heat. I am not going to tell you how much it costs because I would probably use some very un-Christian words in that sentence. Just please say a prayer for our poor little flying dog, for the little girl who will miss him for a while, for Chad to get him safely to the airport, and for me that my head won't explode if I hear the word "quarantine" again. And in case any of you are thinking of moving to another country with your dog, I personally do not recommend it!
In other news, there are no cute pictures of the girls for this post and may not be for a few days. We moved completely out of our house on Wednesday and cleaned. We have paid someone to do our final cleaning in the past, but this time we did it ourselves and it was a relief to know we passed. It was a lot of work but went smoothly overall. Now we are hanging out in the temporary lodging until we leave next week. Fortunately this TLF happens to be a 3 bedroom apartment, which is great since we seem to still have a LOT of stuff. The next couple of days will be sorting everything between the trash, suitcases, and post office. And of course, saying good-bye.... stay tuned.
9 comments:
I'll be thinking about you guys - and Chico! :)
Aw, good luck to Chico...of course you had to clean yourself, if you are paying to ship Chico back. I won't even guess at how much that costs! And good luck to you with all the rest!!!
Yay! Bethany's returning to the US next week!
I can only imagine the hassle of moving a dog across countries. I've looked up requirements for traveling with dogs before, on domestic flights and international flights, and it seems like the biggest pain in the world. You're such a good dog mom to bring Chico along to your Japanese adventure and now to bring him back home.
Kristine, If I am being honest, I am not so much a good dog mom as a good wife. If it had been up to me we would have found Chico a good home in Nebraska or Texas 3 years ago rather than subject all of us to this twice. But Chad just would not hear of it, so here we are! I can't even imagine what you would have to do to send Rosie anywhere. There are some airlines that will not even handle a dog that big. Good thing you now have the Newf-mobile!
Poor puppy. We never moved a dog in our military moves. I did have to say several traumatic goodbyes to my stuffed animals though.
Wow! First of all, Tokyo Disney looked like a blast! I'm glad the rain ceased long enough for you guys to enjoy some rides with dry clothes on. Congrats to Chad for climbing the mountain. What a cool thing! And poor, poor, Chico. I can only imagine how expensive that is. What a pain. But at least you know he will be well taken care of for when you get back! Heidi (my dog) would NEVER make it. She would be an absolute mess. I don't even want to think about that...
It was a big enough pain-in-the-neck to move our cats and birds the 500km we moved. (My mum brought them for us too.) I can't imagine the hassle it would be to transport a pet overseas! Glad you got through your final inspection. They are another pain-in-the-neck!! And how great that your temporary accomodation is big enough for you all. How are the girls comping with everything changing?
Good question, Mum-me. The girls seem to be doing well. It helps Abbey that the TLF building is actually very close to our house, and the apartment we are staying in is just like the one her friend lives in. We are keeping as many things the same as we can- routines, bedtime, etc. And we have been counting down the days until we leave and she knows we are going on vacation then. Elliott has been clingy at times but I try to take extra time to hold her. It helps too that she is still nursing. Really the thing that stresses them out the most is when I get stressed out! So I am trying to keep that under control.
Happy Traveling Chico!
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