Hey all. Since January I’ve been fostering a dog for a lady (Alice) who turned out to be evil and crazy and keeps her innumerable dogs and cats in small, separate cages. She doesn’t walk the dogs, and never lets the cats out. Ugh. So after failing to find a new home for Xiaobai here (for more info and a picture of her, check out my post in “Rescues and Adoptions”), I’ve semi-convinced a couple friends of mine in Minnesota to take her when they move to New Mexico in September (I’ll also be living with them down there for about six months before jetting off to do some working/volunteering abroad for a couple years).
One of the especially crappy bits is that before I found out about the Alice Situation, I’d planned and bought tickets for a month-long backpacking trip around SE Asia. My sister is even flying out form the states to join me, so I really can’t cancel it. So… I need to somehow find someone who’s planning on flying to Minneapolis and who’d be willing to add her to her ticket…or however it works. I’d pay for all her expenses, of course, and I’d be happy to give this person a nice shiny NT5000 for their help.
The second crappy part is that until yesterday I thought that XiaoBai had been vaccinated for rabies. Apparently she hasn’t, even though she’d been to the vet about 100 times before she came to stay with me (and 100 times after - she was a stray who was hit by a car). Since I just read that she needs to have her rabies shot not less than one month prior to departure, and I’m leaving for my trip June 10th, and assuming that I can get this done at a vet clinic tomorrow, that I need to find someone going to MN sometime between June 7th and the 10th. Oh god, this isn’t possible!
Another option is that I pay another person (or the courier more, if s/he’l do this) to take care of XiaoBai from the 10th until whenever the MN person is flying out.
Hey, so I was wrong about the rabies thing, thank god. I just called Xiaobai’s first fosterer to make sure and she told me she was mistaken before. So yay!
Still need someone going to MN, though. Anytime in late May or June. Even if you’re planning on going later, let me know.
For anyone interested in helping XiaoBai in his flight to freedom, I can assure you that very little is expected of you, and everything will be done for you. The dog will meet you at the airport, will be weighed and the excess baggage fee paid (not by you, of course), then sent onto the plane with the baggage. You won’t see her again until she appears on or near the arrivals baggage carousel, and you just wheel her through customs etc. into the hands of the people waiting to pick her up. It really is a simple, completely painless, and incredibly rewarding act.
(I’m sure you wouldn’t even feel the need to take the money offer; it’s that easy ).
but I think she still needs a medical certificate and possibly a rabies shot dated in this month before the trip. confirm that before you set it up. Good luck.
Hi Tsmesis, as mentioned in the other thread, I know a Vet to take care of all your paper work. Just contact me in advance.
OK, next a flight to Minnesota. Are there any travel agents here at Forumosa? Maybe a traveler with reservations heading that way would do this noble, painless task with your red envelope or better yet for free!
Hi Tmesis, will Chicago work? I know that’s a road trip from Minnesota, but if your friends or someone you know can receive XiaoBai in Chicago at the end of this month (Memorial Day weekend), a friend of mine would be happy to take XiaoBai along. Let me know what you think. Meantime, I’ll keep asking about Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Eric, you are a wonder. That definitely might work. Just have to ask around to see if anyone’s interested in a roadtrip around that time. Is it a direct flight?
Otherwise, I’m working on adjusting my flight to allow for a stopover in Taipei on my way from Bangkok to LA to Minneapolis. But, I change airlines in LA and there’s also a five hour wait at LAX; a more directish flight to chicago would be oh so much better.
Whatever you do Tmesis, don’t tell them about XiaoHei!
Well you beat me to the message board by about two minutes. I was going to mention that I’ll be able to get the details on his trip back to the States on Saturday. He lives in Taiwan, but is not here at the moment. His final destination is Moline, Illinois, which is about a 50 min. propeller flight from Chicago. Apparently, his bags will be going all the way through to Moline, but I would think it would be possible to spare XiaoBai that last leg of the journey.
Anyway, I will get the full details on the flight schedule as well as which carrier… China Air, Northworst or whatever, and then follow up with the carrier to make sure that they know we want somebody to receive XiaoBai in Chicago.
Regardless if XiaoBai flies now or later, you have to start thinking about a crate. I can help you purchase a pretty good one in the Hoping West Road area, nice and lightweight, which will save you on the cost. We have to tell the carrier the dimensions of the crate and combined weight of the dog and crate beforehand.
I’ll post more about the flight on Sunday, and in the meantime, if there is anyone who has taken a dog to Chicago (Namahottie, are you out there?), please feel free to chime in and let us know how it all went.
Believe me Tmesis, it is all worth it. I have taken some dogs back with me on my trips back to the States and the results have been spectacular. More to come Sunday. And of course, if anyone has a good local opportunity for XiaoBai, please help…THKS!
I’ve found someone in Minnesota willing to make the trip, so now all that needs to be done is hope that your friend’s airline isn’t Northwest or any other crappy old one that doesn’t have properly insulated luggage compartments.
Okay, I found out he is flying United. Taipei-Tokyo-Chicago. He has a connecting flight after arriving in Chicago, so there are a couple things that I am going to have to check with United:
I need to check if he can check-in at Taipei with his regular baggage going to his final destination, and the excess baggage (XiaoBai) only going as far as Chicago. Regardless he will be going through customs in Chicago, but if he is on a domestic connecting flight, the suitcases normally go elsewhere after customs so they don’t need to check them in again for the domestic flight.
I need to check if your friend (the receiver) can receive XiaoBai without him having to go to the receiving area.
I’ll call United tomorrow. Meantime, can you tell me how much XiaoBai weighs and also please contact me by phone 0916-137-942. It’s time to start all of the procedures for getting the health certificate, checking the chip-ID, etc.
Also, if Namahottie is out there, please let us know or send a PM indicating how you recently picked your dogs up in Chicago. TKS!
Great! I checked United’s website and the summer embargo only affects pets with snub-noses, so yay! When she was last at the vet, XiaoBai weighed about 15kg.
I’ll give you a call tonight. Are you free after 9?
Okay I called United and they say our plan should be doable, so I think we are in business. Departure date is May 29 or 30 I believe, so for sure, give me a call anytime. We definitely need to get the ball rolling.
Hey Eric, sorry about not giving you a call last night, as promised. I was teaching a lot later than expected. Tuesdays aren’t as busy for me so I’ll for sure give you a ring tonight.
And… the flight’s on the 29th or 30th? That worries me because my friends can only make it to Chicago during the weekend… unless the 29th and 30th are days people get off from work? I can never remember.
).