This blog is primarily for my family and friends, so if one of those folks sent you here, I am a small animal veterinarian (for 23 years) who has moved her 5 dogs and 3 cats from Savannah, GA, USA to Pyeongtaek, South Korea to follow my husband who is an engineer (civilian) with the US Army Corps of Engineers.
We have been here for almost 3 days now, and the creatures are settling in. As most of you know, the 15 1/2 year old papillon Dollar and 4 year old chihuahua Pancho flew from Atlanta to Detroit and then Seoul in the cabin with me and my niece, Alyse Fandrich. Marie the 7 year old whippet and 2 of the cats, Becca who is 10 or so and Rita who is 3, flew in checked baggage. Everyone has asked about the animals, and some folks I have answered, but at the risk of repeating myself, let me get everyone else up to date.
Dollar and Pancho who were in cabin did great. They ate, drank, slept and made very little noise. Alyse and I took the boys into the Family bathroom at the Detroit airport where we put potty pads down and said 'go potty'. Pancho whined for a few minutes then urinated while Dollar was not about to relieve himself in 'the house'. After we had eaten supper on the plane and folks were settling in for sleep, I took Dollar into the airplane bathroom and expressed his bladder on a potty pad, i.e. I squeezed his bladder until he peed. He really did have to go.
The pets in checked baggage were a little worse for the wear. Their crates had obviously not been tied down. None of the little white plastic water bowls were still attached, and even the metal bucket I had put in Marie's crate was floating around in there with her. The cats and their bedding were covered in the lovely paste made by the combination of Tidy Cat scoopable litter and water. I have yet to bring myself to torture any one with a bath other than myself.
Our departure from Detroit was delayed by two hours, so we arrived quite late into Seoul. As Alyse and I were waiting by the baggage carousel, I heard the unmistakable name 'Fandrich' announced with a Korean flair. I found the young woman paging me. She said I needed to claim my creatures NOW. I left Alyse with the baggage carousel (another woman tried to get Alyse to go with me, but I made her stay), and found the fur kids. Marie saw me and immediately began whining. Rita was under her bed, and Becca was at the front of her crate. She gave me a pleasant 'meow' when I said her name. She was just watching the world go by. I left the crates to get a couple of carts, and Marie started screaming when I walked away. A good 'HUSH!' stopped that, and I loaded Marie's crate onto one cart and the cats onto another. There was no one to help me push, so I used a zip tie to keep the handle depressed on one cart and pushed it with the other one. About half way to quarantine, a young man was there to help. At the quarantine station, I produced my own microchip scanner, and we had the kids scanned and okayed in a matter of minutes. Customs was no problem, took seconds, and we were in the main waiting area. There was no sign of Bill. After waiting a few minutes, I found someone to page him (my phone does not work here), and in another couple minutes, I saw him, and I have rarely been happier than that moment. With some creativity we loaded everything into the van he borrowed from work, and off we went. Two hours' drive to get home, another hour or so to get creatures settled, then we collapsed into bed.
I shall end the days' posting there. I will do my best to write daily, and I will add pictures soon.
What I have learned thus far in this experience: A)They don't tie down crates in checked baggage, so you better tie down those bowls, beds, and whatever else is in that crate. If it can fly, don't put it in there. I had thought about giving Marie one of the Nylabone hard chews she loves. Good thing I didn't, it might have beaten her up. B)My dogs will eat any time, any where. If you will eat in a soft sided crate under some stranger's backside 38,000 feet in the air, you are dedicated to the act of filling your stomach. C)Becca is one cool cucumber of a cat. Her life's experiences have obviously given her the confidence that she can handle anything. I want to emulate that. D)I must really, truly love my husband. Now, don't get me wrong, I know I love him, but to put myself and the creatures I care more for than most people I know (no offense) is an intense act of love. Ya'll take care, and come back, now, ya hear?
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