Any angels traveling to Valparaiso willing to bring two old Labradors? Help please!

[grickle]

Hi folks. I know this is a long shot and a lot to ask, but is there anyone who travels from anywhere in the U.S. to Valparaiso, Chile who would be willing to transport a couple of old Labrador retrievers free or at a reasonable price? I'm relocating near there and the weight limits on checking large dogs as excess baggage on flights is too little when adding the newer heavier airline pet travel crates. We depart in less than 3 weeks so there is not enough time to get one dog's weight down enough to take her and the other goes nuts if they're separated. The cost of shipping them as air cargo separately from us is several times more and a bit out of reach for us as I stay at home with our two kids on a teacher's salary. Although my family can keep them for us, it would be so sad to leave them behind after 13 years with our beloved pets. I'm just silly enough to think there might be some angels out there.

[maj75]

Good Luck.

You might want to post where you are located.

Are you hoping that a yachtie would take your 13 year old labs on their boat to Valparaiso? That's a long trip and would be very difficult for your dogs not to mention a HUGE responsibility for the boat owner. Are your dogs comfortable going to the bathroom on a boat? Are they liable to get seasick in rough weather?

As I said good luck with this, but you may want to re-think that plan. Save up after you get there and have the dogs shipped later.

[JPA Cate]

grickle,

Large dogs have a very hard time on small boats, because the boats lurch about. Your 13 yr. olds will not be too spry, either, increasing the difficulty for them. The stress would be considerable for them. It is cyclone season in the northern hemisphere.

I think it will be better for all concerned if you let your family care for them, and reconsidering shipping them. However, at their ages, shipping them will also be stressful.
Sometimes the airlines fail to provide water (happened to my dog). You may want to take a good hard look at what will be best for these veterans, as they may well be happier with the family members than having the other stressors. You might want to discuss the situation with your vet.

Ann

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by grickle

Hi folks. I know this is a long shot and a lot to ask, but is there anyone who travels from anywhere in the U.S. to Valparaiso, Chile who would be willing to transport a couple of old Labrador retrievers free or at a reasonable price? I'm relocating near there and the weight limits on checking large dogs as excess baggage on flights is too little when adding the newer heavier airline pet travel crates. We depart in less than 3 weeks so there is not enough time to get one dog's weight down enough to take her and the other goes nuts if they're separated. The cost of shipping them as air cargo separately from us is several times more and a bit out of reach for us as I stay at home with our two kids on a teacher's salary. .

Are you saying your dog weighs more than 77 pounds? If you fly AA you can take a dog in the hold of the same plane from anywhere in the US to anywhere in South America for US$175 if in a Petsafe 400-series crate with a total weight (dog plus 23-lb crate) of 100 pounds. I have done it myself. It took a bit of planning but hey, what does not take some planning?....Their MD-80s and 737s for the domestic leg in the US will only take up to 400-series crates because of the height of the cargo doors. That size of crate appears small for a big Lab but mine got used to it.

If a 13-year old lab weights more than 77 pounds then it probably would not be safe to take these dogs on a boat even if the owner/skipper was willing to do it... Boat movement is harsh on dogs´ joints....

My Lab would eat more than US$175 of food while doing the same trip under sail.

[stevensc]

I imagine someone going from the US to Valparaiso would be looking at a 3 or 4 month trip, or more, with stops along the way in countries that might not be dog friendly. I'd hate to be the one to break the news if one of the dogs didn't survive.
I do know horses are shipped by plane between the US and several South American countries, polo players and breeders maybe you could look into that possibility?
Steve W

[JPA Cate]

It would take some incredibly angelic angels to take on two large elderly dogs for 3 - 4 months. Just think of the claws on the cabin sole. Re-surfacing time there! Let alone any potential medical problems of the dogs...or of the folks on the boat.

Do they get seasick? (dehydration danger) Prone to diarrhea (dehydration danger again) Abilities of each to cope with highly restricted spaces for weeks?

Grickle, I don't want to be cruel, but I really do not think this is a good idea. Aside from the welfare of your labs, it's a huge ask of a sailor, especially since no one would want to bring you bad news, and that seems a likely outcome. Do, please, discuss the situation with your dogs' vet.



Ann