A Doggone-sized Dilemma

For weeks, we'd be dithering over whether to ship our pet schnauzer. We started out with the intention of shipping, but did some research and balked at the cost and paperwork. $2k just to export him to melbourne! And that's not counting the cost of the 30-day quarantine in melb and any other vet fees, inspections etc he may chalk up. And what if he dies in transit or in quarantine (it happened to my friend's pekinese)?

On 3 Aug, a close friend was at my place having tea and we were chatting about this subject. She looked closely at Scottie and then pronounced, "You know, I wouldn't mind having him." She then proceeded to list all the reasons why she would make a perfect new owner for him. She lives opp. Bishan Park (which contains a dog run), is about to become a housewife (which means she has time to walk him), there are several pet shops and groomers within walking distance of her home, her 2 1/2 year-old son loves animals, she herself used to own cats so she knows a thing or two about having pets.

Anyway, I found it really interesting that she was more taken with the idea of adopting Scottie than I was sure about giving him up (tho' I i could see the logic of what she was saying). We agreed to discuss with the matter with our spouses - "and Beth", she added. "Are you sure she won't mind leaving Scottie behind?"

So that evening, as I walked Beth home from the school bus, I asked what she thought about helping Scottie find a new home. Beth knows my friend and her son because we meet at Bishan Park once every few months. She thought about it and decided it was ok for David (the little boy) to have Scottie. Hubby had no major objections.

That night, however, said friend called apologetically to say her hubby was not so keen on the idea.

Again, interestingly, I did not experience any sense of having been let down. It was almost as if I were emotionally detached from the situation, as if God had cushioned me in advance so that I would be able to deal with any outcome.

It seems to me that God wants us to take Scottie with us. There are certainly enough reasons:

• He's one of us (he was here before Beth!).
• We can't imagine not having him around (even if we don't give him as much attention as he deserves).
  He could help us adjust to our new surroundings and teach us a thing or two about being accepting and good-natured in all circumstances.
• He's a great watchdog (not a bad thing in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, esp. with 2 little ones at home).
• He's an Ozzie after all!

So this morning, we had a first discussion with the pet exporter (The Pet Hotel @ Pasir Ris) and handed over a cheque for 50% of the quote. They will initiate the paperwork and be responsible for getting Scottie on board a plane for melb.

But the story doesn't end here. This evening, I texted some friends to announce our impending move. One of them - hubby's nephew - asked if we were sure we wanted to ship Scottie. He mentioned that the quarantine process is cruel, and asked if we thought of rehoming him. When I asked if he was open to having Scottie, he said he didn't mind, as he already had an "animal farm" of sorts going on his bungalow: 8 cats & 1 dog! He did however add a caveat: we would need to try Scottie out for a week to see if he can get along with the resident male dog.

Life is never boring!