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Saturday, September 06, 2008

My Boy

Update : A few of you have asked how long it will be before my boy can join us in Hong Kong. Well, unfortuantely, the Canary Islands are classified as rabies-infected and Hong Kong is rabies-free. Therefore to land my pets from Tenerife, would mean four months of quarantine here, even though they have had their rabies vaccinations every year.

The alternative, and the one I am currently exercising is to have them travel to the UK on the EU Pet Passport scheme. This involves a six-month process in Tenerife whereby they do blood tests and repeat them until they are given a clean bill of health. They can then land in the UK without quarantine. However, to travel to Hong Kong after that, they have to have been in the UK for a further six months before they gain quarantine-free status on entering Hong Kong. While Rhona has bought into the six months in Tenerife (it started in August), I will have to find them a loving home for the six months in the UK, from February to August. Basically I'm looking at just under a year right now.

The option, for quarantine in Hong Kong, worries me as I've never put an animal through that and I'm not sure how they would survive it. I'd visit every day, of course, but it would probably break all our hearts, having to walk away every day for four months. I've also heard that the quarantine kennels in Hong Kong are not the nicest places, so the 12-month route does seem to be the best for the two boys.


This picture says it all, when I think about how my boy misses me, and I miss him.

He's no longer allowed on the sofa (Rhona's b/f thinks it's not right - I however have a different take on things). This was the second day we were there, enjoying the apartment without Rhona and her parasitic partner. Steve and I sat on the sofa and right away, Lupo climbed up between us, settled down like this and promptly fell into a long, deep sleep. I swear there's a smile on his face in that picture. This wasn't about him trying to come between Steve and I as, later that day, he positioned himself towards Steve and snuggled into him, sharing his love with both of us. Not to be outdone, you can see Toffee jockeying for a place and the late Sai-Loh already settled along my left thigh (his rear end is visible next to Toffee's head).

I saw in Lupo at that moment, an intense sense of peace, safety and comfort. He was home again, his real home, and I swear he was smiling. Rhona can say what she wants about animals not belonging on furniture - and that is a new thing she has bought into since the boyfriend came into her life, before then Lupo even had his own armchair as a bed instead of a thin blanket on the hard floor. When this dog, supposedly trained to keep off the furniture, climbed up without hesitation, to be close to me like this, that is his heart speaking. And his heart speaks so clearly to me, as it has always done.

He and Steve took to each other right away and I'm so happy about that. I can't wait to have Lupo with us. And on the furniture if that's where he feels most loved.


14 comments:

kimba said...

Ohh bless him.. dear little darlings.
It's very hard to write this as Taz has jumped onto my lap and has pinned my right hand to the keyboard.. he's sitting here staring at the screen.. bum on my belly and paw on hand..in a silent protest to how long I have spent on the computer (true we just got back from an hour walk - and I have jumped on here for 10 minutes)

When will Toffee and Lupo join you?

Fusion said...

Hey Kimba, does he have you trained or what, ay? Good on ya Taz! ;)

Fiona: I miss both my dogs now, and especially my black lab Chelsea, because my daughter and boyfriend keep her outside in the garage, and she has always been a indoor dog till a year ago. Grrr, at least Taz has a good owner taking care of him!

And yes, when will you get your dogs there? I hope soon!

~Just Me Miranda~ said...

aww so cute, we used to have a german sheppard, they're so sweet

Constance said...

Precious... And dogs are family. They belong where your heart is :)

patsy said...

he is absolutely beautiful, fi! definitely a lap dog! and he is wearing the biggest smile ~ love it!

Anonymous said...

He's beautiful. You must miss him so much.

~Tim said...

What gorgeous pups!

S'mee said...

Our Westie has his own chair. I've had to saw the legs off as the poor old thing has difficulty with the height of it now. It's an age thing.

Fiona said...

aaaaah Kimba, there's nothing quite like the love of a dog :) It's a bit complicated with regard to the joining thing. As a couple of people asked, I'll pin a little update with that information, on the post.

John - I know you must miss your little fella in Oz but also your lab. I don't know about you, but it pissed me off no end to see Lupo relegated to the floor - but the garage, well that would do me in!!

Thank you Miranda :) Noone is too sure exactly what Lupo is, one vet reckons there is akita in there (he makes akita sounds), another said he reckons husky (he has the coat of a husky). He does look like a german shepherd cross. All I know is he's my boy, and always will be, no matter how many years of miles separate us.

Annie - My parents always had pets and they had some amazing dogs. But Lupo, well he's very special. They really are family and I can't wait to give him back his rightful place.

Patsy - Thank you :) I do love that smile of his. He let off the biggest sigh just before he fell asleep. I raised him from the age of a few weeks and I believe that's where our incredible bond comes from.

Deb - I do, I really do. I have missed him for almost eight years. There I was thinking he was better off in Tenerife, the beach, the snow, the runs. But I've come to a completely different opinion since my last visit and now I just want him with me.

Tim - just the one :) And thank you, yes, he is one amazing dog. It would be impossible to meet him and not love him :)

S'mee - oh my, I wonder if that will happen to our furniture as we get older...we're about to go on the search for a new bed - perhaps we should be avoiding those super-high ones, I'd hate to find it too difficult to hop up on it!!!

anna said...

He's so so sweet! I have tears in my eyes - I'm such a sucker for puppies of all ages.

I'd feel uncomfortable about the quarantine situation too. I think your plan sounds best.

Fiona said...

Anna - how in the heck are you :)

He's a special one is Lupo, they don't come around that often, dogs like that :) It would rip my heart out to see him in quarantine here. They don't let them out of their pens, don't exercise or play with them and I've heard they hose down the concrete pens with them standing there!!!!

Veracity said...

Ohhh.. I could've sworn I left a comment. *scratches head* Anyway, just to say I love the pic of you and Lupo... Your love for animals shines through and through! ; )

Sunny Delight said...

He is gorgeous!Thanks for adding the update, when I read this in my reader, that was my first question. *S*

Quite a long process it seems, kind of sad, but it does sound as if they will be better off with you.

Hugs.

Fiona said...

Hi Sunny - I do love, love, LOVE that hound :) Yes, it's sad and I hate having him moved all over the place but if I can find him somewhere nice, he'll be on holiday :)

It has been a hard almost-eight years without him and I can't wait to go walkies. But the BEST is going to be when we finally move to MI with all the snow!!!!!

Hugs right back atcha :)

 

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