And that may also be true of Mexico and dogs, but consider the information I have gathered this week:
The Mexican Consulate in New York simply does not answer the telephone. Never. Ditto the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC. Nobody picks up after multiple, mesmerizing rings. So who knows if we need rabies documentation only, or if we need Raja’s AKC registration and paw print?
An expert in butterflies from the Toronto, Canada Wings of Paradise Butterfly Sanctuary says the following: The hike to the El Rosario Sanctuary is at 10,000 feet. You will possibly faint on the way. You will not be able to carry your dog if he gets tired walking the four miles because, at that altitude, the weight is unbearable. At the gates to the sanctuary, armed guards with machine guns will be likely to stop you and your canine. They take their butterflies seriously in Valle de Brava. (Some people worry a great deal and are likely to need a fitness program.) (I’m just saying…)
A businesswoman in Mexico City tells me that the Sanctuary in El Rosario is a family friendly place and, if we buy a ticket for Raja, nobody will mind his seeing the Monarchs.
A series of vacation web sites indicate that very ordinary looking people have gotten to El Rosario without fainting or being machine gunned. And so it goes.
Why am I even concerned? Here’s why… Places used to dog travel are very urbane about Fluffy in the Musée National. In places less doggy, without knowing the rules and rights, one is subject to petty tyrants- like that horrid man who saw Raja sleeping in his travel bag in Marrakech, Morocco and refused to let us in the St. Laurent Gardens, even though it was clear that Raja’s paws would never touch the ground. So I want to know what I can do and what the system demands.
I’m not irritated yet. Complaining about how to get Raja to the mountains of Valle de Brava is a true luxury…. Which brings me to my main point this post: My friend Claudine cannot afford the residual costs of her ampullary cancer treatments. She spent her last dime on a misinformed doctor who mistreated her problem with debilitating radiation and chemo and then dropped her hopelessly with the statement, “I guess this is God’s will.” If you have the inclination and an extra few dollars, please follow this link, read and help her out a bit if you can. http://colette.chipin.com/fundraiser
May all our butterfly dreams come true and, sincerely, may all sentient beings attain happiness.