little bear

Hi all,

Haven't been on here for a while but really needing some other opinions on my awful dilema-

right here goes (can feel myself welling up already):-

We had our visas granted in June this year, we have been back in Uk a few weeks after a trip out to Perth to validate our visas, we had hoped to be out there by now, but due to a few things it was just not gonna happen (had to validate by 7th Dec 06 as i had front loaded our police checks). We now have our house on the market and have had an offer, which is great but one reason-we have a beautiful black Labrador who is going to be 14years old tommorow, although he is very slowly fading due to his age (usual arthritis, lumps appearing and becoming very picky with his eating-not a normal lab trait at all) he is still the happiest and 'love life' dog i know, we still pootle up the road for a daily stroll and he still loves to greet anyone who comes through our door (although some days he just can't quite muster up the energy to get up out of his bed).

I am not ashamed to say i absolutely, totally and utterly love him to pieces and have worried since June about this situation that is now very much here. We have 3 children that are aged nearly 13, 11 & nearly 9, the most ideal time for us to go out to Perth would be in time for the new school year in Feb 07, we are all very excited about going and can't wait to get stuck in to living in Oz, my problem being what do i do with my little treasure, i have been to see 2 independent vets and both have said that he would not be able to travel that distance, i feel like i am torn in two, i have the emotion of real excitment for our new adventure and knowing it would be best for the kids to try and go within the next couple/three months, but on the other hand i feel guilty and gutted as i know Mac won't be part of this, also what do i do with him? he normaly goes to stay with my mum when we are away but she has already said that my stepdad is not prepared to give him a home permanently, besides which i'm not sure if i can bring myself to just desert him.

any objective views would be appreciated

very stressed little bear x

Rosie Cheeks

That's awful. I am so sorry to hear about your lovely doggie.
I don't have any advice at all, but surely your mum and stepdad could help you out. If I were in the UK right now I would be there like a shot to help you.

TruBrit

entirely agree poor old boy

why not get him off to the vets asap for a check up and their thoughts on the journey. time is running pretty short if you plan to go in feb 07 and the poor old boy may need a new home, it's so sad when the pets get left behind for whatever reason

best of luck

esperanza

What a lucky dog to have you as an owner. I have a black lab too, but luckily he will only be three when we go next year.

I think you have got to do what is best for you and your family (your human family). However much you love your dog you have got to prioritise your children and do what is best for them and for you.
Is there someone you can leave the dog with in the UK who you know would look after him? That would be the ideal option, I think. At 14 he can't have all that long left to go, so it would not be such an imposition as a young dog might be.
I do feel for you, but imo you don't really have much choice about what to do. I hope you get through it with the minimum amount of pain & upset for you and your lab.

Donna&Neil

Oh my god!
We really feel for you and appreciate some of what that must feel like. We also have a dog we adore and have spent may hours discussing, worrying trying to decide what would be best for him. It must be terrible for you to have been told by vets that it would not be possible for Mac to travel and be part of your new life. Do you feel that you have other options regarding re housing him? or are you prepared to delay your departure?
We really sympathise with your awful predicament.

username 34

I know this one only too well - we had a fantastic yellow lab called Bomber, huge personality and as integral to our family as any one of us.

Due to a medical condition and the climate we have moved to we were unable to bring him - I'll openly admit I cried for days before he left, and for MONTHS after. He lives with friends of ours and we visit him every time we're back in the UK and he recognises us and is so happy.

I know we did the right thing but it almost broke our hearts leaving him but he's incredibly happy where he is - our friends are obsessed with him - but of all the things we had to leave behind he affected us most.

we now have 2 island dogs here - they stay outside and its great to have them although not the same as a usual pet dog. It would have been a disaster to bring him which gives us comfort but didnt make the decision any easier to bear.

sel

Why not just take him ???? ... I did with our old cat because in the end I just couldnt leave her. She has health issues but I still thought it was worth the risk as she would stress out anyway if I rehomed her. Anyway, she is now enjoying her retirement in the sun

little bear

thanks guys for all the replies, i have now managed to stop the tears long enough to type!

Unfortuately my mum has made it very clear that as much as they like to have him stay they definately couldn't and wouldn't do it on a permanent basis, i do know where my mum is coming and understand their reasons. I do have other options- i have a client (i am a hairdresser) who has 2 bitch Labs that are 3 & 6 yrs old, she vaguely said back in the summer (July time) that she would give him a home but when we were on the subject a couple of weeks ago she never mentioned giving him a home again and i felt that she possibly said it back in the summer thinking the situation would never arise. Another option i have is my best friend, who would love him dearly and i know would take great care of him but she has two dogs of her own, one is a young retriever who is lovely but is like Tigger on springs (it would be like putting a 92 yr old man with a very demanding 2 yr old) and another terrier cross which is very grizzly with other dogs (including Mac) also my friend works long and eratic hours and although her dogs are well adjusted Mac is used to me being around as i work part-time, the other option is a stranger-not really an option as far as i'm concerned.

In my many waking hours last night i had considered the husband and kids go on ahead in couple/three months and i move into rented accomodation senario while Mac has the rest of his time, husband wasn't very keen at all when i mentioned it this morning (he is not quite as attached to Mac as i am) and i know in my heart of hearts that is no way to start a new life in Oz, it would also kill me being the other side of the world from them for a week let alone any longer, then there is the other option-but i can't even bring myself to think about that one,

i so wish i had a crystal ball

little bear x

little bear

that is brill, how did you convince the vet?
i have had two independent vets that have both said he would not be fit enough to travel and it would probably kill him,also he shakes like a jelly when he goes a mile up the road in the car!

little bear x

gobbyjock

We too have had this problem to think about - we have a 9 yr old white boxer, he has a heart problem, bone fusion on his back bone, has a bad allergic reaction to ticks and has just had an operation to remove a cancerous lump. After our latest discussion with our vet (who is an Australian from Perth funnily enough) we have decided not to take him. Luckily a friend is only too happy to take him and we know he will loved and spoiled rotten, we are giving him up in a couple of weeks because they have a few weeks on holiday so it will give the dog a chance to settle (also I felt the longer we held on to him the harder it will be). We are all upset by this (yes I know he`s only a dog but he`s my baby boy) my daughter is very upset but I do feel we are doing whats best for him - if he was a couple of years younger and in better health then there wouldn`t even be a discussion , he`d be coming with us. I feel we are in a no win situation - hope you can reach the best decision for you and your dog!

katsmajic

We're in a similar situation with my old girl lhasa apso, shes 12, which isnt very very old but shes already had a stroke, shes got 12 small benign tumours and is a real crank!
The vet has already said it wont be fair to take her, the flight would be too traumatic and the quarantine could kill her off completely.
I dont think i could leave her with anyone but my mum, but shes not too keen on having her as she doesnt like her gsd...
The vet says to review her in spring but thinks, especially if the tumours turn it will be kinder to let her go to sleep.
I cry about doing it now..

my boy will be going to live with a relative, hes 7 and hates the heat.
Good luck with everthing. xxx

Whitby whaler

First of all, all those people who read this who don't have a dog you will never know the heart ache they can cause, so don't bother posting any stupid comments!, if you love dogs then you will understand.
I cannot give you any advice it will be your decision that you will have decide and to live with. We lost 3 english setters in 18 months and it broke our hearts, 16,15 and 12.We now have a 6 year old, one of our breeders show dogs, we are looking into moving to oz in 2007/8 and my wife knows that if our dog can't go for any reason we don't, for me it's that simple. They are just my personal views, i wish i could be more helpful.

Nigel.

Ian & Sharon

Stuff the Vets and take him.

We would not have made the move over here if we could not bring our "Ben", he's a big daft black Lab.
I would contact Golden Arrow and ask the question? They must have transported older dogs, asked them there opinion.

In the 3 years we have been here "Ben" has gone back to being a young dog, he runs, plays and thinks he's a puppy again, he's 9!

We have found the move has been good for not only us but for him as well.

sassycat

So so sorry. I have a golden retreiver and I know I could not go without him - he is like my children and my heart truly does go out to you and your family.

If I was not going next year I would offer Max a home - may have to get rid of my OH - but needs must

Could you not ask the pet couriers their opinions? Surely they would know if this is a viable option?

Only you and your family can decide what is best for everyone involved - human and hound and I truly do wish you all the best with such an impossible situation.

With Love Sas x-x-x-x

yvsie

Oh you poor thing- what a dilema it is isn't it?

When we were planning to come, for the first 6 months I was going to leave my then 12 year old jack russell with my mum. She too, like your mum later said that she really couldn't take the responsibility on. We had other offers from friends who said they would have her but I just couldn't bring myself to leave her with anyone else. I rang Golden Arrow and the man there was so lovely. He told me that he had shipped lots of older dogs with no problems. He also posed the question of how if we had left her with someone how they would feel having to tell us that our dear Maisie had died.
In the end we decided to bring her but the vets had agreed that she was fit enough which helped the decision making.
She is now 16 and although not quite as fit- she has arthritis and cataracts coming and is almost completely deaf now too- but she runs around and plays (and yes i know that generally smaller dogs live longer anyway).
We bought a female boxer last year (she is now almost 18 months old) and they play so well together, allbeit a bit rough on the boxers part :scared:
I know worry how and when our Jack Russell will pass- she has just been part of our lives for so long

Good luck with your decision making- it really is a difficult one