Poppy girl

Nutmegger

When I moved to NYC I left my elderly dog in Yorkshire with my parents. Yes, it broke my heart, but it was the right thing for her. She lived her life out happily in the environment that she was used to -- putting her on a flight and subjecting her to life in a city apartment would not have been the right thing to do. Where our pets are concerned, there are times when love does indeed mean having to make tough choices, and there is no "one size fits all."

docholywood

:thumb down:

Nope! I just can't bring myself to do it - I am too soft but he is one of the family now

I am glad the heat is not a big issue. Of course on hot days in summer in UK you have to be careful, but you can't do that everyday you go out with your dog! Ours is a black lab so it's heat stroke thats an issue rather than getting burnt.

I will have a look at the links AmerLisa found, thanks - need to find local areas that are properly doggy friendly near santa monica and in 90210 district for his daily walks.

Poppygirl you are so right, he'd be distressed without his mum and dad!!

Poppy girl

I see where you are coming from but I would still not of done it.....I only have a cat now and he comes before anything till death us to part

N1cky

When we moved to LA we left our wonderful border collie behind, we had lots of reasons for leaving her, and only 1 for fetching her which was that we loved her and wanted her with us, it broke our heart to leave her. The main reasons we didn't fetch her were
1) Her age, she was 12 when we moved out here
2) She had always been an off leash dog, she would run around with all the freedom in the world for a mimimum of 2 hours everyday.
3) She hated the heat in the UK, I didn't think she would cope with it in LA

When we got to LA, we would go on walks, and dogs were allowed in very few places. There was no where we could have walked her to from the suburban house we lived in. The heat nearly killed me, she would have truly hated it. Although it broke our hearts, and we all shed more tears over leaving her than anything else we have done, I know we made the right decision for her leaving her with really good friends, who walked her every day in the environment she loved, she lived just short of 2 more years.

When we moved to SF Bay Area last year we took the decision to get another collie. Here there are more open places to walk her, and much more accessable.

We have learnt that people let their dogs off leash in the local parks and school playing fields, when it is quiet and ONLY if they are under voice control. We also learnt that lots of the times on trails where it says dogs must be on leash, is for the preservation of wildlife, or because their is a danger to the dog due to rattle snakes or poison ivy. National Parks are very strict on their rules, lots of beaches have off leash times early morning. Oh, and small dogs in rentals normally means up to 25lbs, (i don't think they actually weigh them before you sign your lease though)

Only you can make the decision, but do what is right for your dog not what is right for you.

Jerseygirl

As a dog lover and dog owner for many, many years...what's so wrong in keeping your dog on a lead?

N1cky

You've obviously never had a collie

Ozger

We shipped (flew) our 2 year old RSPCA mutt to Idaho in 2001 . . . then to Australia in 2004 . . . and then to Texas in 2005.

He's now 12 and still going strong . . . and if we move internationally again, we would still take him with us . . . have pet passport will travel.

Jerseygirl

The pet passport (DEFRA) is only for taking pets back to the UK...pets don't need anything like that for entry to the US.

Ozger

Not sure why you're telling me that, but OK.

Jerseygirl

You said 'pet passport' will travel...just pointing out that you don't need a pet's passport for pets to enter the US.

Ozger

Oh OK, I see.

Sorry, it was supposed to be humourous along the lines of "have <insert anything really> will travel" . . . Google the have will travel phrase and you'll see what I mean

Jerseygirl

I know it was ...just wanted to make it clear for those that didn't know.

WEBlue

Nutmegger, I agree with you & N1cky that sometimes it's kinder (& better for the pet) to make the difficult decision to leave an older pet behind & not subject it to all the upsets of travel & adjusting to a new & different environment. It's heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking, but if you can find someone who will take as good or better care of the pet than you yourself would, in the end it would seem the best alternative . . . .

The husband & I are facing a problematic move to the east coast US, to stay first with relatives who don't want another pet on the premises, then facing more probable work-related moves before we find somewhere even remotely "permanent". We have a next-door neighbour here in the UK who lost her cat recently & has offered to take our elderly cat, so the cat won't have to endure the flight across the ocean & then be shunted from one temporary place to another. It just about kills me to even think of saying good-bye to her, but I can see that she might be happier staying here in the very same garden(s) to live out her days with a different (but equally doting) owner.

It's such a horrible decision to have to make. Usually I'm good at decisions, but this one has me all tangled up in emotion. This thread has been a help to me, however, so I want to thank the OP & wish her the best of luck in deciding what to do.