Have a good trip back, hope the flea and tick stuff goes according to plan.  Sounds like you can hope to hear the pitter patter of little paws...

Do you ever worry that a vet would refuse to use your stuff and want to use their own drugs?  I worry about that, when I use foreign vets in Europe.  Perhaps you can agree beforehand what will be used, if you speak the same language?!  Some European vets can be really authoritarian and think they know best - maybe US vets are more into customer service and easier going??

What are the requirements for flying into Brussels?

Have a good trip!

very good mateing them :-) the very best of luck! and a safe journey home xx

If you are able to try traveling through the Netherlands on your way home then, I have been out here nearly a year and almost everyone speaks excellent English which really helps with htis kind of thing.  I have used two vets for PETS flea and tick stuff and with both they were happy for me to use my own, in fact one said that as long as I had the tablets and promised to give them as soon as I got home he was happy to sign and stamp their passports because it was much easier giving tablets at home than in a strange surgery.  Also, both of them remarked on how stringent UK rules are and gave me the impression they thought they were a bit over the top which maybe why one was happy for me to self administer.

luddingtonhall, please can you tell me the names/phone nos of your vets in the Netherlands, as this is the country where the stud dog lives and where we'll need to get the tick and tapeworm done.  I will PM you too in case you don't see this... Thanks!

rabid, I think you will find most vets over there have a generally good attitude; that's what I found with vets in NL and Belgium when I imported small animals under the Balai. Don't blame you for wanting details of a good one.... but most are very amenable in my experience :)
That's not to say they would do anything illegal under UK terms but will bend over backwards to help you get it right.

As long as you have the documents (Valid Rabies etc) unlike UK there is no problem flying them as checked baggage into Brussels, whereas UK it has to be Cargo, majior price and time difference.  Can stay with the dog until they need to take her away half hour before boarding, even though you chek in foru hours earlier, but with Cargo they have her five hours before.

Biggest worry is the date format, as US is month day year, and we are day month year.

Here is a link to vets in holland - http://www.dierenartsonline.nl/index.php?id=726  Click on the first letter of the nearest town to where you are going and you will get a list of vets. Never once had a problem with vets in Holland, everyone speaks excellent English and are mega helpful. Usually take my own meds and the vets are happy to use them.  Why not ask the stud dog owner about using their vet ?

K  

Good luck Brainless and a safe flight and journey home for the pair of you..

I know that there is a fair bit of snow on the continent too right now..

Hoping all is clear enough by 21st/22nd when OH and freinds are driving from Bristol and driving us home.

> We have had 3 good matings on 14th, 16th, and 18th days, and a slip on day 17, so I think she is pretty much covered

So pleased for you Barbara.  When people go to so much trouble to improve a breed, they deserve all the luck in the world.  It does sound though, as if you couldn't have done any more to ensure a pregnancy (even getting into odd positions with stud dog owner)  :-)

Not too far away from you, and travel conditions here are definitely passable.  It's only the racing car idiots that are having trouble.  So wishing you a safe and uneventful journey when you arrive this end.

So many of us will now be watching the boards for updates on your girl!

Thanks, please send postive thoughts to get us home, and the rest.

Thanks, please send postive thoughts to get us home, and the rest.

Brainless the weather doesn't look great, they may need to set off earlier to avoid all this new snow which is due to hit us in the south today and tonight!!

Hoping very hard for you, good thing you are not coming in through Heathrow and that particular airport is in chaos, think the main roads are open but it is possible that people who would have flown will now use the ferry so keeping everything crossed for you. Not sure when you are leaving but would think it is in the morning for you, not good at dates just know the eastern part of the USA seems to be about 8 hours in front of us (or is it behind) if behind you are not leaving for another day, oh, I am not sure would have been easier if the world had turned out to be flat.

We are five hours BEHIND UK.

My flight is 6.05pm tuesday so that will be 11.05pm UK time, so Dean and Bryony should leave an hour before I board my flight.  Though I have to be at airport four hours before.

Flight gets in just before 8am Brussels time (an hour ahead of us) and my Ferry is booked for 6pm, to allow for delays, a break, tobacco buying at Adinkerque etc.

Good luck with your travel plans.  Make contingency plans for your dogs at home in case your chauffeur gets stuck en route and keep your fingers crossed as it's likely to be a very hairy journey for them.  I'd also consider booking a hotel near the ferry terminal just in case...

I hope you all get home without a hitch xxx

Yes have a doggy friend tending to the dogs at home.

Also why I am doing tick and tapes morning of flight so I have more time before the 48 hours cut off.

Gosh I am totally astounded by your organising ability, do hope you manage to miss any really horrid weather and arrive home safe and sound.

Hope everything goes ok without any hitches. Fingers crossed for a good result!

Yes, really, this is incredible organising ability.  I think you could start a new service, helping breeders organise matings abroad :)

Good luck and hope you all get home soon :-)

Barbara
When I posted an update on local conditions 24 hours ago, it was a breeze in comparison to the situation now!

We have had really awful snowfall today, and it has fallen on frozen surfaces.  Even local buses stayed at the depot.  Bristol airport and Exeter airport in chaos.  Exeter Animal Health office was closed today, and Taunton Animal Health office on skeleton staff.  Gloucester office sent home at 3pm and emergency vets on standby.

Your OH is going to need to be a very experienced driver, and expect to drive very slowly to avoid skids.  I could feel my car slipping on the way home from work, and I was doing less than 15mph and have brand new tyres.  OH is going to take a long time to reach you.  The west has been hit!

Jean

My friend from Monksilver near Minehead is coming up to Bristol to share driving, but roads so bad her end that she is leaving lunchtime instead of evening to get to OH.

The car is a Landrover discovery with good tyres, so between them they should manage the drive but think will have to leave early and wait around the other end as due to catch 4am Ferry from Dover.

Original plan had been for them to leave about 10pm to get to Dover for 3am, this gave an extra hour.

I'm having kittens.  The flight I am to take Tuesday pm was cancelled for Monday, but looks like it is still on for tuesday.

We are five hours behind UK time so staying up untilmidnight/5am to check updates.

the best of luck!!! you should be on your way now xx

Hope you are home very soon.
Safe journey. xx

Excited and apprehensive for you, do hope you make it home to your girls without too many adventures.

Best of luck, Barbara - after all this effort you deserve it :)

I heard from the friend from Monksilver a few hours ago.  At that point, they were waiting for the 4 am ferry at Dover, and Barbara was in the air for Brussels and about 45 minutes late.

Half an hour ago, Bryony texted to say that they had arrived safely in Brussels.  The only problem is that Barbara is in Dublin. :-(

Grief Nessa, but knowing Barbara she will take it in her stride, at least they have landed in Europe and one assumes she can enter the UK from Ireland. It is now the other two who are in Brussels we need to worry about.

I've just spoken to Barbara, and they will fly on to Brussels, so she should still be able to meet up there.  We were prepared to pick her up at Holyhead if necessary.

That is something of a relief, it is a worry as she has a dog sitter in there must be a limit to the time they can take to complete this adventure. Thanks for the update I can now vac the floor.

Thanks for the update.  I was wondering how she was getting on :)

What an adventure. I know we've had some postings but I hope when Barbara is back and everything is settled she finds time to give us a full account. It will be better than the Christmas telly.

I hope at the end of all this Barbara gets the litter she so deserves!

She has just landed in Brussels, according to the flight tracker information.  They have missed the return ferry, but as Nova says, there is a dogsitter with the dogs, so hopefully they will be able to rebook and get on their way.

Lets hope so, sure the sitter would not leave but they must need to get on with their life so it is still a worry. Still glad that with luck she now has company and someone to help with decision making.

They're safely on the ferry... just the long drive home for the last stage of the journey.  I'll sleep a bit better tonight!

Thank you for letting us all know the update on Barbara's adventures!  I think many of us have been waiting with bated breath!

I reckon she will want to spend Christmas sleeping!  :-)

Thanks Nessa, me too I have been on edge for the last couple of days particularly when it looked like Brussels airport was going to close. Silly I know but you somehow have a sense of collective responsibility but it seems they will soon be on the last leg of the journey. Hope to goodness Inka produces not just a litter but the sort of litter Barbara is hoping for, but we all know what bitches are like, and I guess to have them home safe and sound is all that matters at the moment.

Can't wait to see Brainless back on here recounting her adventure - these pups will have to be named after famous travellers and explorers! :)

ARRIVED HOME SAFE AND SOUND

In the end plane left New York nearly 3 hours late as they switched to larger craft wanting to take the people from the previous days cancelled flight.

Over the South of England it developed a mechanical fault and they turned around and landed in DUBLIN for repairs.

Dublin had been closed so long queue to get airborne again, arrived Brussels 8 hours late.

Then took ages to get luggage and Inka, who by then had been in her crate for 18 hours with no water top up.

Missed Ferry at 6pm (thought I had allowed plenty of time for delays) got Ferry 10pm, and finally home 4amish, but Bryony still two hours drive ahead of her.

The worry being in Dublin was it wasn't on a PETS route, she would not be complaint with the timing of tick and tapes until 4pm, and I worried if they disembarked us she would end up being quarantined.

So relieved you're all home safe and sound.  You all must be exhausted.  Desperately hoping the trip was a success - do you think you could go through it all again?

Have a Merry Christmas....

ARRIVED HOME SAFE AND SOUND

So very pleased, have a good sleep.

Glad you are home at last !

...and very relieved I am too!  Bryony is also safely home.  I hope you all have a good rest, and Inka too. x

> Inka, who by then had been in her crate for 18 hours with no water top up.

It's a huge amount of travelling, even without the delays, and a long time in a cage in an aircraft hold for the poor girl - all for a brief holiday to be mated. I can't help thinking that although this may be good for the breed in the country it does lend weight to the argument that show people don't always put their dogs comfort and best interests first.

so happy your home safe :-)....we will all be waiting to hear if your girl is in whelp i have EVERYTHING crossed for her ,youve been though all this, i will be counting the the weeks and prying for good news for you xxx

Sorry, can't agree with your comment. The weather was something Barbara had no control over.

> The weather was something Barbara had no control over

True, but it was a long flight anyway and at this time of year delays and bad weather are to be expected.

I would put my dog through that length of flight if I was emigrating and it was the difference between taking them with me or not, but is it fair just to come back a few days later?

No, but travelling across the Atlantic, delay or no delay, was Barbara's choice. I have to agree with Chaumsong to some extent. I certainly wouldn't put a bitch of mine through that sort of journey. However I do wish her and Inka the best of luck and a successful outcome resulting in a superb litter.