arts & cultural experiences
Spike playing with my shoe about 3 weeks after I found him - you can see how scraggly he looks !
Bringing Spikey
One fine day , an almost completely hairless , funny looking and starving ten week-old puppy came up to me , sat down , wagged his pathetic tail and adopted me . What could I do ? Since I was not allowed to keep a dog in my apartment , I found a home for him with Cara and Adam Bradbury , two MAK 15 PCV ’ s who could keep him . They already had a dog in the States , so I promised to take the pup home with me when I left . If you have a pet you ’ re planning on taking home , here are some things I learned .
Crates : Airlines have requirements for crates that can be found on its website . Generally , crates should meet IATA guidelines . Cara and Adam had found a crate that was pretty good , but even it needed some alterations , like having steel fittings and ventilation holes on all four sides . Several months before I left I ordered a travel kit from the Dry Fur website which included labels for the crate , pads to soak up any urine , address labels , steel fittings , etc . The kit cost me about $ 35 , but shipping cost $ 39 , so if possible , find someone to bring the crate accessories to MK for you . It ’ s not very big or heavy . Truth be told , I flew back on Turkish Air and they didn ’ t seem to be overly
worried about whether the crate met standards , although I would do it again , just for my peace of mind !
Veterinarian care : Vets in MK are used to preparing animals for entry into the EU , and the EU is much tougher than the States . The US requires a current rabies vaccination and that ’ s about it . The first vet I went to vaccinated Spike and gave him a passport , and then a day before I left Gostivar , I had a vet there issue him a certificate of health . ( I only connected with the Gostivar vet right before I left . When I had him neutered and vaccinated , I took him to Skopje via the train ). When I brought Spike through immigration and customs in New York , the agent gave me a hard time because on my declarations form , I had checked the box declaring that I hadn ’ t been in contact with any animals , yet I clearly had a dog . The agent gave Spike and all his hard earned paperwork a cursory glance , and waved us through .
Flying and Peace Corps : If you are taking a pet to the U . S ., you must take cash in lieu from the Peace Corps to guarantee that you will be on an airplane that allows pets . That worked out fine for me . I asked
22 – Pauza Magazine