Hanging out outside with us, she loved the ol Land Cruiser, it was bright yellow, bummer it had to go back.
Yes, I am pretty, give me a sunflower seed please!
She is NOT shy, don't let her fool ya."Puppy", my Sun Conure, a.ka. Sun Parakeet, a.k.a. Feathered Freak (Whoopis pet name for her).
I had to get a CITES permit to start. That was drama in itself with trying to get as much of the requested info as possible. Then an International Health Cert. that required so many tests that Dr. Griffin had to put her under to draw enough blood, then give her fluids, then put her in an oxygen tank. Jeepers criminetly! Then the timing of getting it all done and back in time for me to have in my hands to fly back, but still not be over the time frame of having it expired.
LORDY. Thanks to Eric and Dr. Griffin at Griffin Exotics, we pulled it off. Then the three day H. Cert. that probably could of been passed on, but I wasn't leaving anything to chance. One of the lists from Belize, only one, showed we needed a basic H. Cert. as well. So I did that on my Sat at home. I flew in Friday night, picked up mail Sat a.m., did vet apt. Saturday and with Steven and Teris help, moved the rest of the house stuff to Shelby and cleaned and packed Sunday, flew out Monday.
It was great having Teri there for two days, we had a great Friday late dinner, drank to much wine and then ran all day Saturday. Had a little time to shop Sat evening. Then she had to leave Sunday. She drove my Volvo XC90 home, it is her new Michigan car. We even put the stove in the back! Now she can actually cook a meal and not nuke it.
June 22nd started my application for a "Permit" for bringing in Puppy. Now keep in mind the dogs are no biggie. Get an International Health Cert (gotten in Mississippi), they will FAX you a permit at the border, no vet check or nuttin. It was like $45.00 and they r in. BUT...for a featherd friend, oh no...they have to do a "site inspection" prior to your arrival. Now, there is no mention on the various web sites and documents I printed. Just kept saying a permt was necessary. BAHA said I had to get it from the Forestry Dept. Ok, will do. So I contacted Forestry. Uh huh, I was "Acknowledged" and told the process was started. Thank goodness I kept all my emails and printed two copies to take with me.
I had checked with BAHA and Forestry several times between June 22nd and August 10th, via ph and fax and email, and kept being told it would be at the border for me. As I got off the plane, I was greeted by a not so pleasant man telling me to get back on the next flight to the U.S. with my bird or they would take her and kill her. Yup. That was my options. NOPE! That didn't work for me. So...lets figure out who screwed up, cuz I wasn't going back and they were sure as heck not getting Puppy. He was pretty strong that I only had those two options, and I was pretty stubborn, in a smiley sweet way, that I needed to talk to someone other than him.
So after pulling out all my copies of my correspondence, they really could not argue that I had not applied. The gals at BAHA and Forestry both said they had never heard of me, I was lieing and had never applied. WEELLLL!!! HECK, lookee here! I have my emails from them that says the permit is started and blah blah blah.
Pup had to stay over night in the BAHA Airport office, I'm sure the guys were just thrilled. We had an apt. at 8:00 a.m. Yup, ok, how about seeing Dr. Figuero at 10:40. Oh well. He was very strong at first as well, then saw all my paper work and changed his whole demeanor. He phoned Dr. Gongora, telling him it was not my fault. He actually said I had more tests and paperwork then he had ever seen, so could I take the bird and go to Moonracer and quarantine her there? NO! Dr. Gongora said she had to be quarantined at BAHA in Belize City till the inspection of site was done. Dr. Deposa (?) who happened to be Moonracers vet, was able to sign off for her as he knew the farm and after 250 miles-plus, that day, with a trip to Belmopan, the Forestry Dept handed me my all ready prepared permit. BAHA and the Forestry dept ahve their little scuffles of power and Gongora did not want to start a pissing match.
So after two days of hanging around the airport and a day of driving back and forth from Belize City to Belmopan and back, we headed home to Moonracer, Puppy happily riding on my shoulder and grooming me as we drove.
Marge loaned me her beautiful tri level wrought iron cage, and Pup loves it. She stays in her med cage at night in the Toyota so nothing can eat her. And all though she has had a few free flights, not by my choice, the cage will be her home from now on.
I wonder what she thinks when she hears her cousins squawking over head in a big flock, a.m. and p.m. It really is a neat sight to see and hear.
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