The Journey - Part 1

Baltimore to Atlanta


What a long long day it was. We left Baltimore with Auntie Ursula riding shotgun in a rented Dodge Grand Caravan with Stow and Go seating for Atlanta on Tuesday, 29 September, at 3 am. Why 3am? It seemed like a good idea at the time, especially when traveling with two big dogs. With an 11 hour drive, we had 4 hours of extra time to stop and walk pups. Why Atlanta? Well, I didn't want to subject the dogs to two flights and the possibility of layover problems. In addition, the GIANT crates only fit on a limited number of aircraft models. The options from Baltimore were few and far between and left us with layovers of 6 hours or more. Weighing all the options, driving to Atlanta allowed me to be with the dogs for a big part of the journey.

The stow-and-go seating in the minivan was great. We stowed the seats and were able to get both giant sized crates and the luggage in the minivan.   The pups were tired after a romp with Jan's dogs (Flash, Bert, Calvin, Rufus, and Robin - all Swissies) at the farm on Monday, so they slept most of the way.

Just outside of Atlanta, Auntie Ursula whipped out her iPhone and proceeded to attempt to find a dog park for us to visit prior to getting to the airport. Great idea! Especially since Miss Riley prefers to do her business in her own backyard and had not gone number two all day. Unfortunately for us, the GPS in the iPhone is not as quick as the car and we missed exits for two dog parks. The conversation went something like this:
   Ursula: Take exit 120
   Suzy: Just passed it.
   Ursula: Doh...how about 115
   Suzy: Just passed it
   Ursula: crappy GPS!
Finally, the GPS synched and we hit the exit just after Ursula got directions to the dog park in Duluth, GA. (iPhones are amazingly convenient and frustrating at the same time). Anyway, we got off and were able to find ourselves a traffic jam on the way to the park, so we turned around and parked in the cute little town center. We walked the dogs through the beautiful, but very quiet area. We got the usual questions from the few people. "What kind of dogs are they?" We spent about 45 minutes there while I begged and pleaded for Riley to do her business.  I reminded her that she had a long flight ahead of her and it would be very messy at the other end if she didn't take care of business now. She didn't listen. She just wanted to pick up all the peanuts that folks had absentmindedly dropped on the lawn at the bandshell during some earlier concert.  We left Duluth, no closer to the goal of elimination than when we'd started.

A frustrated and tired pair, Ursula and I, got back into the van and headed off to Atlanta Hartsfield to find the cargo facility. Construction encumbered our efforts, but we eventually found the right place. We were there about an hour before we had to check the dogs in. Me early....really?! They had a little fenced in grassy elimination area for the dogs complete with fire hydrant outside. Riley, Emmett, and I locked ourselves in there while Auntie Ursula read in the car (her presence distracted Riley from the mission at hand). After a bit, Riley settled in and yahoo, mission complete. Off to Delta's International Cargo area.

I was quite anxious at this point, wondering if I had all the right paperwork to get them on the flight and in to Chile. I had read and reread all the regs, dotted my I's and crossed my T's. I had the International Health Certificate, all 7 copies, stamped and signed by the USDA vet as well as the certified vet that gave them their physical. I'd brought all of the requirements for importing dogs in to Chile. I hoped that they agreed that Emmett fit perfectly in his crate vice it being too small (if he didn't fit in the largest crate available, how the heck would I get him to Chile). Anyway, lots of scenarios were playing out in my head as we started the process.

The check-in process took longer than I had expected. Delta wasn't the problem. The man in front of me in line was shipping two pallets on a flight that was scheduled to leave in 45 minutes. Given that we were at Atlanta Hartsfield, there was no way the pallets were going to get to the plane in 45 minutes. The man behind the counter kept saying that at least 3 hours was needed to make it to the flight. After many phone calls and discussions, the guy FINALLY went out and pulled his truck up to unload.  In the meantime, I send Ursula, who is out in the car and I assume reading her book, several text messages regarding the situation. And THEN...there were more issues with his shipment...at this point I'm pacing up and down awaiting my turn. The Delta guy finally got him straightened out and we started the process. ARGH.

Papers..check..flight...check...we had more than enough time to get them to the flight. The Delta agent has me pull up the stow and go minivan to the dock. In order to do this, we had to ask a woman in a full sized van to move as she was in the parking spot. Turns out she was the "kennel" person that is authorized to pick up pups if there is a long layover or a missed flight. Let's just say, I'm glad that Emmett and Riley got on their flight.

Anyway, we got the pups onto the scale...135 kilos of dogs plus crate. The crates were wanded for contraband. This involved me taking the dogs out one at a time and the Delta agent literally climbing in to the GIANT kennels to thoroughly check them. The man was a bit surprised by Emmett's size when he came out of the crate. Seems you can't see ALL the dog when he's in the crate. Shipping information form filled out...off to the front desk to get documents checked and pay for the 135 kilos of dog plus kennel. Stepping over the small pond of backed up bathroom muck which fortunately only stunk when a breeze blew through the door, I walked up to the desk. The conversation went something like this:
  Agent: Do you have a reservation
  Me: yes, here's my reference number
  Agent: mutters something under his breath and goes to get a thick manual from the shelf behind him
  Agent: sanitary certificate? (I hand him my 7 carbon copies of the health certificate) No, sanitary certificate? (this is where my paranoia and reading the manuals pays off...)
  Me: Where are you finding that?
  Agent: TAC manual (ah ha...I think...there was a sanitary certificate mentioned in there, but it was only required for pets traveling alone...NOT if I was on the same flight)
  Me: I'm flying with the dogs and the regs indicate that I didn't need one in that case (my heart is beating hard...will he buy it)
  Agent: silence
  Agent: Original rabies certificates (I hand them over)
  Agent: That will be $(outrageous amount of money) .

I hand over the plastic, he gives me a receipt for the charge and a waybill. I ask about the health certificate, which I've not made a copy of...he says that the way bill is all I need...I'm dubious and ask someone else and they say the same thing. Well, okay...I say goodbye to the pups, cry a few tears, and pray that they are going to make it. The original agent who is handling the dogs on the loading dock tells me they're going to take good care of them. They'll take them to the quiet room now (I can't imagine how a room full of dogs and cats can be quiet...but at least they aren't sitting out in the cargo facility with all of the activity going on).

After several wrong turns in what are the spaghetti intersections of Atlanta, Ursula and I turn in the car (throwing out the leftover dog food and fast food wrappers),  hop the bus with my multiple bags full of dog toys, cameras, hordes of consumer goods that I wouldn't be able to get in Chile,  and head to the airport. We check Ursula in for her one way flight with no luggage back to Baltimore....fortunately, we did not pay cash for it and there was no extra TSA attention paid to her. We checked me in...two bags well under the 50 pounds allowed. Darn, I should have brought more stuff. Through security and a tearful goodbye at Ursula's terminal.

As I got to the gate I bugged everyone at Delta to let me know when the pups were loaded. Then I bugged them again. I hesitantly got on the plane, accosted the head steward about the pups, gave him a beautiful glossy 3x5 photo of the pups, asked him to let me know when they were on board, and then anxiously watched as cargo was moved about the tarmac...hoping to catch a glimspe of the giant crates being transported to the plane. No such luck and my twitchiness probably made my neighbor nervous. After the door closed, I grabbed the next attendant that came by. She went behind the curtain and came out with a big thumbs up! Phew....exhausted, I fell into a deep, but fitful, sleep and dreamt of trying to get them through customs in Chile with my little waybill...little did a know what a crazy process that would be.....



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