D-Day Gets Closer!

D-Day = Dogs Day!
We received the best news ever this week. On Thursday afternoon our beloved dogs Smudge and Pippy arrived at Marchwood Southampton and were boarded on the FIRS vessel (MOD) and set sail for Ascension Island. This is the culmination of weeks of angst and very careful planning. If you are considering taking up a post on St Helena Island or moving here and need to import a pet, I hope the following information is useful!
I began making enquiries about the shipping of dogs to St Helena in December 2012. I had been warned that whilst possible, it was very drawn out and full of potential points of failure.
We had decided that if the ‘Muppies’ (as they are affectionately known!) weren’t able to emigrate with us then we wouldn’t make the move and I wouldn’t take the job. After all, the Mups were a huge part of our life. Both are effectively ‘rescue’ dogs. We have had Smudge since an 8 week old puppy. A work colleague’s dog had an unplanned litter of 2 puppies. We ‘rescued’ one and another colleague the other. She was a year old when I spotted Pippy looking for a home. She had been abandoned at around 14 weeks. Due to bad breeding (probably double Merle gene) Pip was completely blind. Two years on, we suspect as well as being blind, she may also be partially deaf (in her white ear) To cut a long story short, she became part of our family very quickly and Smudge and Pippy are now very firm friends and we wouldn’t be without them.

Smudge and Pippy


Having received some very useful information from Joe, the Island’s vet, I started to contact various ‘players’ in the process, such as the shipping company, DHL, Ascension Island’s vet and so on.
The only way to transport animals to St Helena Island is via the FIRS vessel (the Falkland Island supply ship) which sails approximately once a month to the Falkland Islands via Ascension. As this is a military vessel, space for civilian pets is extremely limited and if there is a military incident, pets are not permitted on board. This means that it is impossible to get a firm date – and this causes huge problems as I was about to find out!
In January 2013 I was advised that the next available ‘space’ on the FIRS would be the May sailing. By the time I went back to the contact to ‘confirm’ the space, it was no longer available and the next sailing, June, was already full. The Mups were subsequently booked on the July sailing. I entered into various correspondence with numerous people to arrange for care on Ascension Island, the second leg of the trip, import permits for Ascension and St Helena. In April/May I had a message out of the blue informing me that the dogs had been ‘bumped’ off the July voyage. There wasn’t an August trip, so were now ‘booked’ on the September one. This immediately caused us problems. The July voyage worked perfectly for us as Andy and Henry were not leaving the UK until the end of July so intended to take the Mups to Southampton. Now we had to find somewhere for the girls to stay until September. A specialist kennels in Southampton was recommended and I made some initial enquires. In the meantime, Simon and Dawn came to our rescue – I had worked with Simon for 7 years. They offered to care for the Mups and take them to the vets for their various tests and take them to Southampton. We discussed the implications with Simon and Dawn carefully – whilst we were extremely grateful for their offer, we knew what a huge commitment they would be making. It was agreed that they would look after the dogs. So before I left the UK in May, we met Simon and Dawn on the South Downs for a meeting of our dogs and their dogs – Lucy and Lexie. Luckily, they all got on. Simon and Dawn use the same vet as us so, that was also handy. Before I left the UK, the dogs both had Pet Passports completed.

Smudge, Pippy and Friends (Carla,Jess and Ollie)


June Disaster! All our careful plans went to pot! – I had just arrived on St Helena Island and I received another email telling me that the dogs had been ‘bumped’ again and would not now be able to leave the UK until October. This meant, because of the RMS schedule, that the dogs would be lucky to get to us before XMAS! And would mean staying with Simon and Dawn for 5 weeks more than originally anticipated. Simon and Dawn were emphatic that it was still ok for the dogs to stay with them, so I reluctantly accepted the October sailing. (It turns out that various events had meant ‘No pet voyages’ such as the Falklands Referendum, unscheduled trips into the Congo)
Asking around at work, I found that Paul and Lindsey (fellow ex-pats) were also waiting for their dog to arrive – also on the October trip!)
Another email arrived in July – I could hardly bear to open it! But this time, I was offered a bump ‘forward’ The ‘No pets’ September voyage was now taking pets! Did I want the space? Yes, Yes, Yes!
Suddenly I had a load more planning to do and quickly!
I contacted Simon and Dawn to check that they would be able to fit the numerous vet visits in (necessary for DEFRA certification) during August and whether they would be able to take them to Southampton on the required boarding date. They could.
Next on the list – check the availability of care on Ascension, for their two week holiday, then check availability on the RMS for the 3 day voyage down to St Helena.
All boxes ticked, I confirmed that I wanted the September voyage! Still loads more hurdles to jump, but suddenly, it felt like it was happening. The dogs are never confirmed for definite until one week before departure. This means that the various (expensive) tests and treatments required for the export certificate may have been started (first visit is around one month before the voyage, the last visit being within 4 days of departure!) and may have to stop and be restarted if the dogs are bumped again! It’s a risk we have known about and have been willing to take. The tests are very expensive too.
Tests started, I obtain import certificates for Ascension and St Helena. I completed the forms and submitted them to DEFRA – they send the certificate to the Official Vet (OV) a couple of days before the last visit.
An email arrives from the shipping company – the dogs are CONFIRMED. Next week they will be on the FIRS!
I haven’t heard from DEFRA, so I chase them hard over the next few days – I finally get a reply and the certificate is on its way to the vet. Simon and Dawn take the Mups for their last visit to collect the certificate. DISASTER, one of the blood tests isn’t back and the certificate can’t be signed, without them the dogs will miss their slot!
Simon and Dawn pull out all the stops and eventually, after a heart-stopping 48 hours, the dogs start their last trip down to Southampton, where Simon gets the certificates signed. We then discover that the dogs can’t be boarded until approval has been obtained for them to be on board from the vet on the Falkland Islands! There is a nervous 30 minute wait until every last t is crossed, i dotted and certificate stamped! Simon will email me as soon as they are accepted.
Suddenly at the office, the server crashes – I have to wait until the next morning to find out if the Mups made it on board….
They did and are now sailing towards us – in a month they will be on St Helena.