We're Booked! And a question...

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MisplacedCanadian
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We're Booked! And a question...

Post by MisplacedCanadian » Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:59 am

20th January 2007 01:10


We've booked our passage for 25th August. It seems years away at the minute, but as we want to bring Wonder Dog, that was the best we could do.

Over the last year I've done a lot of research and it seems that there is only one shipping line that takes a pet. I tried container ships first, spoke to travel agents, etc., and the only company that does it is Cunard - and they only have six kennels for dogs. Needless to say, it books up well in advance. Wonder Dog is too old to do well on a long-haul flight.

We're going to make a trip over in April to visit OK Helicopters, check out places to live, etc.

Captain Slog's been looking around and has his heart set on Peachland. My concern is around the drive to the international airport from there - once he's finished his training, however, he could be placed anywhere.

What's that commute like? Does anyone do it regularly - such as commute from Peachland to Kelowna for work every day?

Thanks in advance -



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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by admin » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:00 pm

20th January 2007 09:18

Rich_007
I wouldn't do it in a month of Sundays. Reasons ? Weather in deepest winter, state of the highways. Bridge over the lake. Delays at peak time due to traffic flow. Time taken to commute eating into personal time. Peachland is VERY QUIET. I like peace and quiet but I think even I'd be bored stiff.

Rich.


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MisplacedCanadian
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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by MisplacedCanadian » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:00 pm

20th January 2007 09:27

Thanks - I suspected as much. I've been trying to convince Captain Slog it's too far. We'll just have to drive when we visit in April - at rush hour - and see!



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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by snowghost » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:00 pm

20th January 2007 10:50

The bridge is definately your sticking point. Used to live in Vancouver and had to commute over a bridge to get to work - total nightmare! The bridge here also gets pretty nuts , one accident/stall is all it takes to create total gridlock. They shall be building a bigger bridge with more lanes but it is going to take some time.

He could always work from home, or set up a business in Peachland if he is really keen on that area but that isn't the easiest thing to do...I must admit I do love Peachland, has a nice feel and a wonderful pub The Gashaus but if work is going to be in Kelowna (which it probably is) then I think its a "no-go". Lifes too short to be commuting.



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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by SivoxII » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:02 pm

20th January 2007 17:44

For a leisurely drive, Peachland to Kelowna isn't a bad drive at all (45 mins approx.) ... but in rush hour traffic, it's a whole different story. As snowghost mentions above, the slightest hick up on the bridge causes considerable tailbacks which take a lot longer than most people would imagine to clear.

Will the new bridge solve congestion, who really knows?



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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by Moops » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:03 pm

20th January 2007 19:16

If hubs was working at the Helicopter place in Westbank, then the commute wouldn't be bad at all... maybe 15 minutes at a push. However, if he will be working at the airport (very close to Winfield/Lake Country area), then I would think the commute would be approx. an hour during the rush periods.

I quite like Peachland... some of the views are fantastic. My brother lives in Peachland and doesn't mind travelling into Kelowna... but then again, he retired years back & doesn't have to do it daily.

Drought Hill, between Peachland and Westbank, has always been notorious for being treacherous during heavy snowfalls and might not make for a great morning commute!

Having said all that.... where I work, we've had people commute daily from Summerland & Peachland and not give it another thought. I guess to each their own.


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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by NICHOLLS » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:04 pm

25th April 2007 09:57

Hi misplaced canadian

Could I be rude and ask how much it is to passage your dog over to Canada. Where would the dog go to and how long does it take. We also have a very old dog and she would not cope with a long haul flight. Thanks



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Re: We're Booked! And a question...

Post by MisplacedCanadian » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:05 pm

2nd May 2007 12:55

Hi Nicholls!

First of all, the good news is that if the dog goes direct from UK to Canada, only a rabies shot is required - not the full pet passport. However, we have decided to bring Dave over on the Queen Mary 2 so he doesn't have to fly - it docks in New York, and to go through the US a full pet passport is required.

Now for the hard part - a kennel for a 'normal' sized dog on the QM2 is £275 - no more expensive than flying. That said, they're difficult to book and they're limited in number. We had to book 8 months in advance although you may have better luck than we did.

There's also our fares on the ship - still cheaper than flying business class, but definitely more expensive than economy! One option might be for one of you to go over with the dog solo, and other family members to fly.

Then once you land in the US you still have to get to Kelowna - we're getting a camper van and driving. A bit of a holiday and an adventure, but obviously not as cost effective as just flying direct.

I still can't believe I'm doing all of this for a dog! But our vet advised us that if he's going to fly, he has to be at the airport about 4 hours before the flight leaves. Dogs can't be sedated due to the risk of inadvertent smothering. Add onto that about a 12 hour flight (with stopover) and bearing in mind the dog will not have access to food or water during all of this time - well, the picture just isn't rosy for a very stressed-out older dog. (I say 'won't have access to food or water' because I know Dave will knock over his dish in about 30 seconds, ruin his bedding, and stand around being miserable for the next 16 hours.)

From what I have been told, dogs sometimes die in long-haul transit for two reasons: asphixiation (not sure is that's spelled right!) and dehydration. Bearing that in mind, if we flew, I'm the one that would have to be sedated. The advice from the vet included all kinds of suggestions such as 'if the plane gets held on the tarmac make sure you make them get the dog out - it gets to hot in the baggage area' etc.

On the ship we can visit Dave and walk him ourselves every day. In some ways we're just lucky we've had to wait for Captain Slog's visa for so long, as it's allowed us to set all of this up.

If you have any more specific questions, just PM me! You may want to get your own vet's opinion as well.

This might sound a bit cruel, but if you have a close family member that you trust, you may want to consider letting them adopt the dog. No matter how well I arrange it for Dave I know it's still going to be stressful for him - most dogs are creatures of habit and the upheaval is going to be a challenge for him. He likes his routine.

Years ago the container ships that left from France used to let you go steerage and take a pet, but they've stopped that in recent years. The QM2 is the only ship that currently allows a pet, and then only on Transatlantic cruises.



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