Baja and Dogs

We have talked, and sometimes, more than talked, about bringing Bella to Baja with us. We successfully journeyed there with Lucy, so you'd think I wouldn't be hesitant. Yet more knowledge has made me infinitely more wary. My initial resistance was flying her home with me. I have never flown a dog and read horror stories I don't want to experience. I know people fly dogs all the time, but they aren't me and their dog isn't mine.

The second conundrum is managing her there. Many of the Mexican dogs run loose and rarely are spade or neutered. Many are feral. Shots are not the norm, so disease and infections are common.  The local dogs pack up creating dog "gangs." Although Bella has great doggie communication skills, can she speak "Baja Dog?" I don't know and I'd hate to find out that she couldn't. If she was attacked, although Bella has shots, I don't know what other diseases the local dogs may have that she could contract. Dealing with a Mexican vet, if I could find one, would be difficult with my limited Spanish.

Because the locals don't like the feral dogs scrounging around their property, they lay out poison. Bella eats anything and everything. Even if she's on a leash, she can grab and swallow something faster than I can say, "Out!" and expect her to drop it.

A friend, who spends his winters in Baja, called this morning to let us know he'd arrived safely and then proceeded to tell us there was a dead dog in front of their house when they arrived. The dog was a victim of poisoning. The owner couldn't get there until later in the day which meant the dog lay in the sun (there are no trees in this area) until he arrived. When he finally appeared, he attached a rope from his truck to the dog and dragged the dog off. That was it. I had to get off the phone.

If I brought Bella with us, I would be a nervous wreck. I could never let her off leash. I'd constantly be fretting about her safety. I doubt she'll ever make it south of the border.