Nutmeg's Journey Begins - Responsible Military Pet Ownership

Having furry family members while being in the military is an adventure.  We do crazy stuff to make sure they make it on the plane and through customs every time we move.  Our Nutmeg has to be one of the most traveled furry family members there is.  Born on an indian reservation in South Dakota, she started her globe trotting with our very first overseas tour.

The preparation that goes into making sure she could come with us was insane.  We had started the process long before we knew where we were going.  It can take 6-9 months to have the rabies titer on record and filed with various countries.  Knowing that my engineer could be assigned ANYWHERE, we looked at the hardest country to bring an animal into and worked to fulfill its requirements.  Yes, that meant extra money.  But when faced with not bringing her with us, the money and effort was more than worth it.

I will never forget my first reaction to the financial costs and paperwork we had to incur.  Months after we started the process and we received our assignment, we discovered that the country we were heading to only required a health certificate stating she was healthy enough to travel.  With a sigh of relief, there was a sense of well being that came with knowing that we could take her ANYWHERE without having the weight of a quarantine. Having that peace during that first overseas move cemented a practice that we would have with every move in the years that followed.

There are so many people who abandon their pets because it was "too hard" to take them with them.  What angers me is that these same people pick up new pets at their next location, repeating the process when it is time to move again.  I wish, with all my heart, that there was a way that we could stop this process.  Any veterinary clinic on base can attest to the number of abandoned pets that find themselves homeless, all because of irresponsible owners who adopt them out of selfish reasons.

Our lives revolve around moving.  The pains that we have gone through to guarantee that our Nutmeg can join us are just part of this military life.  A pet isn't simply a plaything for children during an assignment.  They depend on us to take care of and provide for them.  One year out of our "move date," we start the moving process for Nutmeg all over again.  Countries' laws change, so I contact the Vet and start whatever needs to be done for the most demanding at the time.  By doing so, Nutmeg's health records are clean and up to date.  She is ready to go home with us right off of the plane.  I do look forward to the day when we will drive to our next assignment.  However, until then, we know, without a doubt, that Nutmeg's Journey will be by our side.