My three rescue dogs in China have finally arrived in America.
Chihuahua Little Sister, terrier Little Bean and sweet campus stray, Lucy, are adjusting well in my smalltown community after over 3 years being away from me.
These three had been kenneled in Luzhou, my Chinese city, since I left in 2020 on what was to be my 1-month winter break as a college teacher. Unexpectedly, my four-week holiday ballooned into over 3 years when China’s strict Covid lockdown policies went into effect. Foreigners and Chinese alike were stranded overseas and not allowed to return. Despite my best efforts from afar to place my pets, none of my Chinese friends would take them.
On March 15, China finally threw open its doors to full international travel but my placement as an English language teacher with the Amity Foundation closed. I had expected to return to start up the new school year but that will not be happening.
Instead, I will be assigned to a new teaching position overseas, in another country. This news left somewhat of a dilemma concerning two things:
- When to get back to China to pack up over 30 years worth of household things in the school’s apartment (still working on that one)
- What to do with my four fostered animals.
Three-legged Three Finds a Home
I had been asking numerous friends to adopt my 4 foster animals left behind with kennel staff but only one person took me up on the offer. Just recently, Three, 3-legged kitty, found his way into one of my former student’s home along with her husband. “Angel” has been sending numerous pictures of fat and sassy Three flopped on her floor, cuddled under covers or hanging out at a kitty-friendly coffee shop she and husband, Wolf, patron quite often.
For Three, life now is finally once again full of love, attention and family.
My uncle to the rescue
But the dogs, after 3 years, had yet to be taken in.
On many phone calls to my uncle, my mother’s brother, I had spoken of missing my pets and how distraught I was as to what to do. When I broke the news I was not to return to China as a teacher, he said, “Connie, you need your pets with you. I know how much my little fuzzy doggie means to me so just bring them back and I’ll take care of the cost.”
A Fascinating Journey
After an American friend put me in touch with DD Pet Relocation Service, an animal shipping company out of China, I arranged for their arrival. It took a total of 16 days with quite a round-about travel: private van pick-up from. my Luzhou kennel to the Chongqing Airport (2 hours away), flight to southern Guangzhou Province (2 hours), a 3-day wait there for overseas documents, a flight to Turkey first (16 hours) with Serbian caretaker Dusan, then to Serbia, after which Dusan was put in charge of getting their US paperwork completed. That took 7 days. Next came the flight to America–Serbia to Turkey to Chicago (18 hours) –after which Dusan immediately loaded them into a rented van to bring them directly to my doorstep in Marshall, Illinois.
They landed at 1:30 a.m. and have been here ever since.
Sister will stay with me. But my fervent hope is that someone in Marshall, or the surrounding area, will welcome terrier Little Bean and campus stray Lucy into their homes as fosters or permanent family members. I would love to see the two stay together as they are best friends. Please think on it, either for yourself or someone you know, as you read their stories.
Little Bean, the Terrier
On a main street near my college was a veterinarian clinic. Unwanted pets or sick street animals were often dumped at this facility because no one wanted to pay for their care. They were thrown into rusted cages in an unlit back room. Aside from being fed, they were basically ignored. Some died; others clung desperately to life.
One day, a compassionate staff member waved me in, showed me the back room and wondered if I’d ask friends to adopt any of the cats or dogs there. I did manage to find loving owners for two but the rest were problematic. In the end, I took the ones in greatest need: Three, the three-legged kitten with a mangled limb, Stinky the Yorkie with a leaking urinary tract, and Little Bean, the terrier with a horrific case of mange. I hustled Three and Stinky to Chengdu, a city 4 hours away by bus, to an excellent veterinarian hospital. They had the operations necessary to give them normal lives. Three accompanied me back to Luzhou and Stinky stayed in Chengdu with an American couple.
Beanie, meanwhile, remained with me, Sister and Three. After several months of medicated shampoos, good nutrition and a lot of comforting care, she was added to our little clan.
Sweet Lucy, the Campus Stray
My college campus was full of strays. Dogs of all sizes wandered through the gates, looking for food or shelter, until they were chased away by the school’s security guards. One was Blackie, who was looked after by several campus workers. When she had a litter of 2 puppies, which I named Linus and Lucy, tolerance of her presence changed. Student safety became an issue as more animals appeared. Edicts came down from school leaders to get rid of all homeless dogs and cats by any means possible. Blackie, Linus and numerous others were poisoned. Lucy managed to escape the poisoning but not the harsh methods used by the workers to evict any dog in sight. I found her cowering under a bush, her front leg snapped in two. Without hesitation, I scooped her up, carried her to my apartment and the next day, took her to one of the better veterinarian clinics in my city.
The X-ray showed a nasty break, one that could be stabolized with an implanted metal rod. After a successful surgery, Lucy recovered to her full, happy self. She joined Beanie, Sister, Three, and me to complete our contented, peaceful little household.
Hanging Out in the Wieck Household
As you read this article, our migrants are happily playing in the back yard, enjoying the sunshine. Three, however, did not join his canine siblings.
Will someone reading this consider offering Little Bean and Lucy a similar happy ending as Three? Please contact me at corneliaw2000@hotmail.com. I’ll be happy to answer questions and discuss foster or adoption details. Working together, let’s welcome our newly arrived immigrants with the best homes imaginable.
connie's space 