Passport for Buddi

Love and trust...

As Larry and I prepared for our first move to Mexico we had the usual division of labor: he did the outside, heavy-lifting sort of jobs and I was responsible for tasks within the house...with the exception of figuring out how to get our sun conure, Buddi, into Mexico legally. That was an assignment both long and tedious and fell to Larry. He conferred with a local avian veterinarian who instructed him to call the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife; he'd call, get a recording, leave a message and wait, call, get a recording, leave a message and wait and wait.......It took several months to get papers in order for "importation" of our "exotic" bird but with everything finally arranged we were able to cross the border and proceed through enumerable checkpoints with relative ease.

However...when we tried to depart Mexico with Buddi last summer it was a different story. At the border in Tijuana we were stopped, our passports and visas were taken, and we were told to park and "remain in your car." I felt quite the criminal! It seems we neglected to check Buddi out of the U.S (uh, nobody told us about that part!) and the end result of that grievous error was a  $300+ fine, the indignity of having Buddi swabbed by an Agriculture vet, the confiscation Buddi's food

Mmmmm...pancakes and maple syrup

and the quarantining of our beloved pet for 30 days. The final insult, the most absurd part, was when a N.C. Dept. of Agriculture vet came to our daughter's house where we had been staying to check Buddi out after the 30 days. "Shall I take her out of her cage," I asked? "Oh no," she said; "I just have to make sure she's alive.
Well this time, as the current U.S. resident, it will be my job to make the contacts, see that Buddi's existing passport is up to date, get her a medical clearance and try to figure out the current laws. I am able re-enter Mexico and get a  six months visa just by asking for it; Buddi's re-entry will be a bit more difficult.
It's a good thing we love that bird!

Morning coffee with Dad