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This just isn't what Stephen and I
had planned when we married in 2004. We thought we'd be here in the US
at least until I could retire. You see... I really loved the company I
was working for and could not fathom leaving. But things there changed
for the worse and I finally gave up, resigning my position in March 2006.
If you do much "self-help" reading
(as I do) you will have run across this question:
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"If you
could live anywhere, do anything, if money were no obstacle...where
would you be and what would you be doing?" |
I used to hate
questions like that because they lead to ridiculous
"what-you-can-never-have" answers. But just this once, I
could imagine a
future for myself that was possible and attractive to both me and Stephen.
We decided to move to Australia.
Doing that requires a
lot of planning, money, and (for me, at least) more than a little courage.
But I know that sometimes good things that God has planned for me require
some effort on my part. So we downloaded Australian spouse-visa
forms, looked into the immigration laws and started thinking about what we should
take with us or leave behind.
What about our birds?
Australian customs and
import laws are very strict. The Australian people truly treasure
their native wildlife and environment, and their laws reflect their
concerns. Too many non-native species are already in Australia, creating
havoc and in many cases crowding out the precious native species. I
hoped there would be a chance that we could bring our avian family with us,
and as soon as I was sure we were moving, I started looking into what would
be required.
So here is what
happened:
| March 21 |
Did a "Google" on the topics
"international pet bird import Australia" and found an interesting page
which talks about getting
import permits for pet birds. I also posted a couple of
"requests for experience and information" on 2 parrot-centered message
boards that I frequent.
Found 2 "we'll move your pet" businesses on the
web, and got a 3rd recommended by a friend. Sent emails to all 3
requesting information. |
| March 27 |
We've heard back from the 3
pet movers:
- One sent a quote
- One sent an email saying you can't
import birds to Australia
- One sent a general contact email
asking us a few questions about where we are in the process of moving
(I replied to them but haven't heard back from that reply yet).
I also talked to the man who owns the
aviary where we got Jesse, and he indicated that he's pretty sure moving
her to Australia is possible. We're still hopeful, but the $$ in
the quote we received make us think we won't be able to afford taking
the whole flock with us, even if we can get their import approved. |
| March 29 |
Heard back from the 3rd
moving company. The representative assured me that they have moved
parrots (legally) to Australia sometime in the last 3 years, but
suggested I should call AQIS to see if anything has changed due to the
current "bird flu" scare. |
| March 30 |
After tons of emails and a couple
of long-distance phone calls, we have our answer:
We found that the AU body "AQIS" administers the import/export
regulations and "Biosecurity Australia" apparently sets the regulations.
The Biosecurity folks told me that they are "reviewing" the import of
pet birds, but currently aren't allowing it. Apparently the review has
been underway for quite a while (years?). They did offer to have us
register with them as "stakeholders" - which means we'll be given
updates if and when they occur. We did that, of course, but we realize
that the situation is probably hopeless.
So what will we do? Honestly, I don't know. I don't like our choices:
give up the idea of moving - or give up our pets.
I guess I'll just pray for a miracle. |
| June |
We continue to monitor the happenings with
AQIS and the Biosecurity group, but it's pretty clear that there's no
hope. |
| September |
My "spouse visa" arrived from the Australian
government. We put the house up for sale and started seriously
talking to people about adopting the birds. A good friend of mine
took Bubba and Aussie to live with her. It was terribly hard to
see them go, but I am comforted by the fact that they clearly like her
and she's wild about them. I know it's a good match for everyone.
I found someone
interested in Pakshi who would be perfect for him (and Pakshi clearly
liked) but that fell through when we realized that the man's wife is
violently allergic to birds.
Having
exhausted all the possibilities with people I already know, I realized
I'd have to advertise - so I contacted our local bird club and put an
online classified ad up on a popular website. I have been
surprised at the number of people who are contacting me expressing
interest. |
| October |
At
this point we had plane tickets for the move to Australia. The
clock was ticking and I was becoming anxious about finding a suitable
home for the remaining birds. I had quite a few inquiries, but
turned down every one of them because the people who were contacting
me were clearly not suitable.
Then Forte
found a home with a nice woman who had not had a bird before, but
clearly was nuts about Forte. She showed interest in learning
and spent some time showing me that she'd take care of
her.
Frank and
Theresa, members of the bird club, adopted Pakshi. Seeing Pakshi
go with them was the hardest adoption for me. I loved all our
birds, but Pakshi was special because he actually chose me as opposed
to me choosing him. When they came to get him, Frank and Theresa
fell in love with Jesse as well, and they adopted her,
too.
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| November |
On
the 10th, we boarded our plane in Columbus, Ohio and bid a final
farewell to the place and people we love and knew so well. We
arrived in Australia on the 12th and began our new life. |
| Since then... |
Frank
and Theresa have become friends as a result of the adoption, and we
hear from them regularly. Pakshi and Jesse are in a loving home
with people who treasure them as we did.
Bubba and
Aussie's new mom keeps me up on their antics as well. They have
brightened her life and she's proven to be an excellent "parront".
Sadly,
Forte's new human did not keep in touch with us, so I can only hope
that she has done as well as our other parrot companions.
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