Bring Tiger Home: From Guam to Sacramento

Tiger is a stray dog who has had a difficult and dangerous life in Dededo, Guam. He is very friendly and gentle, but is alone and often picked on by a pack of strays in his area. A local vet thinks Tiger is only a few years old, but he limps and is scarred from a difficult life.

This GoFundMe will be used to help bring Tiger to his forever home with Kenny in Sacramento, CA.

Photo from when Kenny and Tiger met

Kenny is working in Guam fell in love with Tiger at first sight, especially because of Tiger's calm and friendly demeanor. He named him Tiger because of the stripe pattern on his face. Kenny would love to bring Tiger back to Sacramento to join his two other rescue dogs. However, Kenny's work ends at the end of April, which is not a lot of time to coordinate the complicated process of getting Tiger back to the States.

Soon they were fast friends

Tiger was recently injured on his neck by the local pack of strays. Infection quicky set in, and the wound formed a large, swollen abscess on his neck.

Kenny got some help to quickly find a veterinarian, who was kind enough to see him after normal work hours. Tiger had a day like no other he'd ever had, being carried by Kenny, riding in a car, riding an elevator, then sleeping in a newly bought dog bed at Kenny's hotel. Throughout all these new experiences, Tiger remained the calm, gentle soul that had stolen the hearts of everyone he met.

Tiger continues to heal from his wound and is staying with Kenny each night at his hotel. He’s eating and drinking well and will be getting healthy to qualify for a health certificate to travel to California where Kenny lives.

Getting Tiger back to the mainland is a difficult prospect. United is the only airline that flies domestically to Guam, and they no longer allow civilians to travel with dogs. There are charter flights full of rescue dogs, but they don't happen often.

For a dog of Tiger's size, a charter flight will cost between $4,000 to $5,000. A local group called the Boonie Flight Project may be able to help Tiger fly for only $1,500, but schedules and availability are uncertain. We've set our fundraising sights at $5,000 so that we have a plan B if plan A does not work out. Kenny's wife is willing to drive to Los Angeles to pick up Tiger if Kenny is still working in Guam at the time of the flight.

What is a boonie you may ask? Stray dogs on Guam are called boonies, and are descended from a mix of dogs left behind by American GIs during WWII, dogs abandoned on the island by their owners, and dogs from a now closed dog racetrack. There are currently an estimated 75,000 boonies on Guam, which is a huge number for a small island of only 175,000 people. They often pass away prematurely due to their hard life. There is only one, very overwhelmed shelter on the island, and the spay and neuter program is severely underfunded.

If Tiger stays in his current situation, his future does not look good. He is alone, excluded from a pack, and often bullied by other dogs. However, Tiger is a relatively young stray, and is already very friendly with humans, and has bonded strongly with Kenny. Because of this, he is more likely to acclimate well to finding a stable home as a family dog.

Kenny built homes for 27 years before a health emergency set him back a few years ago. His friend donated a kidney to save his life, but Kenny's age and the strain on his body led him to change his career to be a truck driver. He dotes on two other rescue puppies at home, and is already dreaming of bringing Tiger back to join them. Please help Kenny bring Tiger home!

This GoFundMe belongs entirely to Kenny, and will be used only to help get Tiger into a better situation. Any additional funds will be used to help set up Tiger's life in California.