Help Us Move Our Rescue Pets to Our New Home!

Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow Animal Lovers,

In July 2024, our family is embarking on an exciting journey as we move from Asuncion, Paraguay to Yangon, Myanmar, marking the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. As international school teachers who are also committed to animal rescue, this transition presents us with a stressful challenge: ensuring that our beloved furry family members - three dogs and three cats - can come with us to our new home half a world away.

Allow us to introduce you to our Paraguayan pack: our dogs... Baker (a lab mix rescued from Chacarita), Geronimo (a little golden dog, rescued from Loma San Jeronimo), Roque (a big Rhodesian from our friends' farm in Piribebuy), and our cats... Valentina (a grey and white kitty rescued from Mercado 4), Andy (a big tabby cat rescued from the street near our house), and Minnie (a black rescue cat who is our foster who has been waiting for a home for more than 5.5 years and has been returned twice). Each one of our pets has their own unique story, and each one is a much loved and integral part of our family. It seems crazy to have so many pets, let alone move them from South America to Southeast Asia... but if you know us, you know our hearts.

Our plan is nothing short of a twisted logistical puzzle. It involves driving our pets from Asuncion, Paraguay to São Paulo, Brazil. Then we will start our flights in São Paulo, followed by a layover in Doha, Qatar, before continuing on to Bangkok, Thailand. There, we'll navigate complex import regulations, wait for our work visas, and seek out short-term pet-friendly accommodations while preparing for the final leg of the journey to Yangon, Myanmar. While the humans in our family will fly to Yangon, our pets will require a ground transfer with a specialized pet transporter from Bangkok into Myanmar... right now, it's the only way to get them into the country.

The costs associated with relocating all six of our pets are substantial and include everything from airline-compatible crates to updated country-specific vaccinations, microchips, and the necessary veterinary paperwork for international travel. Additionally, there are van rentals, excess baggage cargo fees for the pets' flights, and purchasing flexible flight insurance to accommodate any unexpected challenges. Prices for airline pet transportation are going up, and are now at an all-time high worldwide. Here are some of the specific needs:

Crates suitable for flight cargo, crate dishes, pee pads for 6 pets

Microchips and rabies vaccines for 6 pets

Vet paperwork for 6 pets exiting Paraguay, transit through Brazil, transit Qatar, transit Thailand, and entering Myanmar

2 one-way van rentals from Asuncion, Paraguay to São Paulo, Brazil

Excess baggage flights (same flights as us with pets under us in cargo) for 6 animals from São Paulo, Brazil to Bangkok, Thailand (layover in Doha, Qatar)

Purchasing the flight insurance for the family’s flights to be “refundable” and “able to change dates” so that if something goes wrong with boarding the animals, we have the flexibility to rebook in case we need to.

Airbnb pet fees and transportation from the airport to our Airbnb accommodation in Bangkok, Thailand. We will wait for our work visas to process for us to be able to enter Myanmar and have a place to live with our animals between our two jobs ending in June and beginning in August

Land transfer of 6 pets with an international pet transporter from Bangkok, Thailand to Yangon, Myanmar

Having dedicated years to helping, rescuing, and caring for animals in Paraguay, we're now turning to our community for support in bringing our own furry companions halfway across the world. We are striving to raise $9500, which covers half of the anticipated expenses for moving our pets. We humbly ask for your help - whether by sharing our story with your friends who might be willing and able to help or by donating money. If 100 friends each gave $95 USD, we can raise $9500 and it would go a long way in ensuring our pets make this journey with us. We know this is a big ask and a crazy amount of money… thank you, thank you, thank you for helping us make this move possible.

Your generosity will not only assist us and our pets now but will also enable us to continue to help the cats and dogs in need, once we arrive in Myanmar, instead of arriving at our new home with unmanageable debt. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a huge difference for our family and our pets.

Thank you for your support, for sharing our story, and for being a part of our journey. We can’t do this without you.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Amydelle and Family