ASTRO'S TRAVELS TO THE RED CENTRE

Hi everyone, my name is Astro and I am a Airedale/Chow mixed and I am the only one in the family with 4 legs.

I got really worried when I saw this huge crate looking thing come to our house but dad had me get into in while playing games and I found it wasn't so bad.  I didn't care for it but I was no longer scared of it.

Well Mom got on the internet and found the paperwork that they needed for me to travel with them to Australia and printed it out.  Then Dad made some phone calls to make sure we had the right papers together.

Okay, cool, now we get to go for a ride in the truck!

Ooops!  I believe that is my doc's place.  Yep it is.  Guess it is okay because some of my other friends are sitting around and don't look worried.

Mom walked up and told them we were traveling to another country and handed this lady some paperwork.  Then we had to sit back down.  I didn't want to, I wanted to play with that puppy in the ladies hands across from us.

Oh, good they called my name!  Now it won't be long before we get back into the truck.

Okay, the doc is looking over the paperwork and talking to Mom.  "Hey Doc", down here.  Remember me?

Now that the doc left the room Mom sits down with me and we have a talk about how the doc has to give me some shots at certain times before I can travel and that I have to have microchip put into my body ("WHAT").

I found out that if you don't wait and have the shots done at the right time when the paperwork tells you to then you can't go with your family or should I say you can go but you will spend 3 whole months in what these humans call "quarantine", and that is like jail, so that don't sound so good to me!  Sounds like it is pretty expensive and Mom said it is; SO, I guess I will let the doc give me my shots and put this microchip in so I can be happy.

Doc walks back in with 2 needles and one that is a whole lot bigger!!  He also has some kind of box thing with him.  Maybe full of treats?

Well me being a female, I'm not scared of shots and they didn't hurt at all!

BUT, remember the bigger needle?  Well I found out what that was for and I will admit, "IT HURT".  See that was the way they put the microchip in and they put it between my haunches.   Then he pulls out that box that I thought had treats in it and turns it on.  Yep, it beeped and came up with a number of the microchip.  Pretty cool huh.

Well anyway, I went two more times.  No problems.  BUT the third time was another story.

Dad made a phone call to a man from Jet Pets (will be on the bottom of the screen) and I found out that he was meeting us at the doc's office because Dad put the crate in the back of the truck.  I got to ride up front with him.  He also had put some water in my dishes that came with the crate and pulled them out of the freezer.  He also brought my favorite blanket and put stickers on the crate.

Well when we got to the doc's, sure enough the man was there to pick me up.  They put me into the crate and off I went to the airport to catch my plane to California.  Once I was in CA then they let me out of the crate to run around and play, bathroom and relax. 

My flight from CA to Australia was really long and they couldn't get me to eat anything.  I was so upset with what was going on and missing my family that I didn't want anything to do with anything.  They had some kind of lock on my crate so that everyone knew they were not allowed to let me out at all until I reached Eastern Creek Quarantine Station by Sydney.

Once there they let me out. I was not a happy camper.  I wouldn't go anywhere or listen to anyone.  They had a great big yard for me to do my business and play but I was not in the mood to do that.  So they put me into a really large kennel with this weird looking bed.  Water and food came to me and they petted me but I really didn't care.  Some lady called my Mom and let her know that I made it and everything was fine.

Then this other doc came by and checked me out to make sure I was who they were expecting (checked my microchip) and gave me the okay to be in the country.  Some young ladies cleaned my crate out.

I only had to spend 30 days in quarantine because Mom & Dad followed all the rules.  "Thanks Mom & Dad".  And I found out that they sent me ahead of themselves so that when they got to Alice Springs they would have one week and I would be home.  See it was better this way because I don't know about you but when I see suitcases come out of a closet it tells me they are leaving me and I get all upset.  Besides, Mom wasn't real happy about me being gone so long but once she started getting into moving, she didn't have time to worry about me.

Well while I was at Eastern Creek (website connection below) I ate very little.  Mom hired a lady to pay attention to me and maybe get me to eat.  It worked a little bit.  But I didn't eat much, face it, I was home sick.  I wouldn't even eat any of those fun treats that they give us.

But other than the weight loss it was okay. (Astro lost a lot of weight because she refuse any treats from them and didn't like the dog food so it took her a while to start eating and it was scary when we finally saw her.  She wasn't even that skinny as a puppy)  It wasn't home but they tried their best to make me think it was.  It really is a nice place and the people there treat you as their own family members.

Well the 30th day they got me packed up into my crate again (this sucks!) and wonder what was going to happen now!

They put me on a smaller plane and off we went.  I think it was about 5 hours and we landed in Alice Springs.  A man with a funny little truck like thing came to the plane and got me and two others out of the plane and drove us to the outside of the airport.  "OH, LOOK, IS THAT MY FAMILY STANDING THERE?"

Sure enough!  He pulled over to the gate and Mom handed him a piece of paper.  He lifted my crate off the ride thing and my Dad opened the gates and my Mommy was right there with my walking leash.  She was so happy to see me she was crying.  My two legged brother walked me with the leash and our sponsor drove us back home.

Now I am here and so happy. I have gained all my weight back and I have found that chasing gecko's and other lizards are much more fun than squirrels!  Even the big parrots are fun too.

Here I am at home in Alice Springs with my favorite bandana on.

FYI: I AM CHECKING INTO THE ISSUE'S WITH THE MICRO CHIPS.  APPARENTLY THE U.S. CAN'T READ THE INTERNATIONAL ONES AND ALICE SPRINGS CAN'T READ AN AV CHIP, BUT WHERE QUARANTINE IS (SYDNEY) THEY CAN READ THEM.  JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PUT TWO CHIPS IN YOUR DOG!

EASTERN CREEK

JETPETS

UPDATE:

Hello fans! 

I will try and answer all the questions that everyone has been asking.  Thanks again and keep the email coming!  signed Astro

Well life has been really good for the last four years , BUT I saw Dad take that darn caged box out of the shed.

I noticed Mom doing some packing of household stuff so I am starting to get nervous.  I heard them talking about going to a place called Cyprus and that it is an island in the med. I sure hope that I can find friends there.

The really good thing is that for 4 months I get to have a sleep over at a friends house before I leave.  A Jack Russell named Missy.  We are going to have loads of fun together.

ASTROS TRAVEL TO NICOSIA CYPRUS

Well the 4 months with Brett & Missy was fantastic but boy I sure missed Mom & Dad.  It took me a while to get over it but Missy helped me do that by playing tag and taking turns on who we were going to wake up in the morning.

Boy, I'll tell ya what, I got away with a lot that Mom wouldn't let me get away with. For example; Brett made himself some peppermint hot tea because it was cold outside and someone came to the door.  Well while they were talking I decided to try out this warm stuff sitting in a cup on the floor. MAN WAS IT GOOD, SO GOOD I LAPPED IT ALL UP (HEHE).

Well, Brett came back to drink his tea and noticed it was gone, so he thought maybe he drank it and forgot he did, so he made some more and put it right where the other was.  I thought he wasn't looking so I started to drink, but I got busted!!  Of course all Brett did was laugh so hard at me but at least we both drink tea on cold nights now.

Now I am in Cyprus, and the crate is no where to be found. But boy was that a trip!!  From AU to Cyprus.  Almost around the world.  I should have some great fly miles on my card!!!! 

Here are some pictures of me in Cyprus, hope you enjoy them.

Here I am waiting for this cat to come down out of my tree!!

Love my new fencing, I can see everything!!

After my first haircut, thank goodness cuz its hot here!!

MORE TO COME SOON!!

Now for the really good stuff.

My brother (Shane) says that I have done some really cool stuff.  I'm not sure that I have but boy do they sound good!  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I was the second shooter in the grassy knoll.

I assonated Hitler.

I invented Toaster Struddles.

I shot the Sheriff.

I climbed Mount Everest.

Kidnapped Elvis

I'm the one that shot J.R.

Killed Jimmy Hoffa & buried him

Killed the blue teletubby

I made the crop circles

I summoned the aliens for help

Built a time machine

Know the mystery about the pyramids.

I 'm the one stealing the socks from the dryer

I hide the remote control

Assonated Arch Duke Ferdinand

Sunk the Red October

I had Bob Barker Neutered!

Danced with Ode in the pale moonlight

I use the force

I stole your eggo!

I was the original bondgirl

I was Betty Boop's hairdresser

I was the 5th horseman

I can break dance

I ran with the bulls, won the Indy 500, saw the invisible man, ran with the wolves, beat the system and entered the matrix!

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