Relocating...Job...Housing...Pets

Hello Keith,

Are you thinking St. Thomas or St. Croix?

You can find housing with pets however it will be more difficult as there are a significant number of landlords (and condos) that do not allow pets.

Yes you could work and go to school - not sure if you could do both full time unless you are super at time manangement. Otherwise you might go part time.

--Islander

Dear Islander:

I am not sure what island for now......What is going to be most important is the housing with at least one dog if not two dogs......and cheap housing.....at that......

I am very flexiable in the line of work I am looking for.......
I can do just about anything from serving, to hotel, to office, computer, admin, grocery retail.....

Do you have a BIG BOX store their? I know there is a kmart but a wallmart or a big "mainland" grocery store chain? Like WinDixie........?

Thanks for your help and your responses
This message board is EXCELLENT

I'll also be moving this summer with my boyfriend and our medium/large mixed Shepherd breed. he's very well behaved, but i'm a little concerned that it will be hard to find a place that will let us keep him...
I'm also concerned about the practicalities of getting the dog there. I keep hearing about the cargo area of planes being very hot and dangerous for dogs. I've seen a few posts on this site but mainly from people getting their dog to St Thomas from FL and I'll be coming from NYC.
Any info would be very appreciated!

Hello Keith and Molly,

We have a couple big box stores; Home Depot on St. Thomas, Office Max, K-mart.. No WinDixie.... there are two bulk stores Cost U Less and Pricesmart - very similar to Costco or Sams Club in the states.

Molly - the concern with pets is trying to get a direct flight to minimize air travel and transfers ect.... you can arrange this from NYC.

All the best.

--Islander

In responce to the dogs... I would definatley recommend a direct flight. US airways are great and give you all the low down on meds etc... I even got them to tell me the temp the dogs would travel in. Dont send them as cargo if you can help it. They can go as accompanied baggage and this will cost you $100 per pet as long as the dog and crate are not over 100 pounds. My husband is doing NC direct to STT. It is costing him 575.00 one way for his ticket though. This is the only let down. If the dogs go as baggage you have to be on the flight with them... But if your dogs are your babies like mine are ... It is worth the extra cost. Also if you dont fly direct and you chose to send them as cargo you will pay alot more... We were quoted 480 each for our dogs and they weight about 80 pounds a piece (with there own crates!!!)

Look at it this way

You fly with the dogs as baggage:
$100 per dog
your DIRECT Flight (guess) $600.00 - one way
TOTAL: $700.00

you fly round about for less:
$400 - 500 per dog
Your Flight (Guess) $350 - one way.
TOTAL: $750 - 850 you and one dog....

bit more money...!!!!! Doesnt make sense really BUT piece of mind is surely what is important and flying with the animals being right there for them checking in and on the receiving end surely makes for a much more pleaseant flight!!! (FOR ALL)

Hope this is of some help... If you need anymore info... let me know...

By the way did you know that dogs and cats have to have had a rabies vaccine within the last 6 months before travel to STT but not less than 30 days before.... Stupid if your animals are covered by a 3 year rabbies vaccine like mine!!!!Oh well..

Rachel:

Thank you very much for the detailed information.

My one dog is a GREAT DANE. And he is my BABY.

I am thinking more and more that I would like to find somekind of boat ride from Florida over. I just cant put my baby in the cargo area he would FREAK out.

Anythoughts of a boat ride over? Cost? is it even available? Length of trip?

Thanks.
Keith

BELIEVE IT OR NOT...HE PROBABLY WONT FREAK.

I HAVE FLOWN MY DOGS FROM THE UK - SAUDI ARABIA.... THEN FROM SAUDI ARABIA - UK THEN FROM SAUDI ARABIA BACK TO THE UK AND THEN FROM THE UK TO THE USA. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FINE AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY AFTER EFFECTS....EG: WITHDRAWALS, VOMITING, PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES ETC... IT IS VERY DIFFICULT BUT THEY ARE NOT PUT IN THE CARGO HOLD WITH LUGGAGE THEY ARE PUT IN A SPECIAL TEMP. CONTROLLED AREA FOR ANIMALS.

IF YOU DO DECIDE TO FLY THEM.... "DO NOT" GIVE THEM SEDATIVES AS THIS IS WHEN THEY GET STRESSED OUT. THEY CANNOT BE FULLY AWARE OF THE SITUATION THEY ARE IN AND FEEL OUT OF CONTROL. THIS IN TURN CAN CAUSE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS.... ANY OTHER VET. WILL ADVISE YOU OF THE SAME.

I HAVNT HEARD OF A BOAT RIDE OVER FROM FL BUT I IMAGINE IT WOULD BE A VERY LONG TRIP AND ALSO VERY COSTLY... I WILL KEEP MY EAR TO THE GROUND FOR YOU THOUGH.

WHAT ISLAND ARE YOU MOVING TOO BY THE WAY?

Keith,

Just want to second Rachel's advice on flying your baby down here.

I was really freaked out about flring my three cats, especially the older ones, who are 10 and 11 and have been pampered house critters their whole lives. Our youngest ,Misha, was only 18 months and pretty fearless, so we were less worried about her.

We talked at length with our vet. He advised us to lightly sedate the older boys and take them as carry on, and, because she was more adaptable, to send the kitten, Misha, unsedated, as baggage. It makes sense that you shouldn't ever sedate one of your animals unless someone can be with him/her constantly to make sure she doesn't react badly to the medication, etc.

We got to see her getting transferred from one plane to the next in Charlotte NC by the USAIR baggage handlers. They were terrific with her -- made sure her carrier was never exposed to teh direct sunlight, traveled on a level stable surface (instead of being piled on top of the suitcases in the little luggage train, and set her in the shade under the wing to make sure she was the last one on and would be the first thing unloaded so she spent the least amount of time in the baggage hold as possible. While she arrived a little anxious and very thirsty, it took her almost no time to recover and become her old self.

Our boys also did far better than were ever expected them to -- although I did need to take Moo, the 10 year old, out of his carrier and hold him for the last part of the trip (he passedright out in my arms and started purring) to keep him from crying and driving the other passengers nuts. This may be the only time I have ever hoped to have a crying baby on the flight -- it would be the one sound that could drown out our cat yowling. *LOL*

Since there aren't really any passenger boats to the USVI excpet cruise ships, I also think flying your Great Dane will be much more affordable for you as you'd probably need to charter a boat to travel with him via the water route.

Please keep us up to date with your plans, okay?

HipCrip (relocated to STX on 5-29-04)

HipCrip & Rachel:

Going to come down for a weeks stay here really soon to make my mind up.
I am wanting to go into teaching and still need to complete my degree.

I am thinking that STT is the island I am looking at because it is so close to STJ.

Not 100% Sure. I thank you both your comments and suggestions on my Great Dane.

The vacation I am planning on taking will be later this fall. And the final move might be as early as next spring.

I want to be prepared as possible with plans, money, employement, living arragments and of course my dane "COWBOY".

I will keep you posted thanks
Wish I could post a PIC in the message board 🙂

KF

check with the airlines now because it is getting hotter and they won't fly animals if the temp is 85 or over. check into boats from Miami

I've heard that there are blackout days/months during the summer when airlines flat out WILL NOT take pets as cargo because of the heat. Make sure you call ahead and inquire.

I've moved with my cat to STX (whose name, coincidentially, HC, is also Meisha--how's it going for you here, BTW?) twice and both times I've taken her as a carry on. If there's any way you can upgrade to business class (via frequent flyer miles or a purchased upgrade), this makes a HUGE difference, as you've got much more floor space for them.

The pet fee costs $80 bucks on American. You need the standard vet health certificate and proof of a rabies shot within one year. No one has been able to explain to me how they deal with the two- and three-year rabies shots; even though my cat had one year left on her three-year vaccination, I went ahead and had her get another one just in case it was a problem. However, NO ONE on the VI end (or the mainland end, when traveling back to the states, for that matter) has ever asked to see any of my vet or pet information. It appears to be of concern only to the airline. You just walk off the plane with your pet.

I've found that many, many people have dogs here, primarily for security reasons. At least on STX, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a rental that allows dogs.

VB

In reply to the flat out 'NO' from the airlines... you will find that this does not apply to any of the larger craft ... Check with US airways about what craft are controlled to allow pets. I am flying us airways to San Juan and then Cape Air on to STT.. From San Juan my cats will be in the cabin... From VA to San Juan they will be on a 767 which hold animals in a completely different section of cargo to the bags... Past airline work gives me the answers guys!!!

Dont let the airlines fob you off with the weather thing... I have flow my pets all around the world including the Middle East several times and believe me... that was hot!!!!

THIS IS ALL DOWN TO THE CRAFT YOU TAKE. AND THE ROUTE...

Good Luck...

I moved with two cats several years ago. It wasn't that bad. I had to take them to the vet to get a health certificate within 2 weeks before I left and have their vaccination records on hand.

I flew Delta, which has air-conditioned cargo holds, so moving in the middle of July was no problem. (My cats were above the 15 pound limit for carry on baggage...they were HUGE).

I gave them a mild sedative (one of my cats had a cardiac rhythm disturbance, so I didn't want her stressed out, so she slept the whole way!), and off they went. They were still drowsy when I got there. I picked them up right in the terminal...no problem!

They did fine, and seemed to enjoy the VI very much. (Both have since died of old age)

US Airways is different, and is the only airline that I am aware of on which you can, currently, fly pets down cargo in the summer. My understanding from friends who have endured this process is that this is because US Airways flies separate cargo jets here. That is, CARGO jets, not passenger jets with a cargo hold. You will not fly on the same aircraft as your animal. But, yes, apparently US Airways can get you and your pet down here during the summer months.

VB

I will be flying with my two 50lb dogs on USair from Charlotte, NC directly to StX in the middle of August. They did not indicate any concerns with that, and said that they have different 'embargo' laws that they followed. They said if temperatures were extreme (nearing 100) in Charlotte then they would not fly the dogs. Other than that, no restrictions. We are fortunate that their flight is in the morning, so we should be fine (of course my fingers are crossed). I did run into difficulty (everything from lack of space, to temperature issues) with all the other airlines I had contacted.

Give them a call, it can't hurt to check.

American Airlines will not fly pets as cargo between May 15 and September 15......

...but flying a pet as cargo is not necessarily the same as flying your pet as baggage. My understanding is that if the pet plus its carrier wigh over 100 pounds, the criiter must be shipped as cargo. The price for flying the pet as baggage is $80-$100 -- flying the pet as cargo costs a whole lot more than that (remember reading a post on the board about paying $800 to fly as large dog as cargo).

Whenever you are talking to airlines, be sure to word your inquiry very precisely as to whether you're talking about transporting your animal as baggage or cargo so you don't end up with some nasty suprises about cost and availability.

Hey virginbound -- thank you so much for asking! Things are moving along quite well overall, even though my health and pain control hasn't been as good as we'd hoped. Not being able to keep my pain levels down has kept me from getting out as much as I'd like -- we still owe Ric and Linda a get together that is now about eight weeks past due! Am hoping that my new doc is willing to try something new to help get me functional again so Kelly and I can start getting to know the nice folks we've met here on the board and those that we've run into on STX.

Give your Meisha a pet for us -- we just adopted two new kittens from the STX shelter (lots of issues to be fixed with that place, including a raging parasitic infection that has kept one of our new babies - Pudding -- hospitalized for the last two weeks trying to cure the infection. His sister, Pumpkin, came home on Tuesday after testing negative twice in a row. Thank goodness we know enough to take all shelter critters to a private vet before they go home to meet the existing furry family. (The shelter staff, btw, told us that was totally unnecessary. Like I said, lots of issues to fix there.)

More later.