#MassyMeetsAmerica

If you’ve been following my blog for just about any amount of time you’ve probably read about the little puppy that wrangled his way into my heart and home during my first week in site...

As a refresher: I’ve loved dogs my entire life, and knew that I would want a furry little companion to keep me company throughout the ups and downs that every Peace Corps volunteer knows all too well.  On my very first day visiting my future site in Bocas del Toro, Panama, my host siblings eagerly showed off a litter of newborn puppies to me.  I picked one for myself and named him Massy after my dog from home who had recently passed away (switch the S and M and Sammy becomes Massy).  I lived in that village for two years, and it didn’t matter whether I was hanging out in my house all day or hiking 15 miles to go camping, Massy never left my side.  Villagers became accustomed to always seeing us together, and would happily volunteer to watch over him when I had to make trips that he couldn’t come along for.  It wasn’t long before everyone knew that there was no way I would be able to leave my spotted little sidekick behind. 

My dad met Massy during his trips to Panama, and just like the villagers who knew and loved my sweet, funny pup, happily offered to let Massy live on our East Tennessee farm.  Knowing that there was a place where he could run around and be happy in the United States made everything easier, but it was still to be determined exactly how and when the international move would take place. 

Fast forward to this past July, when I moved across country to take a new job in Darien. Contrary to the rural village that I was previously assigned to, Meteti is a sizeable (for Panama) city of about 5,000 people with busses and cars that blow right past my house throughout the day.  For my new job I’m frequently traveling, usually on busses, and have no fenced in yard.  Leaving my village, facilitating the export of furry hijo, and starting a new job was more than I wanted to take on, so Massy came along. 

We spent two miserable days convincing bus drivers that no, he wasn’t a bad dog; yes, he is clean; and please, please, won’t you please let me take him with me before I cry…

Finally, we made it to the Darien and I was surprised at well he adapted to his new home.  Massy is extremely social and loves to visit both people and dogs, so keeping him locked in my house was impossible.  He seemed to know to stay out of the road when making his visiting rounds, and my new neighbors thought it hilariously endearing that my dog, true to Panamanian form, liked to pasear.  We learned how to smuggle him onto busses by slipping him into a woven bag so that he could accompany me on my work trips and we realized that dogs, especially dogs disguised as babies or groceries while on a bus, would always make great conversation starters.

Although I would have loved to keep him with me until I finish my service in September, I always felt that I was just one step away from a tragic accident that would take him away from me- the sound of buses hitting a speed bump too fast had me running outside, the nights where Massy didn’t want to come home until late had me wondering if someone had simply taken him, and knowing that there were way too many potentially toxic things that he could eat on the side of the road was more stressful than I imagined. 

The final straw was when I had to take a work trip without him due to transportation limitations.  The friend who was taking care of him suddenly fell sick and had to be taken to Panama City for treatment, and just like that, Massy was alone in a city where I didn’t have anyone to watch out for him.  The next four days were tortuous- was he getting anything to eat?  Had he been hit by a car?  Had he simply run away because there was no one for him to go to? 

Thankfully, I returned to find Massy sitting in my front yard, scanning faces until he saw mine.  Although I knew I would miss his goofy antics and his constant company, I realized that knowing he was safe was more important.     

As it turns out, dog people are drawn to each other- we’re a friendly crew that can’t resist introducing ourselves to strangers in order to pet their dogs.  In such a manner, Massy and I met Candido, a veterinarian working for the Department of Agriculture.  He told me that he had worked in the Panama City airport overseeing the import and export of animals, and that now he has a small business on the side to help foreigners navigate the headache that is sending their own pets home.  We exchanged contact info, and a few weeks later I gave him a call. 

Regulations and costs for importing animals into the United States vary greatly depending on location, breed, and size of the animal.  Lucky for me, Panama is one of the easier countries, the flight is a short 3 hours, and Massy is a pretty small, very well behaved dog. 

Though there isn’t that much paperwork you have to complete ahead of time, it’s all very specific and easy to mess up.   They must be translated into English and Spanish (but line by line, as a separate page is invalid), some certifications must be dated within 10 days of departure (but others must be dated at least three months ahead of time), the dog must be present to receive some papers (but other offices will not let you bring animals inside), some certifications are free (but others you will need to first pay inside a random bank), and the list goes on.  It’s doable, but very, very stressful.  That’s where Candido comes in- for a small fee, he completes all pre-departure preparations so that all the pet owner had to do was to show up at the airport at the specified time.  I would say that means no hassles, but if you have the luck I do, your taxi driver may decide not to pick you up in the morning, you may have incorrectly estimated the weight of the crate (causing more problems than believed), and you may have misread the line about getting a copy of the receiver’s (my dad, in this case) ID. 

Hassles aside, Massy arrived safely to the United States at the end of October and my dad drove to Atlanta to pick him up from United’s PetSafe division.  I was the frantic dog mom that almost cried when his crate was picked up by a forklift and taken away and also requested the live tracking information that I would spend the day refreshing.  But, at the end of the day, Massy was safe.

 

I had been planning on flying home for one of my best friend’s wedding, so my dad and I timed it so that I would depart for the states a few days after my dog in case any problem arose.  It was my first time back in America in over 14 months, but instead of food, driving my own car, or other exciting things, the moment I was most excited for was to be reunited with Massy. Judging by his reaction, I think it’s safe to say that he was pretty excited too. 

Massy now lives on my dad’s farm and loves hunting for crawdads in our creek, running laps around the 15 acre property, and ensuring the other 3 dogs he lives with get their daily amount of exercise.  I was recently on home leave for a month and loved the time I got to spend introducing Massy to his new country.  We went to outdoor restaurants, walked through the park, and even picked out a coat for his first winter.  Since then, he’s learned how tasty American dog food can be, how many laps of running it takes to burn trails into the grass, and how comfortable sofas are, much to my dad’s feigned chagrin. 

I’m back in Panama and these 8 months will be the longest time we’ve ever been separated.  It makes me a little sad, especially when I hear about him sitting on the front porch, scanning the people that drive by, or sleeping on the pillowcase I used when I was there, but ultimately I know it was the best thing for both of us and am eagerly awaiting our second reunion.  

Why You Should Definitely Get a Pet When You Join the Peace Corps

Being an animal lover and lifetime pet owner, it took me a grand total of 2 hours between first arriving in my Peace Corps site and selecting what would become my most inseparable friend for the next two years. 

Sure, there are a handful of arguments against adopting a pet while serving in the Peace Corps, but in my opinion, all of those pale against the many positives that will come along with your new best friend(s). 

Before I go any further, let me just put to rest the argument that volunteers don’t make enough money to cover a pet. Both my dog and “my” cat are well fed, vaccinated, and plenty spoiled, but I’m still almost positive that I spend more money a month on ducles than on pet expenses.  If not, it’s close. 

Side note- I’m working on a post about money and expenses as a PCV, so look for that soon!

Just in case you haven’t been following my blog or haven’t seen the hundreds of pictures that are likely on my Facebook, we’ll start from the beginning of my Peace Corps pets story:  My host family’s dog, Gringa (“gringa” is also slang for “white girl,” but dog Gringa was named for her green eyes well before human gringa showed up), had a litter of puppies just two days before I arrived in town.  Kids being kids, my new host brothers couldn’t wait to show the newborns to me, and me being me, I couldn’t wait to pick one out for myself.  So I did.  Long story short, Massy and I became fast friends and I’ve been convinced of the many pet-provided benefits ever since. 

Benefit #1: Pets give a good end to a bad day.

No matter how positive you are, how hard you work, or how much you smile in the face of challenges, you WILL have days as a Peace Corps volunteer when you return to your house at night and do everything you can not to cry or dwell on all of the awful, sad, and potentially gross things that happened to you.  Though, thankfully, those days will be the minority, having a warm, cuddly friend willing to listen to your complaints without saying anything but “I love you.  Let’s have a snack.” with those sweet eyes of his (or hers) will give a better ending to any day- good or bad.

Benefit #2: It will never again be this easy to adopt and care for a pet.

No pet adoption agencies, no fees, and no expensive veterinary certifications (though you should still get shots done.  Here they're $2-4 per injection).  Plus, since you will likely live in very simple housing with little to no expensive possessions, there's almost no chance of your new dog or cat ruining something! 

Benefit #3: You never have to go anywhere alone!

Since my community is quite spread out, I spend several hours each week hiking through the monte to visit families or work on farms.  I used to get a little worried about getting lost, and even now I still get a little bored and/or lonely when I’ve been walking awhile.  Other days, I’m stuck in my house all day long waiting out one of our familiar Bocas rainstorms.  Either way, there’s the common theme of being alone and lonely.  Thanks to Massy, though, I never have to deal with that!  My sweet little jungle dog follows me wherever I go- if that means spending all day in our hut, he’ll be snuggled at my feet (as he is at this moment) and if that means going on a 9 hour hiking trip, than he’ll be leading the charge. 

Benefit #4: The people will love your new friend.

True story:  One day, early on in my service, Massy and I were hiking in the neighboring area.  We came across a family I hadn’t met yet and they asked me, “¿Cómo se llama?”  When I responded with my name, they replied, “No, not you.  That pretty dog.”  This has repeated itself many times, in many forms.  Everyone within a 3 hour walking radius of my town knows Massy’s name even though I’m not completely sure the same could be said for mine.  Despite the fact that many dogs here are underfed and neglected and NO dogs here receive the type of affection I give Massy, the people are enamored with him and frequently treat him quite differently than their own dogs.  In fact, many families are often quite excited to tell me that they’ve been sharing their people food with Massy and I can’t even begin to count the number of times people have begged for him when I finish my service. 

Though I like to think that Massy is special, it doesn’t seem like this phenomenon is unique to us.  If you check out the Peace Corps Pets photo album on Facebook, many owners mention the locals’ unique fascination with volunteers’ furry friends.

Benefit #5: Your house will be well guarded.

Though Massy knows and loves everyone in town, that doesn’t stop him from loudly alerting me to any and every approaching visitor.  Whether it’s a machete-welding man or a shy four-year-old girl, Massy is my little alarm system.  Funny enough- though Massy has never once bitten anyone or showed any type of human aggression, this simple act of barking at visitors has convinced the people that anyone who tried to break into my house or harm me would first have to face the wrath of my sweet little jungle dog.  They’re probably right. 

Benefit #6: Your pet can bring a little bit of Peace Corps home to the United States.

Sometimes when Massy and I lay sprawled out on my wooden floor, sweating from the humid Panama heat, I dream about what it will be like to take him running in a dog park in the beautiful, cool East Tennessee fall.  It certainly seems like bliss, especially in that overheated moment.  Before making the decision to adopt a pet as a Peace Corps volunteer, I did my research and was happy to learn that while still present, the costs of bringing my future dog home from Panama would not be too great.  Though I’m not sure exactly what my plan is yet or where I’ll be living, Massy has already got someone (other than me) quite important wrapped around his little paw- my farm owning dad.  So, while my first choice would obviously be to have my little buddy with me wherever I go, I know that he has somewhere to live that’s big and open with plenty of mud.  Taking Massy home will be like taking a little bit of my Peace Corps service home, and I can’t wait to see that little bit of my two worlds together. 

For those of you that have asked: Massy is named after my pre-Peace Corps dog, Sammy, who died just a few weeks after I arrived in Panama (switch the S and the M and Sammy becomes Massy). Like Sammy (Sam), Massy also frequently goes by a shortened version of his name (Mas).

The Massy Update: We Got a Cat

Hey guys, it's me again- your favorite campo dog!  There's big news out here in Panama... The Cat is here.  I've gotta admit though, for a cat she's not that bad.  She's still pretty little, but she likes to let me play with her and usually will even let me chew on her head a little bit before getting too fussy.  

Unlike me, she doesn't have a cool name yet, and since we're gonna be brother and sister, I think we should work on that.  Anybody have a good (but not too good) suggestion?  

The Massy Update

Hey everybody! I know you haven't heard from me before, but since my mom's constantly getting so many questions and comments about me, I figured I'd just go ahead and write for myself.

Things are going pretty good out here in the campo. Mom has had to go out of site a lot for work stuff lately, and I make sure she knows I'll miss her by crying as loud as I possibly can and refusing to stay behind. I really want to go too, but I'm not sure if she understands. To help show her, I always chew through whatever rope or leash she ties me to, and I've also learned how to jump over the downstairs area that I'm oh-so-rudely condemned to when she has to leave. You would've thought she would learn, but since none of that worked, I sneakily followed her all the way to her bus stop and then hid out with a family who lives up there.  She didn't find me for almost a week, and she was so excited to see me again that I think she just might take me along next time.

She also wants me to let you know that she does feed me, the good stuff too! Apparently I'm looking a little slim to those of you back home, but she made me promise to tell you that I do in fact eat a lot. I'm even learning tricks so that I get to eat more treats. When there aren't treats around though, I just don't see the point in doing them.

Like me, my mom also has plenty to eat and has started to exercise more to make up for all the rice our neighbors give her. I like to help by sitting on her tummy when she's doing sit-ups, biting her heels when she runs, and then circling around her feet when she's going too slow. You'd think that she would appreciate my efforts to encourage her, but it doesn't always seem that way.

Speaking of not appreciating my efforts, my mom broke the most awful news to me the other day. We're getting a cat. A cat! She said it's because I don't help get rid of the rats that sometimes wake us up at night, but what does she expect me to do? Eat them?! They're almost as big as me, and I'm sure they'd taste pretty nasty, so no thank you.

Other than that, things have been going pretty good out here. Mom and I go visit people a lot and everybody knows me now. I thought it was funny when people remembered my name and not hers, but it seems like now they all know us both. When we're not visiting, my favorite thing to do is chase the neighboring animals around. We have cows, pigs, and chickens, so that keeps me pretty busy. Sleeping is my other favorite thing. During the day I like to sleep in the sun, and at night I bark until mom lets me under the mosquito net to sleep with her, since I'm sure she'd get too cold without me.

I'm gonna go now though, I need to go bark at the person that's passing our house!!!

Blog Readers, Meet Massy

sometimes I think he looks like a little bat

I've loved dogs for my entire life, so when a litter of puppies was born at my host families home the day before I arrived, the question was never if I would take one, but which one I would take.  I chose one of the boys (so that I wouldn't have to worry about unexpected puppies) and promptly began treating him as my own.  In that sense, he'll be the first pet I've ever had since the literal day he was born.  

I named Massy after my golden retriever, Sammy, and though he's still little, he's already a spoiled little booger.  He can't stand to be left alone; he cries constantly if I'm outside and he's inside, or vice versa.  This has led my neighbors to refer to him as my child, and I really can't argue.  I admit, his attachment is likely my doing.  And where does this little one sleep?  In my bed, under the covers.  I tell myself that it's because I'm cold and want a little heat to keep me warm, but I think we all know there's more to it than that. 

But really, how could you not fall for that face?