Full disclosure, I am not technically a terrier. I am a miniature wire haired dachshund. According to the Westminster Kennel Club, I am a hound but my terrier genes are strong and apparent in my coat, face and stance and, so I am told, in my demeanor. Just in case you are interested, there are three varieties of dachshunds: the traditional smooth coat, long haired and wire haired. The long haired variety came about through breeding with spaniels. They have soulful eyes and are known for a gentle disposition. My sister Fiona was a beautiful long haired dachshund and, as I have been told way too many times, a gentle and elegant girl who always did the right thing. (My Aunt has compared Fiona to Jackie Kennedy and me to Cindi Lauper.) We wired hairs, with terrier roots, are a scrappy lot who can mix it up if need be. We can smell a rat a mile away. (Which is not to say that Jackie Kennedy couldn’t either.)
But I digress. This website is about my upcoming trip to Ireland, more specifically, how it has been arranged to get around some dicey regulations. Ireland no longer requires quarantine for individuals like me who want to travel from the Unites States but all is not rosy. We are absolutely forbidden in the cabin of any aircraft landing and so must travel in the hold as cargo. Of course that is totally unacceptable so I put B on the case (she is the one who wants me in Ireland for some reason) and she came up with a tricky but manageable alternative. More on how this has been arranged in my next post.