Call me skeptical... - Page 1

Someone forwarded this to me and I'm having a hard time believing it.  Did I miss where the airlines wouldn't let you bring a dog with you in the cargo hold and since when is shipping a dog that expensive?

http://www.indiegogo.com/forRio

Keith, it may very well cost upwards of that nowdays. 
If the dog is truly 'oversize', a custom crate would have to
be manufactured for the dog, so depending on dimensions?
That price might estimate in overnight boarding, transport to
the airport etc etc.

Everyone sticks their hand out for a dollar when it comes to
shipping (and pretty much everything else these days )

When i first read "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens in my first grade in high school, i was so skeptical but touched to tears for the young "twisted" life that i asked if the whole episode was true. In answer, my literature teacher then said, "it could've happened or not". I was totally devastated even the more. Today i know better. Skeptical? You'll know better afterwards.

I've seen pictures of the dog and it doesn't look like it's either crossed with any Great Dane or that it's too large to fit into a standard crate.  How much does it cost now to ship a GSD from Germany or the Czech Republic?  Are there actually new policies preventing bringing a dog with you in the cargo hold?  I suspect that this person first made her inquiry in the summer when the airlines will restrict shipping a pet due to temperature concerns.

I will admit to being somewhat out of the loop on this one because I would probably go to Germany if I was going to import a dog so I have no experience with shipping and the last time I brought a dog back with me in the cargo hold was over 25 years ago!

Anything 'custom' translates to expensive when shipping.
Not all airplanes can accomodate a custom made XXL
crate, christ, you can hardly find one to hold a #500
at times!

I'm not that skecptical.  Her husband is active duty, so they may be required to fly on certian airlines or follow some kind of procedure which limits the airlines they can choose.  I would like to hear from someone here who is active duty and/or was stationed in England during their military career, before I make a judgement call.  As it stands now, I don't think $5-$10 is really any skin off my back so these people can keep thier dog.  Also they may not have time to check all thier transport options thoroughly.  Some people just haven't dealt with this kind of stuff much at all in thier life and end up paying a premium as a result. 

In regards to shipping a whole family and pet over the Atlantic, $4000 really isn't all that much these day.  Salaries may not have kept up with the cost of things, where $4000 seems like a lot of money to most wage earners, but in 2012 is not really much money at all. 

I like to tell people that $20 is the new $5.

I have  a male coming from Czeck this week. He is slightly over 27 inches at the shoulder. His shipping was only an extra $650. I don't know why these people are being charged so much. Something is not right.

That's what I'm saying right there.  I get that the breeder/seller is probably absorbing part of the cost of transporting the dog because they want to sell him but not to the tune of over $3,000.00.

Something to think about, momosgarage: you don't know this person from Adam and it is entirely possible that he/she is not only not a member of a military family but even a dog owner for that matter.  Whomever it is certainly makes no attempt whatsoever to provide an avenue for you to verify his/her identity or claim.  The entire story could be fictional and simply an attempt to scam people out of their money.

I really want to hear from a service member because there are many strange fees and services that US military are forced to use, both stateside and overseas. This is a real a fact today for militray folks, but wasn't so much over a decade ago. Her husband is active duty, so they may be required to fly on certain airlines or follow some kind of procedure which limits the airlines they can choose from.  I would like to hear from someone here who is active duty and/or was stationed in England during their military career.  I'm not going to call out shenanigans on this person just yet.  I can't punish someone for not being sophisticated enough to articulate thier dilema in proper detail.  I haven't given any money yet, so I will continue to follow this thread until the time on Indiegogo is nearly up.

http://www.chron.com/business/article/United-alters-course-after-howls-of-protest-3349672.php

I don't know what branch these people are in, but in the Navy you are allowed to ship 2 pets with you anywhere you are stationed. It is free of charge, but you must pay for the crates, health certificates, and get them stamped by the USDA (or similar governing body over seas). Biggest headache involved with it is getting paperwork done and making sure everything is in order, which is NOT easy thanks to military rgulations ... but it can be done and MANY familes have done it. 

We've never been stationed outside of the USA, so I cannot comment on anything else. This is what I know regarding the US Navy and family pets being shipped (even to countries out side of the US).