Three Days Gone
When we woke up this morning, our plan was still to leave for Uruguay on October 17. But after digging back into the paperwork from our pet transportation company, things suddenly got a little complicated.
One of the requirements for the dogs is a current Leishmania test. According to VCA Hospitals, “Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by a protozoan (single-celled) parasite found in dogs, cats, and certain rodents in many parts of the world, most commonly in rural areas.” On August 17, Oaks and Tyson had their blood drawn for the test, and thankfully, both results came back negative. We thought we were in the clear.
Here’s where the snag popped up: the paperwork says the test must be done within 60 days of the travel date. Our planned departure date, October 17, is the 60th day since their test. That sounds okay—except we won’t actually arrive in Montevideo until October 18. That would technically put us at day 61.
Why does one day matter? Well, according to the rules, if we arrive even a day late, the dogs could face quarantine until a new test is completed (best case) or—gulp—be sent straight back to the U.S. (worst case).
Naturally, I called our pet travel coordinator to double-check. She walked through the math with me and confirmed my concern. Which left us with two choices:
Stick with October 17 and pay for another round of tests (not cheap), or
Move our departure date up by a few days to stay safely inside that 60-day window.
We’re going with option two.
That decision cost us three days. Three days may not sound like much, but when you’re trying to prep a house for sale, clear out nearly everything you own, fit your life into a few suitcases, wrangle paperwork for residency, manage flights and transportation, and make sure two dogs are ready to roll—three days is a lot. And that’s not even counting the emotional roller coaster we seem to be riding daily.
Still, we know it’s worth it. Every small (and sometimes stressful) adjustment brings us one step closer to being settled—and safe—in a country that values democracy and stability.
NEW COUNTDOWN: 24 more days until we leave.
