Bring Kacang Home

11 months ago, we quit our jobs and took off on a year long worldwide adventure - and never expected to come back to Bali twice and foster a puppy, much less attempt to take her home! But due to the terribly wonderful influences of our expat friends on the enthralling island, we came to meet and completely love Kacang (Peanut).

Kacang was found near the Sukawati market (a common dumping location). She was being fed and kept just outside a pharmacy by some of the workers,  barely moving and with almost no fur. Our friends spotted her and offered to take her to the vet and bring her back. Given Kacang's delicate state, we offered to foster her and make sure she was medicated and fully recovered and help find her a forever home before we left Bali.

The problem is there are just too many dogs in need. We reached out to the major Bali dog rescue organizations but they're overwhelmed and typically do not help with rehoming. While posting on the 10+ expat and Bali dog related Facebook groups, I saw countless other posts looking for adopters for recovered rescued dogs. With only a couple weeks left in Bali, we realized we had to make a decision.

We could leave Kacang at a boarding house and cover her costs until one of the organizations finds an adopter, but we were told the timeline could be long and especially so if her fur never completely grew back. Or we could look into bringing her back home. 

Bali currently has a closed door policy on animals (due to the 2008 rabies outbreak) but companies bypass this by taking the dogs through Jakarta first (which adds to the process and its costs - this is illegal to do personally). Basic requirements for exporting a dog are that they are at least 3 months old, fully vaccinated, 30 days cleared of their rabies vaccine, and microchipped. We researched a number of the recommended pet transfer companies and based on their excellent reviews, thoroughness in communication and affordability, we've decided to go with Animal Express Jakarta. 

The price for transporting Kacang through Animal Express Jakarta will be about $2500. We still need to get her sterilized and get her set up with a vet once we get her home, but for now, let's just get her home!

If you're want to know more about the Bali stray dog story or details on the costs of exporting a dog from Bali, please check out our blog post: Adopting a dog in Bali. Thank you so much for your support.

All of our love,
Carl + Adrienne + Kacang