Our chick Fiasco and Harley

We caught the 10:15 ferry from Duke Point to Tswasswen, and got over in Tswasswen at 12:30. We were starving, hadn't had breakfast so we ran to Tim Hortins for lunch(right near the ferry) it was super busy and no drive thru. But, we ended up eating inside and left at 1:30. (got there about 10 after 1, since we got lost trying to find it first!). So, we left and headed towards the border.

We told the customs guy we were going to the Blaine Post Office to pick up chicks, and showed him the letter with the permission from Karyn, and also the receipt showing the chicks were in fact coming(invoice). He said "chicks are being mailed to the post office"? We said, yes. They do it all the time! So, that was fine and he waved us through. We yet again got lost, as Mapquest told us we were to make a left, and we were supposed to make a right. So we got to the Post Office at 2:15. We picked up the chicks, and had no problems and jumped back into the truck and headed for the border. The chicks were in 2 boxes, with a paper/shipping strap around them holding the 2 boxes together. We didn't know if we should dig for health papers because the border can be so funny if things are opened and what not so we didn't go into the boxes at this point. We were back at the border at 2:40. So, we get to the border and tell them what we had picked up, what they were worth, and how many etc. He gives us a white slip and tells us to pull over and someone else will help us. Well, the first thing the next agent/customs guard wants is the health papers. So we dug through the box. We found the invoice right away but no health papers- it said on the box they were in there. So the customs guard searches the box (x2) himself(we cut the strap so we could get into both. He couldn't find them. So he told us to wait and he would go call the vet. He called the vet and he had the vet come out with him. The vet told us "You need health papers, I can not accept these chicks without health papers" they will surely die if they are not fed/watered in the next few hours. So the vet starts looking and finds in one hole 3 of the chicks are dead, and there is one more dead in another hole. One box seemed much healthier then the other. So the vet searched both boxes and could not find vet papers(health certificates) either.He even called a 2nd vet to confirm and we definitely needed those health papers. He also said 2 weeks before chicks were sent through the same hatchery, and the same problem occurred and over half the chicks died.

So then, we were told the chicks could NOT come into Canada, and they didn't know what we could do with them but those chicks could also not stay at the border while we sorted things out. So, we were told we had to turn around and go back into the US. So, we jumped back into the truck, and turned around to head into the US. Well, we explained our situation to the border/customs agents heading into the US. The guy looked at us, heard the chicks, listened to our story and gave us an orange sticker and told us to go inside. Well, we headed inside another building and explained the story yet again. The customs guard(a super nice lady) asked for my truck keys and went to search my truck. She said she didn't know if we would be allowed into the US but she would find out. So after about 20 mins of sitting in lockup we were allowed out of that area and were told we could go back into the US. We headed straight for the post office to see if they had the health papers. All this while we'd been talking to Karyn who of course was very upset and couldn't do much on her end.

The post office did not have the health papers, but they gave me 2 cardboard boxes so we could move all the chicks out to check under the chicks for the health papers. While I was getting the boxes Cristina(my sister) had moved chicks around and found the health papers buried under the bedding. So we raced back to the border, called Karyn and told her thinking we would have no problems. Well, this was not to be the case. We explained the story(since they get your plate and licence number every time and it goes into the computer(this was now my 4th time crossing in one day) and they again gave us a white slip and we had to go back inside. So we wait in line(this is now 3:30), we get called up to the counter and are told we are in the wrong area(a really not nice women!) and to go to the next building, go through a set of doors, don't get hit by the semi trucks going through, and go into the Agriculture building. So we head to that building, where we wait in line for another 20 mins. We are telling Karyn all this on the phone, as we are of course really wanting to get these chicks to her so there are no problems. After waiting in line we are told(by a very not friendly man) that we need a broker. Why did we not have a broker? There is nothing he can do without a broker. Cristina and I have never dealt with a broker, and I honestly don't really know what they do either. So, we call Karyn and she explained that the chicks are for 3 people including herself and to tell him that. Well, that didn't help he said "YOU NEED A BROKER"(quite like that too). So, we call Karyn back again and give her some names for Brokers. She gets on the phone. We wait another 30 mins and decided since a really nice guy told us there were brokers across the street and to go talk to them.

The first "Broker" we went into we were told "You will soon learn not to be nice to people and do favours for others" and that he didn't have time as he was leaving for the day so could not help us. To go across the street and talk to another Broker(Pacific Customs Brokers LTD). So, we were then yelled at in there that just a few weeks ago the same thing had happened and over half the chicks had died, they had 4 other people ahead of us and surely the chicks would be dead by the time we sorted this out. They also wanted to charge Karyn $125 to bring the chicks over. I explained to them that Karyn was not told she needed a broker, and Cristina and I had no idea but she said it didn't matter you need a broker. After about an hour of this(was now 6:00) she said
"Look, your only option is to go back to building one, ask for the superintendent, and tell him you don't have a broker but you have the health papers now and show him and hope he takes pity on you". So, we head back to building number one. The Superintendent turned out to be the first customs guard who we dealt with earlier in the day with the vet "Cory". He said "These health papers are very clean, these invoices are full of chicken dung, and yet the health papers are clean". He obviously thought we had them printed up or something. Also, the health papers said 220 chicks, and there were only 119- this did NOT help the situation. Finally we were waved through, he didn't believe us but wanted to get rid of us I think and we were on our way. It ended up being a 10 hour day. Also the health papers are supposed to say Zoo something and have a number on them? And no one could find this on the health papers.

Harley was doing so much better on Sunday, then yesterday our mom said(since we were gone for 10 hours) he was not doing well but we got home too late to run into the farm to check on him. We took him back to the vet today and he has a slipped disc. If things had have been in our favor which nothing has lately, the anti inflammatory and the rest and no stress with moving would have been in our favour. They haven't been and Harley's chance of survival in surgery alone is only 50%, and $3000. Things are not looking good and we need all the good thoughts and prayers we can get for this incredible dog this week.