From the Director: The Madrid Airlift Has Cast Off!

Okay, I'll let you in on a little secret . . . the Madrid Airlift was actually by sea! When you have to move a large number of fairly heavy items to a land far, far away your best bet is by boat. But the Madrid Sea Voyage just didn't have the same ring to it.

In a way this sea voyage will end in the air, so it's all good. In partnership with BaasGalgo, Scooby North America and SAGE, SHUG is sending 64 crates to Spain so that 64 dogs will have a better chance of meeting their forever families.

This is the first time we've done anything like this and it was definitely an adventure. In addition to the crates, we also sent donations of coats, blankets, collars, leashes, and other items sent by our awesome supporters. As the collection point for this shipment, I received more than 50 packages! My mailman was forced to take early retirement and my UPS guy has filed a restraining order.

In all seriousness, I am truly awed by the generosity of our donors. These items will make a real difference to the dogs in Spain. BaasGalgo will be receiving the shipment in Madrid, but they will be sharing the supplies with other shelters. Your donations will go a long way.

trailerTo save the $300 pickup fee we rented a 12’ trailer and packed it to the roof! We've rented smaller trailers before for big events but this was the longest trailer and the heaviest load I've ever moved. I'm also not very good at backing it up. (Please note: I did not hit the mailbox. The garbage can is a whole other story, though.)

Once we delivered everything to the warehouse, the shipping company played Tetris with it for two days to make it as compact as possible and save us some money. In the end -- with crates, coats, collars, leashes, blankets, etc.--our shipment ended up being 724 kgs and cost $2,275. The price tag included the sea voyage, customs and VAT fees, and delivery to Madrid.

boxesNot counting all of the awesome donations, that comes out to about $35 per crate, far less than the $150 or more we usually have to spend on crates. This will also protect us from crate shortages. At least two dogs this year missed their flights because the volunteers in Spain couldn't find crates in stock anywhere.

The only downside to sending items by ship is that it will take at least a month for our crates and donations to get to Madrid. We'll keep everyone posted! And if you're interested in contributing to the expenses of this shipment, please donate! And thank you to everyone that helped make this shipment possible!

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