The Ohotnickys are frequent visitors to Vieques, Puerto Rico, and have always made trips to the Vieques Humane Society part of their itinerary.
“The humane society has at least 100 dogs in residence, so we like to go there and see the dogs, take them on walks, and contribute much-needed dollars to the shelter,” said Lynda Ohotnicky.
According to Ohotnicky, the Vieques Humane Society is a top-notch organization with employees and volunteers who work diligently on spay/neuter programs, veterinarian care, and animal assistance to local pet owners. Ohotnicky claims their unending effort to ensure that all pets are tagged and collared “has almost completely solved the problem of homeless canines wandering aimlessly through the streets.”
The Vieques Humane and Animal Rescue Organization was officially opened in 1987 and began as an effort by concerned vacationers to help feed the starving stray dog population. Eventually they enlisted the help of local vets to sterilize them and the organization evolved into a shelter with an extensive campaign to find homes for the strays.
Former Dover resident and selectperson Jane Chadwick, who has relocated to Vieques, has become part of the animal relocation effort, even placing ads in The Deerfield Valley News showing dogs available at the society for adoption. Chadwick is the connection that led to the Ohotnickys and Joneses being involved in the dog delivery.
The story of one homeless dog and her offspring is a particularly poignant one and involves the combined efforts of the Ohotnickys and the Joneses to help a Connecticut veterinarian fulfill her dream. The vet from Hartford also vacationed in Vieques frequently and found herself attracted to a particular dog while volunteering at the humane society; after returning to Connecticut, she decided she had to have her. “The dog was adorable, sweet, calm and alert. There was something very special about her,” said Lynda Ohotnicky.
The Ohotnickys were eager to become part of the rescue mission and asked the Joneses if they would like to participate. Since Jane and Don Jones were leaving Vieques before the Ohotnickys, they agreed to be the canines’ companions on the flight from Puerto Rico to Hartford. Airline regulations used to allow dogs being transported to new homes across the US to fly in the cargo hold without much paperwork. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, however, flight security became far more stringent and all animals had to be registered to a passenger on board.
On the day of departure, the Joneses arrived at the tiny Vieques airport for their flight on Cape Air to San Juan. They were met there by Emily, a worker from the humane society, bearing three dog crates. The two smallest crates held the five eight-week-old puppies while a larger crate housed their mother. And that’s when the trouble began.
After several agonizing attempts, it soon became apparent that the large crate wouldn’t fit into the cargo hold. Meanwhile, the minutes were ticking by and Don and Jane Jones became increasingly anxious about the possibility of missing their connecting American Airlines flight in San Juan. The crate problem was finally solved by placing it in the back of the passenger cabin with mother dog riding in Emily’s lap. But the harrowing ordeal was far from over.
When the small plane landed on the San Juan tarmac, out flew Emily, the Joneses, their combined luggage, and three dog crates. After a breathless run through several airport concourses, the animal rescue entourage arrived at the American Airlines check-in counter only to find that the dogs’ paperwork was incomplete. Without some kind of divine intervention, they would be unable to board the plane.
That intervention came in the form of a San Juan vet with a cell phone and access to a fax machine. A frantic Emily phoned her veterinarian friend and found him shopping at Best Buy. Quickly grasping the urgency, the vet then borrowed the store’s fax machine to send the missing paperwork enabling the dogs to travel. In the meantime, the Joneses had already boarded the plane without knowing the outcome. “We were seated on the plane, the passenger doors were closing, and I used my cell phone to call Emily to find out if the dogs had made it,” said Jane Jones, recalling the relief she felt when she learned they were on board.
Waiting to meet the plane in Hartford were the Connecticut vet and a rescue worker from New Hampshire with whom the puppies would be placed until homes were found for them. “All those involved put their hearts and souls into that rescue,” said Don Jones, adding that he’s eager to participate in another rescue mission next year.
BRAVO!