Eliana Caimanque and Lulu came over to my house for a visit last Sunday afternoon. Eliana had Lulu's fluffy mane shaved down, so she looked very smooth and sleek. I could see the Dachshund genes in her now.



She is such a sweet little dog. I'm so glad Eliana took her in after her very difficult life on the streets of Santiago, Chile. She is very friendly and well behaved. I asked Eliana if Lulu had been someone's pet because she wasn't unruly or timid like I expected a street dog to be. How did she wind up on the streets of Santiago?

Eliana said she was probably dumped. That's too common in Chile. When people move or want to get rid of their pets, they drop them off in the city and leave them there. There are over a million "unsupervised" dogs in Chile. These may be outdoor pets that are fed by "owners" but not cared for, or dogs like Lulu that were transported to another place and dumped. The situation for cats is even worse.

I asked Eliana if she went to Chile to bring Lulu back. She told me "Lulu's care since she was hit by the car last year as well as her trip to the states was arranged by Cristina Andrea Barra, an extremely compassionate and kind women who dedicates her life to save animals and later on find them permanent homes."

Lulu flew 12 hrs in cargo from Santiago, Chile to Los Angeles. That is where a pet relocation company took over and did all her custom paper work. They also bought her ticket from LA to San Francisco, again in cargo, and took care of her while she was waiting to board the second plane to San Francisco. She said they handled everything after Lulu arrived in the USA until she arrived in San Ramon. The whole trip lasted 18 hrs.

Early Thursday morning Eliana took Lulu to the Sage Clinic to be examined by the neurologist. Eliana emailed me about the exam. "The exam was fine, everything is fine. Blood work has to be done next Tuesday. It was fine 4 weeks ago so the vet does not anticipate any surprise."

Lulu's surgery is scheduled for September 9th. She will be in the hospital for 2 to 3 days and her prognosis is good. "We are still short in money but I got a loan.," Eliana wrote in an email. "I am waiting for a few 'promised' donations to arrive. If push comes to shove I will use my credit card too. Eli"

I suggested holding a "Thank You Party" for Lulu after she recovers and invite all of the donors to the Delmar Dog Park, which is about half-way between Eliana's house and mine.

Lulu had a lot of bad luck for a few years on the streets of Santiago, Chile, but Lulu's luck has changed. She's found a good, permanent home with Eliana, in a lovely place, San Ramon, with a dog park around the corner and all of the friends she's made while raising money for her surgery.