Rare ‘lethal white’ guinea pig needs flight from Oz to Canada
Posted on September 22, 2009 by by Caspersmom
Casper is a blind and deaf lethal white guinea pig that needs a flight from Western Australia to Canada in order to stay with her mom
Casper is no ordinary guinea pig. Born blind, deaf and with severe dental issues, she is only one of a handful of living ‘lethal white’ guinea pigs in the world: most lethal whites die within hours of birth, hence the name. A true survivor at a year and half old, Casper may live another five years. And she needs a flight halfway across the world.
Now that her Canadian owner is moving from Port Hedland, Western Australia back to Vancouver, Canada, Casper needs a ride on board a plane in order to survive the transpacific trip. As Casper gets all her water from fresh vegetables and hand-feedings, she wouldn’t survive the 15-hour flight from Sydney to Vancouver direct, and must make a stopover in Hawaii.
“Casper is very special,” says her owner Jenn Ladd, “and not just because she’s beaten the odds to survive. I consider her the ‘Helen Keller’ of guinea pigs for her amazing ability to not only enjoy her life immensely, but to be able to communicate with me. Lethal whites tend to be very affectionate and cuddly, so she spends a lot of time on my lap. She nibbles on my finger when she needs to use her litter box. Even though she’s profoundly deaf, she makes all the right guinea pig noises at the right times.
“I’m like Helen Keller’s companion, Anne Sullivan, which is why re-homing Casper isn’t an option. She’s fed a pellet mush four times a day through a syringe, and her veggies are cut up in to thin narrow strips in order for her to slurp them up like spaghetti, as she can’t take bites. I’ve tried to have other people feed her but she just won’t eat for anyone but me.”
Casper’s dental bills have added up since she was born in March 2008, and she’s seen Perth veterinary dental specialist Dr. Elizabeth Vickridge monthly and sometimes even weekly for tooth trimmings and extractions. Guinea pigs’ teeth continually grow but grind down against each other to keep them neat and trim: Casper has only one front tooth, which needs to be trimmed, and molars that grow over and entrap her tongue, requiring shaving in order for Casper to eat properly.
“I’ve asked all the commercial airlines that fly out of Australia if they will consider allowing Casper on board in her small crate but none will. She’s only 950 grams, and travels in a small cat carrier that fits under an airline seat,” says Jenn. “My hope is that a commercial airline will make an exception, or a private airline can make space on board for me and Casper, or an airline and Customs will allow her to travel with her vegetables and hay. If I were Richard Branson, it wouldn’t be difficult to get Casper to Canada, but I’m just an ordinary person with an extraordinary pet.”
Lethal whites are the result of poor breeding practices by those who do not realize that crossing certain colours of guinea pigs (roans, dalmations etc.) could produce these severely disabled babies.
Join the cause ‘Fly Casper Home’ on Facebook http://www.causes.com/flycasperhome, and add Casper Ladd as a friend to see more photos of this special guinea pig.
Casper on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khqdxSqVGRo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3XHxGERW8
Photos of Casper:
Sleepyhead – http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm290/Mimoshu/HousePig011-1-1.jpg
Sleeping on me – http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm290/Mimoshu/DSC01622-1.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm290/Mimoshu/DSC_0035.jpg
Extreme lettuce eating – http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm290/Mimoshu/greentongue.jpg
Keep on truckin’ – http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm290/Mimoshu/DSC_0015-1.jpg
For more information on Lethal White guinea pigs:
http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.guineapigcages.com/forum/kitchen/4190-lethal-guinea-pigs.html
www.guinealynx.com
2 Comments to “Rare ‘lethal white’ guinea pig needs flight from Oz to Canada”
"Leave a Comment"
Typeboard uses automatic spam filters, sometimes comments are sent to moderation
Please read our Code of Conduct
There is little point talking to the “worker ants” in large Airline corporations that have little choice but to follow their set procedures and guidelines.
There also may be specific rules and/or regulations (such as Australia’s own quarantine restrictions which apply to all inbound flights) that specifically prohibit animals or particular items (such as particular food stuffs and/or grasses) to be imported/shipped.
That said, I am aware of guide and assistance dogs being allowed to fly in the cabin; but here there is a distinct difference between a “pet” and a “working animal”. Individuals with assistance animals would be greatly assisted by aspects of anti-discrimination legislation that would prohibit disadvantage on the basis of their disabilities.
Personally, I’d suggest you write to directly to Richard Branson at Virgin and put forward a case outlining your specific circumstances and what benefits his organisation might possibly anticipate if an exception is made (positive publicity, media coverage, acknowledgment of a charitable act etc).
I am of course suggesting that you should also be prepared to fly on one of the airline subsidiaries of the senior person you decide to approach and offer to pay for (or over and above) a full fare ticket for the PRIVILEGE.
I guess you’ll never know until you ask.
Hope you find this suggestion of assistance.
(Report comment)
Hi Jonathon, thanks for your reply. I have actually tried to get to Richard Branson through his ‘Ask Richard’ column on virgin.com – it says he will answer the question with the most votes, but that didn’t happen, even though I had the most votes. Virgin only flies dogs and cats, not guinea pigs.
I’m really not sure how else to approach him. I agree I should highlight the benefits, which I didn’t do in my ‘Ask Richard’ question. Please let me know if you know how I can reach him!
I’ve offered to pay First Class, or for a suite so no-one would even have to see Casper, with most of the airlines, but no luck.
I will be getting a letter today from the USDA in Hawaii saying it’s ok for her to fly in to that country with her veggies, hay and grass as it’s disposed of when she arrives. But the Qantas management team still needs to approve her travel with these items – even though the US has no issue with either her or her foodstuffs!
It’s a tangled, tangled web!
(Report comment)