THE countdown is on for Mount Gambier resident Sarah McDowell and her furry friend Cali as they prepare for the World Agility Championships in the United Kingdom.
With less than four months to go, the talented border collie has had a relaxing six-week break from training, allowing her time to rest before kicking in to final training mode.
Increasing her fitness through training runs on the beach, additional low impact swimming sessions and short skill sessions, Cali should be fighting fit to take on dogs from across the world.
With her mind set on the gold medal, Ms McDowell said the process of flying Cali to the UK is the next big thing to finalise.
“Flying a dog to the UK is a lot easier than the return journey as there is no quarantine required in the UK due to Cali having already completed her rabies vaccinations,” she said.
“I am hoping that Cali will be booked onto the new Qantas flight leaving from Perth and landing directly into London Heathrow, cutting the flight time down significantly.
“Cali has flown around Australia a significant number of times and comes out of her crate happy to see everyone and ready to jump in her car for her next adventure to begin.”
Once through customs, Cali and Ms McDowell will spend a couple of weeks training in the UK before the event.
When returning back to Australia, she will spend 10 days in the quarantine kennels in Melbourne before making her way home to Mount Gambier.
“This will be the second time I have brought a dog back to Australia,” Ms McDowell said.
“The first time was seven years ago and the process was taken care of by the pet transport company.
“They gave me the exact dates of what vaccinations had to be done and the dog was dropped off at the company two days before the flight to ensure all the paperwork was in place,” Ms McDowell said.
“What could have been a very stressful experience of flying a loved pet around the world was actually a very simple experience, which was such a relief.
“The quarantine staff were also very good at giving me updates every couple of days and I hope that this will still be the case with Cali.”
