MetaChat - Any ideas on how to move a great dane

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29 September 2008

Any ideas on how to move a great dane from Las Vegas to Dallas in the cheapest way possible? I'm asking for roommates who are broke, have no car and little else, but were just handed a great opportunity that includes bus tickets -- no dogs allowed, besides he's too big to fit. Apparently, selling the dog is not an option. I'll take anything from brainstorms to pure snark; who knows what may spark the imagination. We gotta make this work by Thursday night.

post by: Ardiril at: 05:16 | 19 comments

Get the dog a harness, get a friend to mimic a disability and pass the great dane off as a companion animal?? (will only work with thick skin, a sob-story and a well-behaved dog).

posted by ninazer0 29 September | 06:31

"Get the dog a harness" - or a muzzle. That's giving me some half-formed ideas right there. Thanks! Keep 'em coming.

posted by Ardiril 29 September | 06:50

Find somebody who needs a rideshare? (That'll be a somebody with a truck or a big car, I suppose.) Buy a cheap car, then sell it when they arrive?

posted by box 29 September | 07:04

Ask friends with a big (enough) house to dogsit for a while, then offer assistance (free accommodation, beer+pizza, whatever they can afford) to fund a subsequent roadtrip to deliver the dog.

Disclaimer: I am British and have no idea how far it is from LA to Dallas...

posted by altolinguistic 29 September | 08:07

Wait, are you guys moving to Dallas? Else I don't see why the dog can't be babysat by some other friends (who love dogs). I used to babysit dogs (I don't love dogs) just for the fun of having a new routine for a week. Dog-walks in parks brings new friends and all that.

posted by dabitch 29 September | 08:23

altolinguistic - long drive. 1438 miles, according to Google, or a drive from London to Glasgow, back to London then to Manchester, pretty much. I was curious too. I have done Vancouver to San Francisco non-stop, two of us driving. Not really "fun".

posted by Zack_Replica 29 September | 09:09

Is there money to fly the dog to Dallas and have a kennel pick up the dog and take of it until they get there? A friend of mine moved from Kingston ON to Calgary AB (probably farther than LA to Dallas but I'm too lazy to look it up) and this was an option for her Dane at one point.

posted by LunaticFringe 29 September | 09:15

Seems like a made-for-Craigslist sort of problem. Return the bus tickets for cash, and use it toward a rideshare for the two people and dog.

posted by Miko 29 September | 09:18

You could always use the harness to ride the dog to Dallas.

*returns back to inner child life*

posted by Lipstick Thespian 29 September | 10:01

yup, that's a long way. Still, my idea might spark some further ideas, so I'm not going to apologise for it :)

posted by altolinguistic 29 September | 10:30

Note that Las Vegas is closer to Dallas than Los Angeles - it's definitely a doable two- or three-day drive.

posted by muddgirl 29 September | 11:10

To be clear, I meant that the distance between LV and Dallas is shorter than the distance between LA and Dallas.

posted by muddgirl 29 September | 11:41

oops, turns out I can't read either. Still, if you drive for two or three days in a straight line here in Britain you fall off the edge, so what do I know.

posted by altolinguistic 29 September | 11:54

Animal rescue networks do this sort of thing all the time. I'm assuming you have an actual destination in Dallas? Ask these guys what they think. If the destination can wait a while (even weeks), maybe he can be moved in stages along with other rescued dogs.

posted by stilicho 29 September | 12:05

Can one of the travelers bike to Dallas instead? I guarantee you the dog would LOVE it!

posted by Meatbomb 29 September | 14:24

How many postage stamps do you have?

posted by dg 29 September | 15:19

This is good stuff. Thanks guys. Now they also have to figure out where to board him a couple weeks once he gets there.

posted by Ardiril 29 September | 17:20

Maybe the dog could stay in Vegas for awhile, either with a sitter, or worse came to worse, at a shelter (a no-kill shelter, of course)? Then they could go down to Dallas, make some money and get settled, and come back for the dog? Pay for a one-way rental (like a U-Haul van), to transport the dog? (I suppose with a shelter, there's the risk of the dog being adopted, but it would be free. Maybe they could work something out with the shelter, about reclaiming the dog, explain how they can't keep the dog right now, but hope to come back for him, maybe offer a donation?

That, or a hot air balloon.

(Good luck, though... keep us posted.)

posted by Pips 30 September | 08:11

This (uship.com/Dogs) looks promising, too. Or maybe this (animalsaway.com).

posted by Pips 30 September | 08:28

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