Forty minutes later, I get a call from Rodney, the rehab owner who was flying back to LA with Newt as his companion animal. Southwest Airlines was being difficult and refusing to let him fly-- even with all his certification! I drove back to the airport to pick up a very stressed Newt and was heartbroken to have to leave a very stressed Rodney.
Here's Newt showing how ferocious he can be! ;) It just makes me want to kiss him! He was mad at Southwest too!
Thanks to the amazing help of a chameleon lover and pilot, Newt left SLC and now is in Phoenix. Tomorrow morning the same rock star pilot will fly him to LAX where he will be picked up by Rodney and taken home. :)
He's made it half way there. Traveling as a "carry on" is the only way he's strong enough to go. Normal shipping or a 15 hour car ride would be too stressful and it would do him in.
In his travel crate with his little purple bed. This is what he's most used to because it's how I take him to the vet.
The travel crate is inside a Critter Keeper that is lined with paper and also has a heating pack in it to keep him warm.
The lid goes on the Critter Keeper and the whole crate goes into a black bag for travel. Little Newt sleeps the whole way. :)
Here's Newt at the airport in Arizona. He's such a good traveler! Tomorrow by this time, he'll be settled into his new digs in So Cal with his new forever family. He'll have an "adopted" brother there, Niblet, who had bad MBD when he was Newt's age. They'll be twiners.
I full expect Newt to have a healthy & happy life. Each day he gets stronger and more coordinated; each day he gets more love and affection. He's a great little chameleon. It's amazing that he's alive.
I have a Newt size whole in my heart and cried into my Chinese salad for lunch. I have no regrets at all. He's going to where he will do best. I'll just miss my little buddy.
More updates to posted soon!