We came to learn all of this information because of Mousie. Mousie's guardians contacted our list (Canada Rat Adoption) because they wanted to find a new home for her on their return to Montreal from Vancouver, where they had lived for 3 years. Everyone on the list jumped in and gave them advice on how to travel with Mousie so that she, an old lady, could continue her retirement with them.

You know what's coming: Mousie the rat went missing on her flight from Vancouver to Montreal on July 3rd. Here are the details.

Much of the advice here was given to Mousie's guardians by the Canada Rat Adoption list members. Some, however, was disregarded. Mousie's guardians bought a container that they took to the airport in advance to check if it was good enough for travel, and the counter agent did not check regulations - she said yes. On the day of travel the counter agents also did not check the mistake, and assuming Mousie would be more closely monitored, her guardians did not tape the lid down on container. When the staff at the Air Canada counter accepted Mousie's transport container, her owners thought all would be well. Everyone was mistaken. Mousie was sent in an incorrect carrier, and true to Murphy's Law (whatever can go wrong, will go wrong), it broke open during the flight.

Because they travelled on an overnight, connecting flight (take direct flights only, or check out and check in your pet at the stopover), Mousie hopped off the plan at the connecting airport. But we didn't know that, so the search had to be conducted at Vancouver (where she was confirmed boarded), Toronto (no documentation), and Montreal (no pet).

After 8 days of escalating searches in Toronto and Montreal, as well as TWO infrared searches of the plane she had been on (one in Calgary, one elsewhere; very expensive for Air Canada but necessary for safety, as rodents and rabbits chew cables), Mousie was finally found in a humane trap at Toronto Pearson.The Wildlife Service for the Airport Authority then drove Mousie to met a volunteer, who positively identified her, took her home and the next day to a vet. She was seen by Dr. Munn in Scarborough, and although she was dehydrated and had some scrapes on her fingers and tail, she was fine.

This story was being investigated by CityPulse News, Silverman Helps, when Mousie was found, and so Craig Silverman went with the camera crew to see Mousie at Dr. Munn's. "You are a very lucky rat!" he told her. The story aired on July 19, 2005.

After Mousie was found and had her vet check-up, she got to fly back in one of these special rodent-shipping boxes, right on the flight deck (cockpit) of an Air Canada Cargo jet. I drove her guardians to Cargo to pick her up, and I interviewed Rob Little, Live Cargo animal handler, about the process of shipping live animals. We sent the reunion photos to Silverman helps and to the list serve in order to spread the good news.

There have been changes in Air Canada's policies since the Mousie incident. They disallowed pets as carry-on - not necessarily the safest policy, as Mousie and the plane would have been better off under her guardians' supervision. For a period afterward, they also disallowed pets as extra baggage on passenger flights, insisting that Live Cargo was used. Although my research into this says that it is the more prudent course, animal welfare societies took Air Canada to court and the rule was struck down, in that passengers shouldn't have onerous policies in place that prevent them from travelling with their pets.