By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

LUCY, the stray dog who was rescued by a Pet Assistance and Welfare Services board member, left Saipan yesterday for a new home in the U.S.
Lucy’s “foster parent” for four months was Katie Busenkell, the PAWS board member who rescued her.
Lucy left Saipan on a Freedom Air plane that will bring her to Guam.
From there, Lucy will board a Continental Airlines plane bound from Honululu, Hawaii from where she will be brought to Los Angeles, California.
Lucy will travel for 13 hours to reach her new home.
Lucy’s flight from Saipan to Los Angeles cost $762.50 including quarantine fees on Guam and Hawaii, an entry permit, and the Continental Airline fare which is $350.
Harpey Valley Kennel, the only civilian quarantine on Guam, picked up Lucy at the airport there.
Harpey Valley Kennel gave Lucy a 15 percent discount for her quarantine and entry permit fees.
Continental Airlines, for its part, gave Lucy a 50 percent discount for her fare to Los Angeles.
Lisa Schoppa, a representative of Continental Airlines and manager of Quickpak Product Development, made the discount possible.
Schoppa coordinated the matter with the Guam manager, Robbi Crisostomo.
Busenkell said money for Lucy’s airfare was donated by a group of people from Los Angeles who were able to raise $400.
When Lucy arrives in Hawaii, she will spend the night, for $70, with the Honolulu Humane Society, a Hawaii quarantine.
Lucy is expected to arrive in Los Angeles at 5 a.m. on March 8 there.
“It’s a long journey but it is one worth making,” Busenkell, said. “Once she arrives in LA, she will be placed with the Chase family on a foster-like basis to see if it all fits.  The family has rescued numerous animals before, and recently lost their 15-year-old three-legged dog. The woman who has agreed to foster, and likely keep Lucy, is excited about Lucy’s timely arrival because March 8, is her birthday.”
Busenkell said she appreciates these “Good Samaritans’ willingness to help Lucy have a better life.”
Busenkell found Lucy in Oct. of 2006 on a back road walking with only her two front legs.
Busenkell brought the dog to Dr. Edgar Tudor the following day to be euthanized.
X-rays showed that Lucy had been shot in one leg and had suffered a severe fracture in the other leg.
Doggon’ Wheels, a company with over 30 years of experience in meeting the needs of handicapped pets, donated a wheelchair for Lucy. The wheelchair was shipped to Busenkell.
Several months later, the dog was using three of her four legs.
“I have tried everything to find her a home on island, but we have so many healthy dogs here — the market is saturated,” Busenkell said.  “In the past four months, not one person has inquired about Lucy — not one.  We had a wheelchair donated to her in November, hoping to help her mobility and interest an animal lover, but no luck.”
Busenkell said her landlady had also asked her to find a home for Lucy as well as her other pets for she wanted them off the property.
“Word of this traveled back to the states through my family, where it reached a woman by the name of Simone Patterson.  Simone immediately started taking donations to fly Lucy from Saipan to Los Angeles to be placed in a new home that can afford Lucy’s medical needs,” Busenkell said.
“Every day, I am stunned by the kindness of these total strangers, and their willingness to help a dog they have never met from a place they likely have never heard of. To date, these kind strangers have raised about $400.  This would have been enough for the airfare and the $70 Hawaii quarantine fee, but I just found out last week that we have to pay a quarantine fee and entry permit fee in Guam, in addition to $57.50 to fly Lucy from Saipan to Guam.  The Guam Quarantine charges $100 for pick-up from the airport, $100 for drop-off at the airport, and $25 per day kenneling fee. In addition to the quarantine fee, there is a $60.00 entry permit even for animals in transit.” 
Busenkell thanked all the people who have shown kindness and generosity to Lucy — Dr. Tudor and Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Dr. Ignacio Dela Cruz, Erick Van Der Maas, who lent his dog crate for Lucy’s journey, Continental Airlines and Freedom Airlines, Harpey Valley Kennel and the people from Los Angeles who created the “Lucy Fund.”
“I cannot thank these people enough for giving Lucy this assistance. Truly it makes this endeavor that much easier when you encounter kind and compassionate people along the way,” Busenkell said, adding she feels sad that Lucy is no longer with her, but she’s happy at the same time because Lucy will have a home now and she knows that Lucy will be in good hands and will be taken care of properly.
“I stayed at the airport as long as I could hoping to watch Lucy’s take off, but I had to leave at about 9:15 a.m. for work,”she said.