Gingy Mou was born in the Zambian bush and was a security dog for a borehole company that wasn’t a very nice place (her sister had been beaten to death). She was very scared all the time and used to hide under the cars on the property.
We were traveling through Africa when we knew her situation and it broke our heart. But hey, I could do something, so we made a decision and we took her out of that place the 24th of April of 2017.
Ginger went from a security dog in Zambia to a world traveler in one day. Do you see how crazy this is? Did she know how lucky she was? Clearly not, as she was so scared even of us. She spent weeks just focused on finding cars and trucks and hiding under them.
We really didn’t think about getting Ginger, it was our heart who made that decision. I would do it again for sure, but I would never recommend it to anyone who is traveling full time and through Africa as we are. Dogs make your life extremely difficult and please don’t get me wrong. You will cry, and get frustrated, and get terribly sick and you will have to find first a place to leave the dog and second a hospital for you, have problems with the local people because of their fear, need to get out of the country but not possible because her papers are not ready, to smuggle her through African borders, protecting her of not being attacked or eaten by wild baboons, you won’t be allowed to any national park (you will have to hide her under your own responsibility, once they threatened to shoot her -) and I could keep telling 1000 more things that happened to us …. So yes, sometimes, is extremely difficult, close to nightmare difficult.
But, when everything goes ok (that is almost never) then I don’t have words to explain what I feel. INCREDIBLE. The happiest of happy realizing how lucky we are of traveling through beautiful places and, both, collecting the same experiences together. Then is when I realize how lucky I am, hope she does the same.
I still can not believe she was a security dog, a dog who never barks, a dog so scared of everything, a dog who just wants love, and I am so happy to have been able to make a difference for her.
Ginger is now a world traveler. We have been in Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Through our African travels, I always got the same message from people “What are you going to do with Ginger when you leave Africa?” We couldn´t find a 100% safe and loving place to leave her for a few months, so there was no decision to make, she was coming to Barcelona despite the idea of putting her in a crate for almost 30h flight and lay overs worried me too much (secret: I cried at the take off).
We have just arrived in Barcelona, Spain, to spend Christmas with my family and stay some months to prepare for our next adventures. Can you guess who is doing great? Gingy Mou is! The African-bush dog is now in a big city, full of lights, noises, people, … and she loves it.
Ginger is really trying her best, like knowing the unique chance she had, because, how many African security dogs become world travelers full of love?
We have been in National Parks, trekked mountains, seen wild elephants through the window, heard lions roar on our walkies, paddle boarding in lakes, seen chimpanzees, been in boats, rescued dogs in need, taught kids in local schools how to treat dogs,…. and this is just the beginning.
I am happy when I look at her eyes and I can feel it in my stomach. I am happy to have made a difference that day. Happy to have not thought of myself, or how difficult and expensive it was going to be to travel with Ging. Happy of just having one thought, knowing what was going to be her sad fate if we didn’t rescue her.
We are going to stay in Barcelona preparing our next crazy year, and I know it is difficult, but it is going to be even better. Why? Because we are working on some little projects to make a difference for other Zambian dogs who are not as lucky as Gingy Mou ♥ And that makes us extremely HAPPY!!!
“As wild and free as we can and making a difference every where we are.”
More info: Instagram
At the moment of her rescue
Gingy Mou and her sweet eyes
Watching the wild elephants through our window in Zambia
At rapid 7 of Victoria Falls Zambia
Over the clouds in Malawi
In our house, the Land Cruiser
Ging in Lake Malawi
Over 3000m on Mt Mulanje, Malawi
Ging hiking in Malawi
Ging and I the last sunset we spent in Africa before traveling to Barcelona
Ginger getting ready to get on the flight with Emirates at Lusaka Airport, Zambia
Ginger looking at the Christmas’ lights lit up for the first time of winter season
Ging gets cuddles from an stranger in Barcelona
Ging, Ula (her new sister) and I and the Christmas tree. Her first Christmas
