Moving pet yourself vs. professional exporter/importer

[lemonade]

We are moving our dog from Toronto, Canada to Hong Kong in December. We have contacted pet exporter/importers and it appears that the whole thing is going to cost $2,500+ (CDN) which was a little surprising as our furniture is costing $6,000 (CDN).

I wanted to know if it's possible to move the dog ourselves - if it's less expensive but just as safe and comfortable for our dog.

My biggest concern is that our dog is comfortable and arrives in good health - do the professionals send them in a way that is better than they would go via normal airline cargo? Are the benefits of sending them with a professional pet relocator worth the cost?

Please let me know your experiences and advice!

Thanks.

[carang]

they get on the same planes as the dogs being sent via an importer/exporter.

there is a bit of paperwork that needs to be done, and done in the right order and within a certain time frame.

please PM me, I'd like to discuss a possibility with you.
thanks!

[goleoboy]

we sent our 2 pooches airline cargo from NYC to HK. I can't say the airline cargo drop-off was the most smooth, but it's probably because it was a combination of an 'iffy' airline (china airline) and a messed up airport - JFK... if you ship them yourself, make sure you apply for the permit from the HK gov first, also make sure the kennel you buy is big enough... also i wouldn't count on the airline people to 'take care' of your dog (ie walk them around or clean their kennel etc). actually the kennel door usually stays closed from the time you drop off to pick-up. Also, one thing to know, buy a water bottle to put inside the kennel so they can drink, the airline usually commits to filling up the bottle if it's empty. When we picked up our dogs in hk (about 36hrs after we dropped them off) they were fine... they actually didn't really even pee or pooped in their kennels...and did it when they got out. (we were told they would try to hold it as long as they can). also make sure you put your own name as the consignee (at point of pickup) IF you are the person picking it up on this end. I find the HKG facilities are much more organized / clean (vs. jfk which was a nasty warehouse) including the cargo space... good luck!!

[goleoboy]

also, for all health check-ups / certificates you get for them from your vet, you need to get them re-validated by a government (canadian) agency - to ensure your vet is actually licensed... that's a step that we almost skipped - causing us to rush to the vet office at the airport last minute. but i'm sure the canadian airport you'll be using will be better than JFK...

[nina_70]

This link provides you with all the information you need to know about the import process into Hong Kong
http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quara..._ipab_idc.html

As some of the other posters mentioned there's some paperwork you need to do ahead of time incl.application for an import permit. Then, there's a set of vaccinations and certification that you'll need from your home country (also, dog must be microchipped). It's totally possible to do it yourself, but it does need some planning so start 2-3 months in advance. The actual airline flight is the same whether it's done by a professional or not (dogs travel in a special pressurized cargo area), so the comfort of the dog is something you can provide for yourself. The biggest benefit you get from a professional pet mover is that the documentation is handled/checked by them, and it's a door-to-door service which does make for peace of mind. Of course, that's where the money comes in...

[UK Lou]

Hi,

Our 2 cats just arrived from the UK on Friday, and we hired professional pet relocators at both ends. As everyone has said, it's definitely possible to do it yourself, but for me it was worth paying the professionals just because I was so worried about them flying and wanted to be absolutely sure they had all the documentation they needed and that I hadn't overlooked anything. The people I dealt with at the relocation companies were also very reassuring and helpful with any questions I had, which made the process easier.
Good luck with whatever you decide. If you do decide to use a company at this end, I recommend Wish You Were Here - the guy there Mark is very helpful and professional.

[BEL]

We hired professional import/export companies to handle our dog from Australia to HK.

My main concern was not getting all the required vet checks, paperwork, permits etc done correctly which can lead to your dog being sent to quarantine here in HK.

If you do it yourself, research it all throughly to ensure everything is in place. The last thing you want is there to be a problem when you are trying to pick your dog up in HK.

I think someone has given you a link above on how to get a permit in HK for your dog (which needs to be done prior to the dog coming).

Also in Australia I got my dog vaccinated for Rabies before he came, as I thought it was needed here as part of the import (we don't have Rabies in Aus) - but the Hong Kong customs gave him the vaccination anyway (I think it's standard for them to give it to the dogs, as well as microchiping them at the airport). So you may not need this vaccination prior to coming to Hong Kong? My dog got it twice!

[hello_there]

Also in Australia I got my dog vaccinated for Rabies before he came, as I thought it was needed here as part of the import (we don't have Rabies in Aus) - but the Hong Kong customs gave him the vaccination anyway (I think it's standard for them to give it to the dogs, as well as microchiping them at the airport). So you may not need this vaccination prior to coming to Hong Kong? My dog got it twice!

Unfortunately you dog will end up getting it twice. A current rabies jab is required to get your vet certification, and the dog gets it again upon arrival in Hong Kong. Nothing you can do about it.

[carang]

to those that have sent me PM's...i'm really busy for the next few days. I'll try to get back to everyone by the weekend.

[Patric]

It's a pretty straight forward process importing a dog into Hong-Kong. Canada is a group two country so there are no special problems and no quarantine providing you comply fully with the import permit requirements. These are straight forward, the dog needs the correct vaccinations and the correct type of micro chip etc., all the info can be found on
http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quara..._ipab_idc.html just drag and drop it into your browser.

The best is to give then a call and chat to someone who will take you through step by step. The first will be getting an import license from the department, a few days wait is all it takes.

I recently imported a dog myself and had no problems as far as paper work etc, in fact you only need the import licence, valid for three months I think and the required veterinary certs from the other end all filled in neatly and the rest is basically getting the dog onto the plane safely the other end.

The only hiccup we encountered was that the puppy arrived after an 18hour flight and it was lunch time here. Yes believe it. The puppy had to sit for two hours waiting for the jerk to finish his dinner before we could get it out of its little hut, this after we had phoned the airport state vet as is required, a week before arrival and then again the day before.

This wouldn't have been any different had we used an agency, but there really is no real need for one, as long as you have someone competent at the other end organising shots and a crate etc.

Well before your dog leaves you submit the documentation this end and they give it the once over and tell you if there are any problems or things you need to do. Basically they are very helpful and make sure you get it right well before you even book the flight. A direct flight is always the best for the dog.

Good luck