Finding housing that allows dogs

[Kyle]

My wife and I will be moving to Hong Kong this summer from Denver (USA). We have a small dog (Bichon Frise) that is a part of our family, and we are planning to bring him with us. I have a couple of questions ...

1) Do most of the rental apartments allow pets, or will having a small dog seriously restrict our options for housing?

2) Are there areas that are more pet friendly? My office will likely be in Kowloon.

Thanks for your time.

[_WPE_]

your choice to finding a dog friendly landlord will be very very limited and your dog must be in quatataine for at least 8 month. please be aware of that.


wpe

[KnowItAll]

Quarantine issue is bogus.

While your options may be limited, if you find a good estate agent and you're in an expat oriented location like Mid Levels, South Island you'll not have a major problem. Our housing complex (Baguio Villas) has plenty of pets, both local and expat owned.

You may want to drop the folks at Export-A-Pet a line and talk to them about procedures. They'll also be able to advice you on what your housing options are like.

[KnowItAll]

Here are some good resources (look below to find additional similar threads)

http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=712

http://www.afcd.gov.hk/quarantine/quarantine_e.htm (Agriculture and fisheries department which deals with quarantine issues for pets and imported livestock)

[Kyle]

Thanks for the guidance. I've researched the import/export requirements for pets and am comfortable that with the proper paperwork/documentation that there is no quarantine for dogs and cats. I will also contact the folks at export-a-pet for advice.

Are there substantial expat communities on the Mainland (not HK Island)? Most of the posts I've read seem to focus on HK Island (or Discovery Bay). My wife and I have been leaning toward the Mainland primarily because of cost and proximity to my expected office location. I've done the hour-plus commute before and really hated it.

Cheers,

Kyle

[JPMeaney]

Kyle,

I know about long commutes...used to live in Boulder and work in Littleton (among many others in my career).

My wife and I are moving to Discovery Bay next month with our 2 dogs. We just got back from visiting there and I've got to say that if you're as committed to your dog as we are to ours Disco Bay is by far your best choice (though I've heard Lamma is good too)...very dog friendly and plenty of places to hike, swim and walk with them. As to cost, it is expensive, but I've come across places that seem reasonable and if it's just the 3 of you and you don't need anything too big I'm sure you can find some good places.

Talk to Paul at Export a Pet and don't believe any lies people like WPE spout about things they know nothing of.

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat or get some links to things my wife and I have found.

Your biggest concern with moving this summer needs to be the ability of the airlines to take your dog...most US arilines have agreed with the FAA not to ship dogs when the temp anywhere on the route is 85F or above...Korean Air does not have temp restrictions, but I don't know how wise that would be in the middle of summer!

[pcsmff]

I suppose one of the main problems on an advice forum like this is people who have an opinion on all and everything and profess to being experts on all and everything. As a dog owner in HK, let me set you straight on dog issues in HK (WPE sit this out!)

You will pick your dog up from the cargo area of HK international airport. On arrival you will have to be present when the dog is seen by the airport vet. He/She wil then be microchipped and given a rabies - they have to have these regardless of their previous innoculations etc. This cost about $400 HKD when I went through it in Feb 2002, so it may be more now.
There is no quarantine at all - this 8 month suggestion is garbage.
As for finding a property to live in. I have lived in 4 places in the last two years and I have never had a problem with keeping pets at all. Most landlords are fine from what I have seen, although they do stress that any material damage caused by them is your responsibility, but you would expect that.
I have lived in Kennedy Town, Pok Fu Lam, North Point and now Clearwater Bay. Obviously you willl need to ensure that the home you choose is suitable for your dog. Ideally a garden would exist but these are rare and expensive if you plan to live on the island. In the New Territories you can pick up a duplex or village house with garden for much less. However, most appartment blocks have dog toileting areas, especially if there are a large number of expats in the complex. If it is a small dog you may want to try out the litter tray method? - I tried but my dog was too stuck in his ways. He now basks in his garden in Clearwater Bay.
Hope that helps!

[JPMeaney]

if you use Export a Pet you don't even have to pick the dog up...they've got a couple of guys that take them through customs and deliver them to your door...you just pretend you are travelling alone and let someone else deal with it...that alone is worth the price of admission!

[tangy13]

my neighbours are moving to another country around may-june and they have a dog...the apartment is a ground floor 3 bed with a terrace/garden...let me know if ur interested...i thinks its for around 8-10k.