Since, first setting foot in Hong Kong, over a year ago,
I knew, if there was a possibility or chance....
of living in Hong Kong with the kids,
We would have to do it!!
However,
making that happen seemed quite the challenge
AND IT IS, TRUST ME...
Besides the complications and logistics of moving internationally...
to the other side of the world.
We have PETS!
Pets that are more than pets to us, but family members.
WE LOVE our creatures....
So, they would have to be able to come too.
I know, just the thought of moving to HK,
probably is enough to make most people shutter,
but moving with 2 dogs and 2 BIRDS,
that is nothing less than insanity.
Dogs First...
The process to bringing dogs really isn't bad.
Other than the fact that HK government requires them
to get a second Rabies shot and another microchip.
Pretty smooth.
No quarantine, if you make sure all the prerequisites are met.
They even make sure someone is available when the dogs land,
so you are home with them pretty quickly.
That doesn't mean that the process
of the dog's travel was fun for them.
24 hours in a crate.
UNDER THE PLANE! (temp/pressure controlled)
(no animals are allowed on the planes flying into HK, shuttter!)
Rough, probably terrifying 24 hours for the doggies...
Oh, and we had a time limit,
as they will not ship if temps rise above 84 degrees...
The temp the day the dogs were to land was predicted at 84.
International export of animals has MANY requirements...
I am not even going to go into the zillions of hours I spent researching everything and verifying every last detail with the US government, HK government, and Airlines (who were very confused).
By far, HK gorverment was AMAZING, friendly and easy to work with...
I had to buy and return the first set of crates that I was told met international criteria,
after researching more I realized the clasps wouldn't have been acceptable.
Glad I did, they actually did check them...
Oh, and I saw on only ONE of the many places I researched that Water bottles were necessary,
all the other sites said to attach some way where water could be added from the outside,
so I did both funnel and water bottle - both ended up being required... PHEW!
The children came with me to drop off the dogs,
for which I was very grateful.
I was a MESS, so sad/stressed/worried...
We had to take them to the USDA Vet to sign off everything that our regular Vet signed off first...
We were in LA by 730am
Then, we went to the airport to take the dogs.
I mean they are leaving on a plane from LAX at the airport...
No one seemed to know where to drop them... GRRRR
and ultimately, it wasn't at the airport....
It was a mile from the airport at a warehouse. Go figure.
Lucky, I am neurotically early, so we had time to spare.
They just thought they were having a fun bye-bye day!
Poor unsuspecting pups.
Pics at the airport as we waited in line, needlessly, yah...
Dogs got a little extra free time!
Oh yes, it was fun carting around 2 dogs and 2 crates to the airport for no reason.
OOPS... Thank goodness kids were with me.
The first three people we talked to assured us that we were in the right spot and us to drop them at the regular airline check in, seemed wrong, but I had no clue.... Even the guy from the airline was confused and had to get a manager. He didn't even know that pets ever went on the plane. Yah... It was interesting.
But, we got an address. Raced back to the car and found the drop off location.
The place was a big warehouse, my poor pups were reduced to cargo...
Honey was NOT PLEASED....
Lily was much LESS pleased than Honey,
in fact she was SUPER Mad!
I knew, if there was a possibility or chance....
of living in Hong Kong with the kids,
We would have to do it!!
However,
making that happen seemed quite the challenge
AND IT IS, TRUST ME...
Besides the complications and logistics of moving internationally...
to the other side of the world.
We have PETS!
Pets that are more than pets to us, but family members.
WE LOVE our creatures....
So, they would have to be able to come too.
I know, just the thought of moving to HK,
probably is enough to make most people shutter,
but moving with 2 dogs and 2 BIRDS,
that is nothing less than insanity.
Dogs First...
The process to bringing dogs really isn't bad.
Other than the fact that HK government requires them
to get a second Rabies shot and another microchip.
Pretty smooth.
No quarantine, if you make sure all the prerequisites are met.
They even make sure someone is available when the dogs land,
so you are home with them pretty quickly.
That doesn't mean that the process
of the dog's travel was fun for them.
24 hours in a crate.
UNDER THE PLANE! (temp/pressure controlled)
(no animals are allowed on the planes flying into HK, shuttter!)
Rough, probably terrifying 24 hours for the doggies...
Oh, and we had a time limit,
as they will not ship if temps rise above 84 degrees...
The temp the day the dogs were to land was predicted at 84.
International export of animals has MANY requirements...
I am not even going to go into the zillions of hours I spent researching everything and verifying every last detail with the US government, HK government, and Airlines (who were very confused).
By far, HK gorverment was AMAZING, friendly and easy to work with...
I had to buy and return the first set of crates that I was told met international criteria,
after researching more I realized the clasps wouldn't have been acceptable.
Glad I did, they actually did check them...
Oh, and I saw on only ONE of the many places I researched that Water bottles were necessary,
all the other sites said to attach some way where water could be added from the outside,
so I did both funnel and water bottle - both ended up being required... PHEW!
The children came with me to drop off the dogs,
for which I was very grateful.
I was a MESS, so sad/stressed/worried...
We had to take them to the USDA Vet to sign off everything that our regular Vet signed off first...
We were in LA by 730am
Then, we went to the airport to take the dogs.
I mean they are leaving on a plane from LAX at the airport...
No one seemed to know where to drop them... GRRRR
and ultimately, it wasn't at the airport....
It was a mile from the airport at a warehouse. Go figure.
Lucky, I am neurotically early, so we had time to spare.
They just thought they were having a fun bye-bye day!
Poor unsuspecting pups.
Pics at the airport as we waited in line, needlessly, yah...
Dogs got a little extra free time!
Oh yes, it was fun carting around 2 dogs and 2 crates to the airport for no reason.
OOPS... Thank goodness kids were with me.
The first three people we talked to assured us that we were in the right spot and us to drop them at the regular airline check in, seemed wrong, but I had no clue.... Even the guy from the airline was confused and had to get a manager. He didn't even know that pets ever went on the plane. Yah... It was interesting.
But, we got an address. Raced back to the car and found the drop off location.
The place was a big warehouse, my poor pups were reduced to cargo...
Honey was NOT PLEASED....
Lily was much LESS pleased than Honey,
in fact she was SUPER Mad!
Since, our dogs were not use to being in kennels. I placed the kennels in the common area of our home weeks before they went out and put treats and chews in them. Took them on car rides in the kennels, so it would feel comfortable. Honey would just lay in her kennel all day. She loved hers. Lily was a little wiser to the idea, only two days before she left did she go in there on her own to nap...
After what seemed like forever they landed at 4am Calitime
7pm HK time...
They MADE it, safe and sound!!
on arrival.
Proof that they weren't too traumatized from their journey.
Here is a pic Todd sent me last week.
They still hang out in their kennels for fun,
and sometimes even together! (:
Stay tuned for Pets in Hong Kong - Birds
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