Reprinted with permission of Worldwide ERC®, from the March 2010 issue of MOBILITY

On a Wing and a Paw—

Moving Pets to Asia Pacific
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “the greatness of a nation
and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals
are treated.” Farris outlines what it takes to move our furry,
feathered, and scaled friends to the Asia-Pacific region.

BY RACHEL FARRIS

W
hen the Peelman family
learned they would be trans-
ferred to Hong Kong, like
many pet owners faced with a similar
situation, one of the first questions
on their minds was “what about our
dogs?” Bridget and Greg Peelmans’
two dogs—Stella, a pint-sized Rat
Terrier, and Gracie, a ginger-colored
Boxer mix—are active members of
the family, accompanying them and
their eight-month-old daughter on
evening walks and appearing in fami-
ly Christmas photos wearing Santa
hats.
But when Bridget Peelman first
started researching moving to and
living in Hong Kong with pets, she
quickly became overwhelmed by
the amount of information—and
misinformation—available online.
“My searches found that Asia was
not pet-friendly,” Peelman remem-
bers. “I read that dogs have a hard
time adapting and that it’s not a
good quality of life for them.”
Peelman also struggled to make
sense of the often confusing import
requirements for moving pets inter-
nationally. Despite these concerns,
the decision was not even a choice
for Peelman and her family. “There
was no way we were leaving our girls
behind,” says Peelman.
Planning Ahead
While household goods might be
able to be shipped at a moment’s
notice, transporting pets typically
requires additional planning time. As
a general rule, rabies shots must be
given at least 30 days prior to the tar-
get departure to avoid delays.
Many countries in Asia also require
import permits be issued prior to
pets being allowed entry. These per-
mits can take anywhere from three to
four weeks to obtain, depending on
the amount of other pet owners also
requesting entry into the country.
Advance planning also can help
reduce waiting time for pets entering
certain countries that have long quar-
antine periods. For example, Japan is
a rabies-free country and requires
pets to undergo a blood test and six-
month quarantine on arrival.
However, pet owners can fulfill the
blood test and 180-day quarantine at
their own home if they begin plan-
ning at least six months in advance.
This not only means a happier pet
and owner—it also can make the dif-
ference between tens of thousands of
dollars worth of government quaran-
tine expenses.
For companies whose mobility
policies include pet quarantine,
allowing pet owners to wait six
months prior to transfer can reduce
overall pet moving costs significant-
ly.

46 MOBILITY/MARCH 2010
MOBILITY/MARCH 2010 47
IMPORT REQUIREMENTS
This chart is a basic overview of the import requirements for dogs and cats moving from the United States to
major Asia-Pacific destinations.

Valid Rabies
Destination Microchip Import Permit
Vaccination* Quarantine Required
Country Required Required
Required
Hong Kong Yes Yes None Yes
India Yes No** None Yes
Indonesia Yes Yes 7 to 14 days Yes
Japan Yes Yes 180 days*** Yes
South Korea Yes No** None No
Malaysia Yes Yes 7 days (Mainland) Yes
180 days (Borneo)
Philippines Yes No** None Yes
Singapore Yes Yes 10 to 30 days Yes
Taiwan Yes Yes 180 days*** Yes
Plus 21 days mandatory
quarantine in a
government facility
on arrival.
Thailand Yes Yes None Yes
China Yes Yes Depends on the city**** No
Vietnam Yes No** None No

* A “Valid Rabies Vaccination” is defined as any rabies shot given within one year but more than 30 days prior to the pet’s move date.
** While microchips are not required by the destination country’s government for pets to be imported into these countries,
PetRelocation.com strongly recommends microchipping all pets prior to international travel to ensure the correct identification of pets.

*** Quarantine must be completed in either a government facility on arrival or can be done at the pet owner’s home after an appropriate
blood test prior to import.

**** Individual cities in China determine the amount of quarantine time for pets. Check with a pet mobility specialist prior to import.

Because of the varying nuances in
import regulations, many transferring
pet owners choose to hire profession-
al moving services for their pets. The
increase in this practice reflects a
growing industry trend of companies
catering to employees’ pet-related
needs. According to Atlas Van Lines’
2009 “Corporate Relocation
Survey,” 32 percent of companies
now reimburse or pay to ship a family
pet, a 3 percent increase from 2008.
“I certainly could not have managed
without the support of the pet trans-
portation company I hired,” Peelman
reflects. “There’s a lot that goes into
making sure the pets are cared for on
both ends of the transport.”
The positive experience Peelman
had moving her pets not only ensured
her dogs’ safe arrival in Hong Kong
but also helped ease her initial wor-
ries. “I wish I had known how seam-
less the process was going to be,”
Peelman said. “It takes a great
amount of stress off the move to
know that your beloved pets will be
in great care each step of the way.”
Accepting the Culture
Even with professionals taking care
of the logistics, pet owners often
struggle with concerns about
whether their pets’ lifestyles will be
affected by living in Asia. Moving
from a home in the suburbs with a
fenced-in backyard to a high-rise
tower in Singapore or Malaysia can
mean a lot of trips down the elevator
when it is time for Fido to go out-
side. Failing to understand local
rules—such as Singapore requiring
certain “aggressive” breeds of dogs

48 MOBILITY/MARCH 2010
to be muzzled when in public—also
can cause pet owners undue stress,
not to mention hefty fines.
However, circumstances some-
times also can be better than expect-
ed. “My biggest surprise about Hong
Kong was how easy it was [to own
dogs there],” said Peelman, who has
since relocated from Hong Kong to
Shanghai, China. “The area we lived
in, Stanley, was really dog-friendly—
you always saw dogs out walking and
there’s a beach they’re free to run
on.”
Peelman’s experience living with
dogs in China has not been entirely
the same. “Here in Shanghai, the
rules are very strict and it’s not a
dog-friendly culture,” Peelman
explains. “In parts of the city it is
advised that pets are only walked at
certain times of the day.” In these
scenarios, many pet owners prefer to
live in expatriate communities, which
tend to provide parks and open areas
specifically for pets to roam freely.
“We opted to live in a housing com-
pound [in Shanghai],” Peelman
explained. “Because we have a bit of
a yard for them, we don’t often walk
them on the street.”
“Culture shock can happen with
any move, whether it’s down the
street or around the world,” said Matt
Kincaid, director of operations and
client services at PetRelocation.com.
“However, particularly with interna-
tional moves, pet owners should be
aware that for a little while after the
move, things will be different for
them and their pets.” Cats used to
roaming the great outdoors might
need to be kept inside, and finding
that special type of dog food might
prove impossible. Kincaid suggests
setting realistic expectations—for
example, knowing that you might
have to change your pet’s brand of
food if you are living in the middle of
Laos—and reaching out to other pet
lovers in your new region to help with
the transition.
Once familiar with the region,
Asia-Pacific expatriates often are sur-
prised by the amount of pet-friendly
events and services available. In
Malaysia, an annual Malaysia Dog
Day is held at the Chin Woo Stadium
in Kuala Lumpur. The event is spon-
sored by Purina and includes
“Olympic challenges” such as weave
poles, musical chairs, and agility tri-
als. All dogs are invited to attend and
the Malaysian government even gets
in on the fun by offering a police K-9
unit demonstration and microchip-
ping services. FurrPurr, in Bangkok,
Thailand, is a store and boarding
facility dedicated entirely to cats—
proving that even felines can receive
first-class treatment in Asia.
Making a House a Home
Many expatriatess who decide to
move their pets to the Asia-Pacific
region initially struggle with concerns
about how their pets’ quality of life
will be affected, in addition to how
to handle the logistics of transporting
pets overseas. Knowing both the reg-
ulations and the culture can make all
the difference in making sure a new
life overseas does not turn into a mad
dash back home.
In the end, most pet lovers find
having their pets with them to be the
most important thing, regardless of
where they might be living. “We’re
all together as a family and their tails
are wagging happily,” says Peelman.
“It takes a few months to feel settled
but it’s all worth it to have them here
with you.”
Rachel Farris is director of PR and new
media at PetRelocation.com, Austin, TX. She
can be reached at +1 512 264 9800 or e-mail
rachel@petrelocation.com.
MOBILITY/MARCH 2010 49