PETS

Bringing your pet to Hong Kong

You will need to obtain a special permit in advance to import dogs and cats into Hong Kong or for transit purposes. The fee for one animal is $432; every additional animal costs $102. Apply at least five days in advance of the pet’s arrival at the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). This form, as well as other information regarding the eligibility of your pet, is available at www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quarantine/quarantine.htm.

All dogs and cats imported must be implanted with an ID chip. Dogs and cats imported directly from the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are normally exempted from quarantine subject to certain conditions. These include possession of a recent veterinary health certificate, continuous residence in the country of origin for six months or more, vaccinations and airline certification. Detailed procedures on how to collect your pets from the airport are given on the AFCD website. A step-by-step guide to bringing pets into the city is available at www.ypexpat.com/en/html/my/my_pet_bring_intro.asp.

Export-a-Pet can assist with pet relocation into and out of Hong Kong (www.export-a-pet.com; tel. 2358 1774).

Buying a pet in Hong Kong

The SPCA (Harcourt Road and Fenwick Pier St, Wanchai; www.spca.org.hk; tel. 2802 0501) is often looking for adoptive parents for their cats, dogs and rabbits. The branch at 5 Wan Shing Street in Wanchai is open every day till 5:00 pm for walk-in adoption.

The SPCA does not recommend that you buy pets from unregistered pet shops or illegal hawkers on the street. Some of these animals are imported from China illegally without the requisite medical certificates and vaccinations, although microchipping of animals is being introduced. They may also have been clipped and dyed to resemble another more expensive breed – stories abound of Dalmatians whose spots come off in the wash and schnauzers revealed to be shih-tzus in disguise. Before buying, ask a vet to come with you to the pet shop to check the state of health of the animal. All dogs over five months must be licensed and inoculated against rabies every third year. Rabies is not a problem in Hong Kong.

Keeping pets in Hong Kong

Most cat owners keep their cats indoors, either because there is nowhere for them to roam or to protect them from marauding wild dogs – a problem all over Hong Kong but especially on the Outlying Islands. Dogs should be kept on a lead when taken out in public and dog faeces scooped up on a newspaper and deposited in a rubbish bin – the fine for non-compliance is $1,500.

Veterinary centres include:

• Valley Veterinary Centre (Happy Valley; tel. 2575 2389);
• Stanley Veterinary Centre (tel. 2813 2030);
• Veterinary Housecall Practice (tel. 2892 1567);
• Sai Kung Animal Hospital (tel. 2792 2206/emergencies 747410572); and
• The Ark Veterinary Hospital (Sai Ying Pun, tel. 2549 2330 – 24 hrs).

Grooming is available through a home visit from Dogfather’s Treatment (www.dogfathers.com.hk; tel. 9460 0389) and Pet Shop Girls (G/F 40B, Blue Pool Road, Happy Valley; tel. 2891 9972), amongst others.

Pet-minding in your own home and day-time walking is available from Wish You Were Here (www.wishyouwereherehk.com; tel. 2899 0817). Kennels include Ferndale Kennels and Cattery (tel. 2792 4642) and Kennel Van Dego (cats and dogs; www.kennelvandego.com) in Sai Kung; Pokfulam Kennels (tel. 2551 6661) and Hong Kong Kennels (tel. 2551 8586/2550 9211) on Hong Kong Island.

Details of pet product shops are provided in Chapter Seven, ‘Shopping’.

Pests

Most apartments are visited by small geckos and cockroaches from time to time. Whilst the former don’t usually present much of a problem, apart from leaving faecal deposits indiscriminately round the place, getting trapped in door hinges and occasionally tripping electric circuits, cockroaches are roundly despised by everyone.

To avoid attracting cockroaches:

• keep rubbish wrapped up;
• don’t leave food hanging around;
• make sure plug holes and drainage holes are kept covered; and
• buy roach baits from the supermarket to put around the apartment.

If you still have problems with roaches or termites, you could consider fumigation. Pest control companies include:

• Biocycle Ecological Pest Control Services (tel. 2799 6206);
• Truly Care Environmental Pest Control Services (tel. 2458 8378); and
• Rentokil (tel. 2954 6888).