Bringing Pet from US to HK

I will be relocating from US to HK with my doggie. I've obtained an license from AFCD and am going thru the docs to prevent her from being quarantine.


The only concern I have right now is flying her as cargo. Is there any way to fly her with me in the Cabin? I will fly direct but it's going to be a long flight - 16 hours! Plus I can't pick her up until I get to the Cargo area. The total time of seperation is close to 24 hours! She won't eat or drink when she is on plane. She is a short nose breed and I really afraid she will have problem breathing if she get nervous in the cargo...


Has anyone flew their pet to HK before? If she is in the cargo area, will I allow to see her during the flight? She is a small 7lbs dog and I flew her in US in Cabin no problem. Could some one please share their thoughts and their experience with me?

These companies all have relocation experts who can likely answer this http://www.asiaxpat.com/movingquote/

I don't think an airline will allow pets in the cabin, thats a bit wishful. I had a dog flown in from the UK to HK for my boss once (don't ask why I got involved in that process). She was a mix Alsation Rotweiller and there were no problems what so ever. There is bound to be some discomfort, but dont worry about it too much, you obviously care for your pet very much, but those few hours are the price that has to be paid if you want your dog with you in Hong Kong.

You can bring your pet in HK as excess luggage. it's a much cheaper option than having him fly cargo by itself. I have done it and it's a lot easier! You need to book early. i have flown with cathay and they only allow one pet per trip. You will have to chekc in at the airport and your dog will be taken to a different counter... you will retrieve your dog with your luggage...With the cargo option, you have to deliver it to the airline in advance. Not as excess luggage. you dog will have to be in a crate, sealed with no food or toy (airline want to be safe so nothing the animal can choke on, and no staff is allowed to touch or feed it)... Just get all the paperwork beforehand and it should be easy...

Good luck!

Thanks to everyone and you guys are so helpful. I guess I have no choice but to fly as lugguage (cargo). I talked to the airline. They said I am not allowed to see her on the flight to HK. However, the flight attendants will make sure the pet is ok throughout the flight. I hope she will be flying ok. I will also talk to the vet and see if there is anything I can do...

I just flew my dog with www.petrelocation.com and it saved me a lot of headache. You can speak to Rachel - she handles pets from US to Asia.

He did come as cargo because thats the rule from HK's regulator but although it is a very long trip, mine arrived very fresh here. Good Luck !!!

Jane,


I just relocated to HK (for the 2nd time) 5 weeks ago and brought my 2 cats. I was just as concerned as you are...believe me! I flew my 2 cats from FL to California in the cabin just as you did but on the international leg, HK regulations from the Wildlife, Agriculture and Fisheries Dept. states that all inbound animals must be in cargo. Go to their website. It's very, very useful. Couple of points:

1) I chose to use an agent from the west coast to HKG to pick up my cats at SFO International Terminal, drop them at Singapore Airlines cargo, and then to clear customs in HK. Worth every penny. I saved money by doing all the docs myself. You have to time the USDA endorsed docs carefully - they cannot be endorsed before 10 days prior to your arrival into HKG (remember the time change when you fly over). Get in touch with your states USDA Vet In Charge and discuss what you'll need over the phone before you need them....it really helps. There are a lot of rules for Importing Animals into HKG (Import license needed, microchips, etc) but it's manageable.

2) In cargo, my cats had a well worn t-shirt (torn in half) that I put in their crate to let them have my scent. We also put a baby diaper in to help absorb messes. There was also some shredded newspaper. There was no food, but a water container. HINT: the night before the flight, have the water container full and then frozen. That way the water slowly melts over the course of the long flight, it won't spill out, and your dog can lick the ice.

3) Other respondents are correct that you won't have access to your dog during the flight. We flew bus. class and I let the chief purser know that I had 2 cats in the cargo hold and he did inform the captain because when the captain got off at the end of the flight, he remarked to me that he too was a pet-owner. Let the crew know.

4) Finally, I used the "Prior document screening" service of the HKG Wildlife, Agri, and Fisheries Dept and I think that really helped on arrival to HKG. All you have to do is have your docs all in order and endorsed and fax the Dept. 24 hours before you fly. They will email you back if your docs are in order or not and that way you have every chance to make adjustments if needed before you board.


Good luck!! My kitties are over 10 years old and I was very concerned but they were in really fine condition on arrival. Don't worry....

please ensure that you check out the procedures on how to bring back your pets to the u.s.


some pets do get dumped because their owners are not able to bring them back with them for one reason or another.


just check out the pet section in the classified here from time to time to give you a general idea...

Fushingbayloo - thanks so much for the information! It's really really helpful and I feel a lot better.


I need to find more info on bring pet back then.... thanks for reminding Wiz...