Okay, I have decided to be a nice guy and help with this question. For some reason, all the posts I made to ShanghaiExpat weren’t as easy to search as I thought. And, for some reason, there are plenty of opinions on the matter, most based solely on fiction. So, I have decided to help out the next guy looking to bring his poor poochy to Shanghai with what I
know to be the latest and greatest because I have done it, not once, but twice, going
both directions. Most recently, as late as August 2003 (for all you out there who want to spread the drivel that Shanghai is now using a quarantine facility as of July 1, 2003).
So, you want to bring that dog, cat, or parakeet to Shanghai with you? Well, overall, it isn't hard, but you will need to do a little legwork from your point of origin to make it smooth. And there is some expense to doing it, but you can mitigate the expense at different points, how you accept that risk is up to you and part of living in China.
First and foremost, I would ask that all the “know-it-alls” who have never even brought an ear mite to China, let alone a cat or dog (big or small) -- especially the local nationals that have
never been out of the country, and who don’t work for the Inspection and Quarantine Office -– to please refrain from offering your opinions on matters like this. A good dog (or cat for any cat owner watching) is almost as important to their owner as a spouse or significant other. So having someone spout off with information that causes unnecessary emotional distress is plainly rude.
Now, the rules do change in China, the first thing you learn is that ‘nothing is permissible is China, but that everything is possible.’ When SARS was in full swing last year, the local government had to start looking at added precautions to prevent the disease spreading to Shanghai, so the idea of quarantining was accepted, and they did in fact build a set of kennels for the purpose. And, true to form, they sent out notices that this would become the practice in July 2003. However, because SARS never amounted to much in Shanghai, and was contained in the other locations, and because they found no relationship between pets and the spread of the disease, they decided to hold it off and never implemented the plan.
AIRLINES: I brought my first dog to China in 1998. The process has not changed since then, only the location. (since international arrivals moved to Pudong from Hongqiao). Keep in mind that if your animal disembarks anywhere in between (except for what would be a normal luggage transfer as happens in Tokyo) on the flight to China, that country may quarantine the animal, and China might require new documentation and quarantine depending on where the animal was.
You need to check with the airlines. I repeat CHECK WITH THE AIRLINES! Any time the outside air temperature exceeds 95 degrees; the airlines cannot guarantee the safety of your animal. Therefore, some airlines put out blanket dates where they will not accept animals for shipment. Also, keep in mind that the restriction is usually at the point of origin (although for situations like SARS, or unusually hot weather like we had in Shanghai summer 2003, it might change based solely on the Operations Manager’s say so). I would be a fool to admit anything other than good luck last August when we left Salt Lake City at 85 degrees, hit the ground in SFO at 95 degrees, and landed in Shanghai at nearly 98 degrees (taking into account the humidity).
Also, you need to understand that a good number of low-cost US carriers (PC called discount airlines) do not allow pets on any flights. This slows down their gate time, and messes up the flow. So, you need to make sure that your connecting flight to your port of departure flight will allow a pet onboard. Even the regional airlines operated by the major airlines have restrictions. Most allow only one (1) pet per flight. Yes, that means if someone else has a pet, and if you didn’t get yours slotted in advance, you have a problem. A bigger problem is the one I had last summer. I didn’t know my connecting flight was on a regional airline. Neither did the guy that checked us in. My wife waited patiently through the whole check-in process before she left, but she did leave me, the boys, and the dogs (yes, plural –- beginning to see the picture) at the airport.
About 45 minutes later (after I had already cleared the security barrier), the agent came running back, and was very apologetic, and explained that one dog couldn’t go. I told him that would be unacceptable since I had no way to get the dog back to my wife, and they had no way to pull all my luggage. So, we did what any canine loving red-blooded American does. We call Petsmart. I explained my situation to the manager, gave him my credit card number, and 45 minutes later (15 minutes before departure) the gate agent was again running down the length of the terminal with a soft-side doggy carry-on bag. We put my Miniature Schnauzer inside, and jumped that flight with my Lab riding below us.
Again, the lesson here, is be prepared, and how much do you really love your companion?
Call the airlines, check and double-check your connections, get your animal(s) slotted, and if needed, travel on separate flights with them.
FLUFFY and RUFUS GO TO CHINA: So you can understand what happens on the airplane for your pooch or kitty, it goes like this:
You process your friend, and they get hefted onto the same conveyor your luggage does, after a terrifying ride that would rival Space Mountain or the Texas Tumbler, they end up with two big hungry looking Samoan guys tossing them onto a luggage cart, and then loading other bags on top of them. Fluffy and Rufus have probably already soiled whatever liner you gave them. Then, the Samoan guys steal their food and water and usually strap it to the side of the kennel or worse just toss the bowls inside with your pet. Looks like the in-flight meal is out. Now, until they are ready to load them, they flip the cover of the luggage cart down to help them be less nervous seeing all those big iron monsters rolling around. The temp under that plastic cover jumps ten degrees within five minutes. And Fluffy and Rufus are wondering why they weren’t born with opposable thumbs so they can hold their water bottle.
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