Hong Kong must strike right balance on imported pets
- To help curb smuggling of animals into Hong Kong, authorities should ease tough restrictions on quarantine rules for cats and dogs
Hong Kong’s health and quarantine measures during the coronavirus pandemic were among the most notoriously stringent in the world.
Thankfully, they are history now. However, the isolation rules for imported pet cats and dogs that preceded the health crisis remain just as tough.
Authorities should speed up plans to ease restrictions to help combat animal smuggling and to draw more talent and encourage former residents to return.
A year after a Post editorial said it was time to loosen the leash on pet imports following the revelation that quarantine for cats and dogs from certain areas may be relaxed, officials said the review was in its final stages.
“We will next explore the implementation details, including discussing arrangements with places concerned, with the aim of rolling out the testing arrangements as soon as possible,” Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said.
Currently, such animals arriving from places where rabies is deemed not under effective control must go through four months of import isolation.
On the mainland, the required quarantine time for imported cats and dogs is 30 days. Animals may be released directly if they meet requirements for exemption from quarantine, including being from designated areas, possessing valid electronic chips and passing on-site quarantine.
This has inevitably fuelled cross-border animal smuggling, with blatant advertising of such illegal services found on some popular mainland e-platforms.
It remains unclear how many cats and dogs have been brought in illegally. But the authorities have seized no fewer than 333 such animals in 24 cases over the past three years.
Meanwhile, the number of cats and dogs entering the city via quarantine only numbered a few dozen in 2022. It would not be surprising if more pet owners have opted to spare their furry friends isolation, which many consider unnecessarily long.
We trust the authorities will strike a balance between health risks and animal welfare. This is especially important as the quarantine policy has implications for a city that is eagerly opening its door to former residents and new talent who may be put off by such strict safety measures.
