Hongkongers in UAE urge rethink of home city’s 120-day quarantine for cats, dogs

2026.03.22 04:20 Some Hongkongers have set up a WhatsApp group to seek advice on getting their pets to safety. Photo: Getty Images Some Hong Kong residents planning to flee the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with their pets because of conflict in the Middle East are considering flying to other countries rather than returning home due to the city’s 120-day quarantine requirement for cats and dogs. The pet owners called on authorities to relax the “excessive” quarantine rules for Dubai, saying the requirement had made returning to Hong Kong unfeasible. In a reply to the South China Morning Post, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that while its stance on the quarantine requirement remained unchanged, import applications would be processed “expeditiously” given the situation in the Middle East. According to Hong Kong’s pet import rules, pets arriving from Dubai are classified as falling under Group IIIB, which requires them to be quarantined for at least 120 days in the department’s Animal Management Centre. This is on top of an estimated waiting time for spots at the quarantine facility, which is currently around three months for dogs and 10 months for cats. “Hong Kong is not a viable option because of the 120-day quarantine, making it impossible to relocate back,” said a 47-year-old senior executive, who wished to be identified only by his surname, Chan. Chan and his wife have a two-year-old saluki mixed-breed dog called “Mango”, which they adopted during their stay in Dubai. He said about 40 Hong Kong residents and expatriates with pets in Dubai had formed a chat group discussing their options and alternatives. Many more pet owners in the UAE were in a similar situation and had been receiving support from fellow Hongkongers about relocation options, Chan said. Smoke rises from Dubai International Airport on March 16. Photo: AFP A woman who only gave her name as Mandy, who owns two dogs, said one of her pets had medical needs and might not

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