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Help bring the Poncia Pups home!
It is time for us to exit China after 7 years and it’s not an easy task, in fact it seems to become increasingly more difficult and expensive by the month.
Backstory: In April of 2019 I welcomed Da Hei (Dave), a beautiful black lab mix, to my family. This shy “unadoptable” boy soon became a confident and loyal companion. In August of 2019 we found and rescued Da Hei’s HUGE little brother, Taylor. Dumped as a tiny puppy, we took him in initially to foster with the intension of rehoming in the states. A few short months later, on a December 26, Taylor found baby Lulu (Louisa Leonie) as a tiny puppy dumped in the bushes outside of our compound. As a “temporary” family of 3 we made it through the winter holiday break and into the new year when our world suddenly changed: Covid-19 spread like wildfire and we were locked in, literally, into our compound for an unknown amount of time. Days turned into weeks, then into months and while restrictions loosened up for those of us living in the city, flights and exporting of animals came to a grinding halt. By the summer, I was desperately looking for a house (we had been living in a high rise) with a garden and making plans on how to make it through a stifling hot summer with 3 dogs. The dogs were bonded, flights were non-existent, China changed animal export rules and I resolved that we were now a family of 4.
By the fall we became a packed “house” of 6 with 3 babies joining us. Doggie treats, doggie kisses, leashes & harnesses, dog beds and FUR make up the majority of our monthly expenses after rent. Together with my housemate “Auntie” Amy & Sherry, we’ve kept them fed, loved, healthy and safe in what is becoming an increasingly unfriendly place to live for dogs. There are stories across the country of pets of people put into quarantine taken and killed while owners are away, police and neighbors beating dogs to death whom they accuse of being “threatening”. While we are in a relatively safe bubble in our district, the fear of dogs being taken away is real and always present.
Time was ticking…flights continued to be difficult to catch and then the final blow was the US’ CDC blanket ban on all dogs from “rabies prone” countries. Ironically the city is quite strict when it comes to rabies, at least for expat owned dogs. They must have an annual vaccination, be microchipped and licensed or run the risk of immediate impounding and eventually being put down. All of the Poncia Pups met all of the requirements…and now my OWN country had banned us.
Initially the ban was put in place with a month’s notice to adhere to what normally takes 3-6 months to process: a titre test. Expats around the world panicked…and rightfully so, the ban limited us initially to ONE airport entry into the US…and there were NO direct flights to that city from Shanghai. Eventually the CDC expanded the ports to be more reasonable, but the damage was done. Airlines canceled pet spots, afraid of the CDC policy, airports/airlines scrambled to decipher the rules as did pet owners and agents…and flight volunteers…took full advantage of the chaos. It is nearly impossible to complete the export paperwork for China’s requirements and the US without the assistant of an agent. Furthermore, people who might typically agree to tack on a pet to their ticket at NO cost or time on their end, now expect payment, sometimes the total cost of their personal ticket in addition to the pet ticket (already $300-600 usd).
In a normal year we’d all fly out together straight to San Francisco or LA costing about $500 per dog. For perspective, prior to 2020 I could have flown all of them out via China Eastern for less than $3000 usd ($500 usd each). Current quotes exceed $4000 per dog. They’re prices are reflective of the demand: high! and agents and passengers can now make quick $ at the expense of pet owners.
As it stands, we will need to exit from an entirely different city (about a 10-12 hour drive from Shanghai), stay overnight, and hire drivers and curriers to assist with the airport transfer.
To safely exit the pack it is $4000+ usd per dog unless I can solidify a flight volunteer who can be flexible enough to fly to one of 3 ports on the west coast and not expect I also purchase their plane ticket. We have a strict timeline and have to be out before the heat kicks in for the summer and airlines and airports implement their heat index bans for pets.
I have set a goal of $12,000 to cover the export fees as quoted by our agent. Your support is GREATLY appreciated and any amount is a step closer to supporting our safe exit. All contributions will be used to fund our exit, settlement back in the states, and finally giving back to the numerous rescues here in Shanghai: Shanghai Animal Rescue, 11th Hour Rescue, Furry Friends are just a few groups who have been a tremendous source of information and support for all pet owners and rescuers throughout the city.
Meet the Pups:
Louisa Leonie
Penny
Dave (left) and Taylor (right)
Peppa
Georgie
It is time for us to exit China after 7 years and it’s not an easy task, in fact it seems to become increasingly more difficult and expensive by the month.
Backstory: In April of 2019 I welcomed Da Hei (Dave), a beautiful black lab mix, to my family. This shy “unadoptable” boy soon became a confident and loyal companion. In August of 2019 we found and rescued Da Hei’s HUGE little brother, Taylor. Dumped as a tiny puppy, we took him in initially to foster with the intension of rehoming in the states. A few short months later, on a December 26, Taylor found baby Lulu (Louisa Leonie) as a tiny puppy dumped in the bushes outside of our compound. As a “temporary” family of 3 we made it through the winter holiday break and into the new year when our world suddenly changed: Covid-19 spread like wildfire and we were locked in, literally, into our compound for an unknown amount of time. Days turned into weeks, then into months and while restrictions loosened up for those of us living in the city, flights and exporting of animals came to a grinding halt. By the summer, I was desperately looking for a house (we had been living in a high rise) with a garden and making plans on how to make it through a stifling hot summer with 3 dogs. The dogs were bonded, flights were non-existent, China changed animal export rules and I resolved that we were now a family of 4.
By the fall we became a packed “house” of 6 with 3 babies joining us. Doggie treats, doggie kisses, leashes & harnesses, dog beds and FUR make up the majority of our monthly expenses after rent. Together with my housemate “Auntie” Amy & Sherry, we’ve kept them fed, loved, healthy and safe in what is becoming an increasingly unfriendly place to live for dogs. There are stories across the country of pets of people put into quarantine taken and killed while owners are away, police and neighbors beating dogs to death whom they accuse of being “threatening”. While we are in a relatively safe bubble in our district, the fear of dogs being taken away is real and always present.
Time was ticking…flights continued to be difficult to catch and then the final blow was the US’ CDC blanket ban on all dogs from “rabies prone” countries. Ironically the city is quite strict when it comes to rabies, at least for expat owned dogs. They must have an annual vaccination, be microchipped and licensed or run the risk of immediate impounding and eventually being put down. All of the Poncia Pups met all of the requirements…and now my OWN country had banned us.
Initially the ban was put in place with a month’s notice to adhere to what normally takes 3-6 months to process: a titre test. Expats around the world panicked…and rightfully so, the ban limited us initially to ONE airport entry into the US…and there were NO direct flights to that city from Shanghai. Eventually the CDC expanded the ports to be more reasonable, but the damage was done. Airlines canceled pet spots, afraid of the CDC policy, airports/airlines scrambled to decipher the rules as did pet owners and agents…and flight volunteers…took full advantage of the chaos. It is nearly impossible to complete the export paperwork for China’s requirements and the US without the assistant of an agent. Furthermore, people who might typically agree to tack on a pet to their ticket at NO cost or time on their end, now expect payment, sometimes the total cost of their personal ticket in addition to the pet ticket (already $300-600 usd).
In a normal year we’d all fly out together straight to San Francisco or LA costing about $500 per dog. For perspective, prior to 2020 I could have flown all of them out via China Eastern for less than $3000 usd ($500 usd each). Current quotes exceed $4000 per dog. They’re prices are reflective of the demand: high! and agents and passengers can now make quick $ at the expense of pet owners.
As it stands, we will need to exit from an entirely different city (about a 10-12 hour drive from Shanghai), stay overnight, and hire drivers and curriers to assist with the airport transfer.
To safely exit the pack it is $4000+ usd per dog unless I can solidify a flight volunteer who can be flexible enough to fly to one of 3 ports on the west coast and not expect I also purchase their plane ticket. We have a strict timeline and have to be out before the heat kicks in for the summer and airlines and airports implement their heat index bans for pets.
I have set a goal of $12,000 to cover the export fees as quoted by our agent. Your support is GREATLY appreciated and any amount is a step closer to supporting our safe exit. All contributions will be used to fund our exit, settlement back in the states, and finally giving back to the numerous rescues here in Shanghai: Shanghai Animal Rescue, 11th Hour Rescue, Furry Friends are just a few groups who have been a tremendous source of information and support for all pet owners and rescuers throughout the city.
Meet the Pups:
Louisa LeoniePennyDave (left) and Taylor (right)PeppaGeorgie