A Furry Flight Out of Hong Kong
Don Yip’s Hefty Pet Pack
Meet Don Yip, a 40‑year‑old aircraft mechanic who’s trading the bustling streets of Hong Kong for the cosy lanes of Britain. But Don isn’t just taking his passport—he’s also hauling the entire pack of fur.
- Three huskies that wag every day.
- A cat who thinks she’s the queen of the house.
- And a person who loves animals more than humans.
Don splurged over $14,000 (or S$18,840) to shift his four‑legged crew across the sea. While many Hong Kong residents are suddenly looking for new passports, Don’s for‑all‑you‑need safety footy is on one thing—he won’t leave his pets behind.
Why Pets Matter to Hong Kong’s Emigrant Scene
The wave of people leaving Hong Kong after the new security law and the 2019 protests is not just human. It’s everytail, they say—hundreds of thousands of people dragging their companions to Canada, the UK, and beyond.
Pets have become the high‑fee hero of relocation businesses. On the flip side, the penny‑pinching expatriates who can’t afford a round‑the‑world trip—or cannot bring their furry buddies—have left a backlog of abandoned animals. Vets and shelters are reporting up to six months of wait for paperwork, or outright bad news that a pet is unfit to travel.
In March, Cathay Pacific announced that pets could no longer fly as checked or cargo baggage from Hong Kong until May, up the list of obstacles.
The Human Toll
Some of the exodus is fleeing the virus impact and job losses, while others are simply shocked by the sudden boom in travel-bound paperwork. Okka Scherer, who runs two shelters on Lantau island, says the people are “unprepared” and straight-up running.
- Abandoned pets average 20 a month.
- Totalling a 30% jump recently.
- SPCA — four‑to‑five‑fold rise in EU‑required microchip demand.
A Call for Compassion
SPCA chief vet Jane Gray hears more people trying to abandon their pets than ever before. She’s on the front line convincing them that a pet is a lifelong commitment, not a one‑off house‑warming gift.
“Don’t just treat a pet as a possession,” Gray says. “It’s a family member.”
Where We Go From Here
Hong Kong’s political shake‑up is leaving bodies of devastation—both human and non‑human. As more people scramble to find new homes, there’s a growing call to save our four‑legged fellow citizens and make sure they get the same sense of belonging as their human families.
