Because you know, this is a topic that I think you will all find useful someday.
1. Perseverance. When they say no ... Start asking for options.
2. When they say there are no options, start suggesting options.
3. When they say no to all your options, look around the room. There are likely other foreigners there who have experienced and bypassed a similar problem.
4. If there are no foreigners who have experienced your problem, wait half an hour. Undoubtedly, one will come.
5. When securities guards laugh because you're back for the 5th time, give them a good humored smile. Even if you're annoyed, they will be able to bump you up in the line.
6. Enjoy it when your taxi driver hums, whistles and sings, when he sees that you're stressed. And remember how sweet he is when he follows it up with a belch or other bodily noises.
7. Even if you feel like a burden on others (friends, locals), always accept any help. You're going to need it.
And for the actual list of things you need to do. I'm actually considering sending what I write to the airlines and animal hospitals. This seems to be the standard procedure from all the other hospital visitors in Shanghai, but for some reason it's not all written down in one place, so just when I thought I had done everything, I kept getting new surprises. And when China makes you wait to do most things until 7 days before you fly, it can become quite stressful to get everything done!
1 year - 1 month before you fly
1. Check with health and immigration websites about the country you are flying into. Make sure you comply with their standards too!
2. Complete initial health check. First call authorities and find out what pet hospitals will be approved by immigration. For flying out of Shanghai, the only approved hospital for immigration paperwork is ShenPu Pet Hospital. If possible, have all medical-ness done with them.
3. Get your dog vaccinated for Rabies. If possible, also have him micro-chipped at the same time. (If you live in a rural town like me, the microchip was not possible at the same time and had to be done in Shanghai).
4. If you did not get your vaccination at the "approved state run hospital" make sure you have a transfer document that says that an approved hospital has looked over the documentation. Always have a red stamp on it when you're in China!
***If your dog does not get the rabies vaccination at least 30 days before you fly (but within a year of your flying date) you will have to wait a month.
7 days before you fly:
1. Take your pet to the ShenPu Pet Hospital in Shanghai (or whichever ONE hospital is approved for doing immigration paperwork.)
2. Specify if your dog will be flying as carryon, baggage, or cargo (there might be different paperwork).
3. If you have all the right documents (blue pet passport book, rabies vaccination with a red stamp and any transfer documents necessary) the pet hospital will fill out all paperwork the for the Animal Healthy Certificate.
4. This was also the time when I got my dog micro-chipped since it wasn't available at the rural hospitals.
5. Ask about any natural anti-anxiety medicine that your dog can take for the day of flight.
5 days before you fly:
1. Pick up Animal Health Certificate at immigration and customs office.
2. Bring it back to the Pet Hospital.
3. With the health certificate, the pet hospital will fill out all necessary immigration documents.
4. Because I shipped by dog through Air Cargo, I had to bring all the original paperwork to the Air Cargo office.
5. Ask about day-of procedure at the airport.
Day you fly.
1. Hopefully all goes well!! If your dog is baggage or cargo, confirm at the gate that a pet has been loaded onto the plane. If your dog is to anxious, he might not get loaded. And it would be awful to get on the plane and fly to your destination, only to find out that your dog is still in China.
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