Pet Woes

For months now, we have been deliberating on whether or not to import good ol' Max to Australia. The idea came to us when we decided that this is the place where we will be for the next few years. The urgency, however, only occurred to me recently when Max was found with papillomatosis (a non-cancerous tumor, already surgically removed weeks ago), increased level of white blood cells, and now some wounds which has ruptured (suspected by my sister to be something called lick granuloma - which is due to mental stress and boredom!?!). Before I continue, let me first introduce Max.

Max is my yellow labrador retriever, a pure breed, born Apollo Cani Dei on the 27th of September 2001. He became mine at 2 months. Knowing that young pups need a lot of care and attention, I would wake up at 5:30 to get myself ready for work and have enough time to feed him and play with him. At 4 months I hired a personal trainer for Max; he obviously is a very bright dog. He would try to dodge the trainer when he sees him approaching. Max showed very good progress, obedient and skillful of the commands and tricks he was taught. He also proved to be too enthusiastic and knows when and from whom he could get away being naughty. He would listen to the trainer, but would happily chase the new househelp for the fun of it. It wasn't easy raising Max; he clearly is a big dog and it is a struggle when he resists at activities he does not particularly enjoy - e.g. bath, and going down the stairs. He is scared of going down the stairs! For such a masculine dog, it's a shame when Char would call him Maxine because of this weakness. Being too energetic, he sometimes scares visitors away, tugging at them. He may come off as disobedient, but he is just a playful dog oblivious of his own size and strength! In my mind, it will be good for him to have other dogs to play with, but the idea of getting other pups has to be dismissed knowing the disapproval of the "elders" in the family. September of this year, Max will be turning 4. I will see him again in December.

He was still very much of a pup when I left Manila... barely 2 years old. Unbelievable as it may sound, but having left Max back home gives me an awful feeling of guilt, like that of an unwilling parent abandoning a helpless infant. Sure there are people back home who would take care of him, but it is different from when I was there. I could see and feel his over-excitement and joy whenever I go back for a holiday. Somehow he knows because he would be waiting by the stairs every time I arrive home. At the same time, he senses when I am leaving again, as he would be howling and whimpering as our luggages are being carried down. I am not able to exactly define what Max thinks or feels, but I know for sure that he becomes lonely and longing for more affection now than before. The complications he has now, I don't doubt, are partly due to the situation that he is in. I feel responsible for these... had I not left him things may have been different.

This brings us then to the question on how to bring Max over. Many have expressed their opinions on the idea, in summary "a lost cause" they would say, "a futile attempt" they reckon. But will the attempt be futile? I don't know. There are many obstacles that we have to go through if we really are proceeding. The major one is quarantine laws. Australian Quarantine does not allow direct importation of dogs to Australia from non-approved countries. The Philippines is a non-approved country. The only way we could go around this is to import Max to an approved country where he should continuously reside for 6 months, before he could be imported to Australia. The only Asian countries in this category are: Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan. My only option is Hong Kong, where I have family. Then again, Max would have to pass quarantine laws of that country. And would my family in Hong Kong agree to take him for half a year, make sure that he gets his shots, walk him, care for him, etc? Two very trying feat. Another question I ask, would Max make it under quarantine? Would I be subjecting him to more stress, anxiety, and loneliness? I'm afraid I don't know.

The way to go now is to research more on requirements, and proceed with the initial steps. I can already hear the voices of criticism and disapproval. I wonder if I can pull this off.