Vicky Liu cried with happiness when she reunited with her two fluffy Pomeranian dogs, Princess and Boombah, at the gate of the quarantine centre in Melbourne. 

“I’m very happy, it’s just a huge relief that this whole process is finally over,” Ms Liu said. 

The 31-year-old English teacher from China was among the first group of dog owners to bring their pets into Australia under a strict dog and cat import policy, that came into effect in March. 

“The new measures came at a very short notice and caught us off guard. All the preparations we did in China became invalid,” she said.

Under the policy, dogs and cats from unapproved countries — including China — have to quarantine for roughly six months in a third country that is considered low risk for rabies before entering Australia. 

The animals then need to do up to 30 days of further quarantine in Australia.

To meet those requirements, Ms Liu, her husband, and the two dogs moved from China’s south-western province of Sichuan to South Korea for six months, before arriving in Melbourne for the final quarantine period.

“We can’t bear separating from our dogs for six months, and we never thought of putting them in a boarding facility,” Ms Liu said. 

“We went to South Korea under tourist visas, which means we cannot rent there. So we lived in Airbnbs.

Rabies risk prompts new policy 

Since 2013, the rabies biosecurity risk for importing dogs and cats has increased and prompted Australia’s stricter import policy, according to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). 

“Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can be fatal for both animals and humans,” a department spokesperson said. 

“More than 60,000 people die of rabies around the world each year. Australia is one of the few countries in the world that remains free of rabies.”

Under previous rules, dogs and cats departing from unapproved countries had to wait 180 days in their home country after completing medical tests, then could transit through approved countries and onto Australia.

There is no list of unapproved countries. Unapproved countries are those which are not listed in three “groups” of approved countries, which are described as “rabies-free” or “rabies absent” by the department.

Many countries not on those three lists appear to be mostly in Asia and Africa, where rabies remains a significant public health risk. 

“Countries are approved to export dogs and cats to Australia based on an assessment of the animal health status and the official controls,” a department spokesperson said.