４５０万円の例も…ペット連れ移住困難で置き去り急増　香港

【香港ＡＦＰ＝時事】雑種犬の「カシアス」と「ロクシー」は、香港のドッグシェルターで、もう３か月も新しい飼い主を待っている。元の飼い主は急きょ英国への帰国が決まり、２匹をこの施設へ預けた。（写真は香港で、保護した犬を抱きしめる動物保護団体「西貢流浪狗協会」の創設者ナレル・パムックさん）
　民主派に対する弾圧や世界で最も厳しい新型コロナウイルス規制の影響で住民の流出が止まらない香港では、置き去りにされるペットが急増している。
　シェルターを運営する「香港ドッグレスキュー（ＨＫＤＲ）」のエバ・シットさんは、「犬たちがかわいそうで仕方なくて、引き取り依頼を断るのはとても難しい」とＡＦＰに語った。おかげで施設はいつもいっぱいだという。
　以前は、ペットを手放す理由を「移住」と説明する飼い主は１０人中２人ほどだったが、最近は「ほとんどがそれだ。１０人中８人ぐらいはいる」とシットさん。
　香港は今、急激に人口が減少している。政治的な弾圧や厳格な新型コロナ規制を嫌って、この２年間に多くの市民や外国人が脱出。政府統計によれば、２０２０～２２年に約２０万人が流出した。

■ペット連れ移住、４５０万円の例も
　通常、移住者はペットを連れていく。だが、香港独自のコロナ隔離政策が、ペット同伴の移住を難しくしている。
　かつて世界で最も忙しい空港の一つだった香港国際空港の発着便数は、コロナ禍前と比較して激減した。隔離の義務付けを理由に香港を避けている航空会社も多い。
　商業便の本数が少ないということは、貨物室や機内にペットを収容するスペースがほとんどないことを意味する。ペット連れでの移住は不可能か、あるいは法外な費用がかかるということだ。
　富裕層は共同で民間機を借り上げ、１匹当たり１５万～２５万香港ドル（約２７０万～４５０万円）を支払ってペットを香港から連れ出すなどしている。
　しかし、断腸の思いでペットを置いて行かざるを得ない飼い主も少なくない。
　香港の動物保護団体「西貢流浪狗協会」創設者のナレル・パムックさんは、飼い主に選択の余地がないことが多いと指摘。ほとんどはペットを乗せられる航空便を見つけられなかったか、料金が高すぎて支払えなかっただけだとして、「ペットを置き去りにする飼い主は悪く言われるが、全員が悪いわけではない」と擁護した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/09/06-13:48）

Cassius and Roxie have spent three months at a Hong Kong dog shelter waiting for new owners.
The two mongrels are victims of a surge in pet abandonments as the city experiences an exodus of residents due to China's crackdown on dissent as well as some of the world's strictest Covid restrictions.
They were brought to Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) after their owners made a sudden decision to relocate back to Britain.
It is an all too familiar story to people running animal shelters in Hong Kong these days.
We are always full house, Eva Sit, communications director at HKDR, told AFP against a backdrop of near-constant excitable barks and yowls.
We find it very difficult to say no to surrender requests because we feel very bad for the dogs.
Those giving up their pets, Sit explains, fill out a form that includes the reason why.
Emigration used to account for two in 10 cases.
These days, it's almost the only reason. Like, maybe eight out of 10 surrender requests we get come with that reason, she said.
A huge number of local and foreign residents have quit Hong Kong over the last two years because of the political clampdown and harsh Covid control measures.
While much of the world, including rival Asian business hub Singapore, has switched to living with Covid and are reopening, Hong Kong continues to follow a lighter version of China's strict zero-Covid rules.
The result has been a sudden population decline.
Between 2020 and 2022, there was a net outflow of around 200,000 residents, according to government figures.
- Flight shortage -
Normally, most of those leaving would take their pets with them.
But Hong Kong's self-imposed pandemic isolation has made that increasingly hard.
Once one of the world's busiest airports, Hong Kong International is handling just a fraction of flights compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Many airlines are avoiding the city entirely because of its mandatory quarantine rules.
In July, just 401,000 passengers went through the airport -- six percent of pre-pandemic levels.
The shortage of commercial flights means few available places for pets in the cargo hold or in the cabin, making emigrating with them either impossible or prohibitively expensive.
Wealthier residents have even clubbed together to rent private planes to get animals out, with slots going from anything from HK$150,000-HK$250,000 (US$19,000-US$32,500).
It's very expensive, so I respect people who've done it, said Olivier, a French resident and dog owner, who has seen multiple friends plump for communal private jets.
But many others have to make the heartbreaking decision to leave their pets behind.
- 'Your dog needs you' -
Narelle Pamuk, founder of Sai Kung Stray Friends (SKSF), said that owners are often left with no choice.
They say people are bad when they leave their animals, but I have to say, not everybody is bad, she told AFP, adding that many simply could not find a flight -- or afford one.
This whole pandemic has put people out of sorts completely. People didn't get a lot of warning, when they were losing their jobs, and they couldn't always take their pets with them because it's not easy.
Harvir Kaur, a 23-year-old teacher in Hong Kong who is emigrating to Canada next year, is factoring the needs of her three-year-old pomeranian, Taffy, into her travel plans.
Kaur is not comfortable with sending her dog by cargo, the sole pet transportation option provided by Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong?s flagship carrier.
Instead, she is looking into options that allow her dog to travel in-cabin with her, regardless of costs.
I've never thought of leaving Taffy behind, I think that would be unethical, she said.
When you get a dog, it's not just a playtoy for you. Your dog needs you, maybe even more than you need your dog.