After a long separation, expat partner Jasmin has been reunited with her beloved pooch Themba, who has made it easier to meet people in their compound.
A long voyage
“My partner Benjamin and I were very keen to relocate to China and we were always going to bring Themba with us. Once Benjamin accepted the assignment in Shanghai, we began planning the logistics. It was a lot of work figuring out the best way to get him to China, not to mention all of the paperwork,” says Jasmin. “There was no direct flight at the time. So he flew with Qatar Air and had a 10-hour layover in Doha, where he stayed in the ‘animal lounge’! The ‘pet travel agency’ (called Gradlyn) we used was excellent. Everything was very smooth and we received regular updates while Themba was travelling.”
Ensconced at home
“We relocated in the middle of summer, so we decided to leave Themba with my parents and fly him out when the weather would be much cooler, which meant we hadn’t seen him in nearly three months. After his long trip (basically 48 hours door to door as there was no quarantine), he was still stressed for a few days. He’d arrived on the weekend and when Benjamin went to work on Monday morning, Themba looked at me very nervously. So I told him not to worry! I was staying at home!”
A giant among pups
“Themba, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, weighs about 45 kilos and stands 75 cm tall. Chinese tend to own much smaller dogs, like a poodle, chihuahua or shiba. At first, I noticed Chinese people in our compound were crossing the street when they saw us coming! But our neighbours soon saw he is a very calm dog, so no one is intimidated by him.”
Out and about
“Every day we meet the other dogs and dog owners in our compound, which has been really nice for me, especially as I’m not working for now. It’s definitely been easier for me to meet people and make friends with Themba around! However, there are a limited number of dog-friendly restaurants and cafes in Shanghai, so we have less choices when we go out for a ‘family dinner’! However I joined some groups on WeChat where pet owners share advice and tips for the best places to go with dogs, so we’re slowly discovering more and more dog-friendly venues.”
Photo: Jasmin’s dog Themba, at large in Shanghai
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