Law of the west
Hong Kong citizens relocating to Macau are relieved that they can easily bring their pets with them. Their beloved cat or dog even gets to ride the helicopter; rules require pets be brought to Macau by the fastest way possible.
The problem arises when pets need to move back to Hong Kong. Four months' quarantine is required for Macau pets, regardless of how healthy they are or how many vaccinations they have had. 'If there were such disparity in immigration policies for humans, there would be a diplomatic fight,' said an officer at the animal control centre of the Macau Civic and Municipal Bureau.
If Macau authorities negotiate these rules with the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, they stand a good chance of changing them. After all, Macau dogs receive rabies shots once a year, as opposed to once every two years in Hong Kong.
But the people of Macau have chosen to be more creative. The animal control officer secretly recommended an alternative - talk to the fishermen at Inner Harbour, he said, and ask if they know someone with a commercial boat licence to go to Hong Kong.
Smuggling a Macau pet to mainland China is easy. A dog can board a fishing boat at Inner Harbour, near A Ma Temple, and reach Zhuhai in 10 minutes. If it is discovered by maritime police, the fisherman can simply say he owns the dog. The same is true for Hong Kong. 'You just need to make sure the pet doesn't jump into the water,' said the officer.
In Macau, when adhering to the rules becomes too inconvenient, it is natural to bend or ignore them. For instance, the law says all drivers should wear seat belts. In reality, Macau motorists seldom buckle up. Some are even offended if their passengers start fastening their seat belts - it is taken as distrust of the driver's skill.
The same rule-bending happens when police officers write tickets for illegally parked cars. Because of the outdated road system, parking spaces are severely inadequate in Macau. Cars are frequently parked on the pavement next to a ground-floor restaurant while hungry motorists go inside for a bite. But as soon as a police officer stops their motorcycle near the parked cars and pulls out a ticket pad, a waiter or security guard alerts the entire restaurant. Scores of motorists pour out to move their cars.
Without writing one ticket, the police officer then heads on to the next stretch of road. Once the officer is gone, the motorists park the cars back in the same spots.
Such is the beauty of living in Macau. Rules take on a different meaning when everything is negotiable.
