Daniel Kuntz, left, holding his dog named Bull, and his fiancé Eugene Marshall holding Lulu. Photo / Supplied
Daniel Kuntz, left, holding his dog named Bull, and his fiancé Eugene Marshall holding Lulu. Photo / Supplied
A pair of school teachers have had to delay their wedding after spending three years and $65,000 trying to bring their beloved French bulldogs into New Zealand after the pair relocated here from Indonesia.
The case has been described by an international pet transfer agency as the most complicated they've seen.
Canadian Daniel Kuntz, 33, was living in Bali in 2017 when he met his Australian fiancé Eugene Marshall, 34, who was holidaying there.
Before they met, Kuntz received Lulu, now 5, as a birthday gift, and adopted Bull, 6, a month later.
The couple relocated to Auckland in 2019 to start a new life together and because they felt it was the best country in which to raise Lulu and Bull.
But what would have normally been a six-month and $30,000 process has taken them three years and escalating costs of $65,000.
"We're at a threshold now where the financial and personal sacrifices that we've made will impact us for the next few years. It's worth it because we're fighting to keep our family together," Kuntz says.
Eugene Marshall and his fiancé Daniel Kuntz have spent three years and $45k trying to get their two dogs imported to NZ from Bali. Photo / Alex Burton
Indonesia is not an approved country for cat and dog exports, so Lulu and Bull were flown to Malaysia, where they were required to stay for six months to be prepared for import.
"An Indonesian dog can't travel to New Zealand but a dog from Malaysia can. So, they needed to stay in Malaysia for six months, so they could change their citizenship," Marshall explains.
But when the pandemic hit, it sparked a string of events that became major roadblocks that held things up.
The couple hired Jetfast Pet Express, based in Indonesia, to import the dogs.
But owner Wayne Bayliss told the Herald on Sunday that because the dogs are snub-nosed, they are at risk of dying during long-haul flights. Qantas is the only airline that will accept the breed, but the airline does not fly direct from Malaysia or Singapore to New Zealand, so the dogs have to fly and transit in Australia. But all flights ceased during the pandemic.
"It's stressful and it's taken a toll on us, the owners, and the dogs. We're not making a profit on this job because we want to bring Lulu and Bull to New Zealand so they can be reunited with Daniel and Eugene," Bayliss says.
Dog owners Daniel Kuntz and Eugene Marshall have been trying to get thier dogs into NZ from Bali for three years. Photo / Supplied
Meanwhile, while racking up bills paying for various boarding facilities in Bali, Kuntz and Marshall looked for alternative care for the dogs, and through friends found a Kiwi businesswoman to foster them in Singapore.
But they had to pay to fly the dogs via Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur, and then Singapore. They pay the woman $200 a week, which only covers their food.
Once Qantas flights opened again, Lulu and Bull tested positive for the canine disease Ehrlichia and were refused entry into Australia.
Baylis said the case is the most complicated he's experienced in 40 years in the business.
But recently, the dogs have received an exemption to fly into Australia. They're scheduled to leave Singapore later this month, spend three weeks in Australia, and then be reunited with Kuntz and Marshall in Auckland in September.
Dog owners Daniel Kuntz and Eugene Marshall have been trying to get thier dogs into NZ from Bali for three years. Photo / Supplied
"We're excited, but have been let down and received so many setbacks that we have become really cautious," Marshall said.
The commitment toward Lulu and Bull has left a huge financial burden on Kuntz, a relief teacher, and Marshall, a music teacher at Auckland Normal Intermediate. They've had to postpone their wedding, and have set up a Give-a-Little page to help with expenses.
Stephen Cobb, animal health manager at the Ministry for Primary Industries, said the requirements when importing animals to New Zealand is a form of protection, especially with dogs coming from a country like Indonesia, where rabies is present.
"The requirements protect the health of animals and people in New Zealand by preventing serious diseases and parasites from coming into the country. These include ticks, heartworm, Brucella canis, leptospirosis, babesiosis and rabies."
