When I moved to New Zealand, I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life: leaving Roxy behind in Malaysia.

Roxy has been staying at a boarding facility, where she is cared for by a kind man and appears happy and comfortable. Knowing that she is with someone who treats her kindly has given me some peace of mind. However, being so far away has never been easy.

I still worry about her nutrition, hygiene and general wellbeing, particularly because she has lost several kilograms during this time.

For the first few months, I was able to pay her boarding and veterinary costs with income from an online student in Malaysia. Later, that became much more difficult. I still did not have a job in New Zealand, and I had to borrow money from my family to continue covering Roxy’s expenses.

At that stage, I could not begin the process of bringing her to New Zealand. The flights, veterinary requirements, tests, permits and quarantine costs were very expensive, and I did not know whether I would be able to afford everything.

Throughout this long separation, a close friend in Malaysia has regularly checked on Roxy, taken her to veterinary appointments and made sure she received her parasite-prevention treatment. When my friend visits her, I sometimes get to see and speak to Roxy through a video call. Those calls mean so much to me, although seeing her through a screen is never the same as being together.

In November 2025, I finally started working in New Zealand. My first priority was to begin saving money and start the process of bringing Roxy home.

After months of planning, I found a reasonable quote for her flight and submitted an application for a New Zealand import permit. I believed I had collected all the necessary documents, but MPI required additional evidence showing where Roxy had been living, details of her boarding facility, and proof that she had always lived in Malaysia and had never travelled to another country.

Collecting this evidence and clearly documenting Roxy’s history took more than two weeks. Finally, on 13 August 2026, I was told that—at that stage—MPI had everything required and the official 30-working-day permit process had begun.

Roxy’s planned flight from Malaysia is on 22 September 2026. She is expected to arrive in New Zealand on 23 September and then spend ten days in an approved quarantine facility.

If everything goes according to plan, I will finally pick her up on 5 October 2026.

The past 18 months have been incredibly difficult for both of us. Roxy has had to live away from the person and home she knows, while I have carried the worry, guilt and uncertainty of being so far from her. Every payment, document, veterinary visit and delay has been part of one goal: bringing Roxy safely home.

We are not at the end of the journey yet, but for the first time in a long while, the day when we will be together again finally feels close.