We are retiring to Oahu, HI. How can we "expedite" the quarantine time for our dog?

Our dog is "micro-chip'd for ID"; current on all shots; regularly seen by his vet; has current health papers. We will be retiring in April 2009 - can we "quarantine" him here in California prior to our move? How can we "expedite" his quarantine?

Public Comments

1. Maybe this will help: Click on the link that says "Checklist for 5-days-or-less". It spells it out perfectly.
2. This Web site will give you all the information you need: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info Good that you have him microchipped, 'cause I know that's required. Shots definitely required and good that you have your papers. As for doing the quarantine in Cali instead of Hawaii, I don't think they allow that. Hawaii's new quarantine laws make it easier to get your dog through quarantine - it used to take weeks, even up to three months. Now, I think if you meet all the requirements, you can have your dog within hours. I know when your dog has had the shots will affect it. I was going to bring my puppy to Hawaii with me when I was planning on being there for a couple of weeks, but his second rabies shot wasn't done at the right time, so he wouldn't have had the fastest quarantine, so I ended up having to board him instead. Good luck! I know what a pain it is to go through Hawaii's regulations!
3. You and your pet may qualify for the five-day or less quarantine. There is a checklist and e-mail address on the website below. Mahalo
4. Unfortunately this answer will not be expedited but I am answering as one who's "been there done that": It is possible to to what is called a 5-day quarantine or better yet immediate release, where your pet does his time in his own home in California. The process takes 4-5 months and it's really just about crossing the t's and dotting the i's. You need to work hand in hand with your vet on this. Since your pet has been vaccinated all along through its life it should not be an issue. They must have had at least two rabies vaccines, how recent depends on whether your vet uses a 1-yr or 3-yr vaccine; but there is a limit to how close to the date of departure the most recent rabies vaccine can have been administered; not within 90 days. Confused yet? Just wait! Start in early November 2008; the bloodwork for the rabies titer is linked to the microchip and your 4 months' quarantine begins on the day the blood is received by the lab (only 2 labs in the country do this; most commonly used is the one in Kansas.) Once you get the results back assuming the antibody level is high enough, you wait your 4 months. You will be given a time window during which you can import your pet(s). One important consideration is the time of year as all the major carriers have blackout dates when they will not accept pets in cargo (although the holds are pressurized and heated or cooled, they are NOT while the plane sits on the tarmac so delays could be deadly.) In April you will be OK. I know this for a fact because I brought my 2 dachshunds over on April 8, 2004. There is a flurry of paperwork right at the end including notarized importation permits, fees, and vetting records. Send via certified mail, return receipt requested. Frontline your pet just prior to departure. Capstar if you SEE fleas. You will also need a health certificate (show it at the airport to ship the animal and again when you pick it up from the airport satellite quarantine facility at the HNL airport); this must be done last minute so to speak as most are valid for 7-10 days (hence the impossibility of sending it with the importation papers; it would expire before you got on the plane.) It is a good idea to call the main quarantine station up in the valley, and double check that everything arrived and they have all they need. Do this at least 2 weeks ahead of your scheduled departure so you have time in case there is any hiccup. In our case they claimed they did not have the shot/vetting records, however I told them it's on 2 4x6" green cards; it was there but they had been looking for a full sized sheet of paper, which was not what my vet used. A phone call caught this and saved me god knows what kind of headache at the airport facility. Anyway, once they are sure they have it all THEN they send a card down to the airport facility noting all your info and when your pet arrives they pull that card, scan the animal's microchip to verify that it is indeed the one the blood was drawn from 4 months ago, check the health ceritficate (the original must be attached to the crate but make sure you have copies of everything) and then they release the animal to you. If you choose not to pay in advance I believe you can pay your import fees with a credit card when you reclaim your pet. All imported animals MUST fly into Honolulu and go through the airport quarantine station there. You reclaim your pet and re-check them if you are then going on to one of the other islands. Under no conditions may you take your animal out of its carrier on airport property (hard I know) but what we did during our 3 hour - be sure to allow for claiming baggage and pet and re-checking if you are going on - layover, was take the dogs (in their crates) on a luggage cart, out of the airport (towards the US post office) and let them out for a potty break and bit of a romp in the large grassy area there. An hour or so before our flight we put them back in the carriers and walked back in and re-checked them on Aloha for the flight to Kona. To the best of my knowledge, ATA is the ONLY airline which will allow (small) pets in cabin across the water. I believe 9" is the height limit. All others take them as checked baggage (on your same flight). You will lose a piece of carry-on luggage should you wish to take them in cabin, but the price is the same, and there is a limit to the number of animals allowed on any given flight so book early. As you disembarke ATA attendants take your pet from you and transfer it to the quarantine station, you go around the "long" way to pick it up. Hope this has helped! It is all spelled out on the website. http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info There's also a checklist: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/aqs-checklist-5.pdf
5. Even during the quarantine period you MAY be able to arrange visits with your dog so that they don't feel like you have totally abandoned them. Good Luck and Happy Retirement. The Muse
6. There is a 5 day or less program that is offered for animals that meet a specific checklist. Check out the website http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info and click on the link to the 5 day or less program. That will take you to a pdf file that will tell you exactly what you need to do and what forms you'll need to fill out. Good luck!