quarantine office complaints

Lazy blog...  16 day until the wedding and we are in crazy our-procrastination-is-catching-up-with-us mode!  Only 8 days until we fly back home to Hawaii (without Dash)!  ACK!


Here's a recent article on the Hawaii quarantine process and the effect of furlough hours on the whole process.  I especially love the bit where some couple had to be escorted our by the sheriff's office for threatening the workers who wouldn't release their dog.  Apparently they had a note that said their dog was allergic to the rabies vaccine and therefore didn't need to follow the quarantine process.  Nice try people...


http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100617_Barking_mad.html

moving home

Whenever you fly into Hawaii, on the plane you are asked to fill out a Department of Agriculture declaration form.  The state has very strict rules on what can be brought to the islands, especially with regard to plants and animals... or basically any living things.  The reason Hawaii is so strict is because it has a very delicate ecosystem, thanks to being isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  Hawaii works very hard to keep the native plants, animals, and all other residents free from as many potentially dangerous or detrimental newcomers as possible.

Rabies is one of those things Hawaii has avoided thus far.  Therefore, bringing an animal to Hawaii is extremely difficult and time consuming.  The laziest option?  Fly your dog in cargo (you can't bring your dog into the cabin no matter what size) then declare him with the Department of Agriculture when you're on the plane.  Since you didn't do any preparation, your dog would have to live at the Quarantine Station, which is basically like an isolated dog pound, for up to the next 120 days.  This quarantine period is to ensure your dog will not spread any diseases or other problems to the local animal population.  Cruel, you might be thinking?  Yes.  But that's what you get if you are lazy about moving to Hawaii with your dog.

The best and most difficult option?  First, microchip your dog.  Then, following at least a month after your dog's second rabies shot, you have to request a special blood test from your vet called OIE-FAVN rabies.  Keep in mind that since rabies shots are given at annual intervals, this inherently means you can't ship puppies straight from the mainland.  The blood sample must be sent to Kansas (no joke), where they will process the results.  But, you have to time it just right because your passing test results must be not more than 36 months or sooner than 120 days before your arrival in Hawaii.  You have to submit all this paperwork to the Quarantine office, in addition to receiving a vet health check 10 or fewer days before your flight.

When you arrive in Hawaii, you'd better hope it's before 3:30 pm on Monday through Friday.  If not, the quarantine office at the airport will not be able to process the immediate intake and release of your dog.  If you did everything just right, you can fly over, pick up your luggage, go to the adjacent Quarantine office, and pick up your dog straightaway.  If not, your dog will be held in quarantine until all the proper requirements are met which again could be up to 120 days later.

Why does this matter?  Well after Papa and I get married in July we are hoping to move home to Hawaii in the next year or so with Dash, our mini Aussie.  When exactly?  We're not sure.  It depends on the economy and job availability.  Why is that bad for Dash?  We will have a difficult time scheduling his blood test far enough in advance to qualify for the immediate airport release option, since it's unlikely we will know we have jobs secured with at least 120 days to 36 months notice.

Stay tuned as we navigate through the next year and get ready for Dash's big move...