Bringing Pets To Hawaii (Part 4) | Moving To Hawaii

Probably one of the more complex challenges you will face once you’ve made the decision to relocate to Hawaii is how do you get your pet here? When I relocated here, the standards were even more strict with a longer quarantine period. The good news is if you’re bringing pets to Hawaii now, the quarantine period is only 30 days. So what exactly does that mean? Basically, that 30-day quarantine starts when your Veterinarian has sent all of the proper paperwork and blood sample to Kansas State University where the FAVN rabies test is analyzed. As soon as you receive clearance that the test came back negative, your 30-day clock will start. Sounds pretty straight forward. Unfortunately, it is not.

How To Move Pets To The Big Island

Coming into the Big Island is considered one of the Neighbor Islands like Maui or Kauai, and that presents a few additional steps that need to be taken. From my experience, I sought out a service that provided what was advertised as a “door to door” service for your pet to be transported from the mainland to Hawaii. They took my deposit, and then I barely heard from them. There was no direction, and I was really disappointed. After requesting my money back, I decided I would just go through the steps myself. Where you will want to go can be found on the State of Hawaii Animal Industry Division website. There is a tremendous amount of information here, and it reads like some type of puzzle. There always seems to be some sort of threat like, “if the paperwork isn’t filled out properly, it will delay processing” or “your pet may need to be quarantined on island if x, y, z isn’t taken care of.” It can be a struggle. My advice would be that your first phone call if bringing a pet here to the Big Island be that you call Kelly at Keauhou Veterinary Hospital. She is absolutely terrific and can go over any questions you see on the State of Hawaii checklist and provide valuable information on the process. In addition to that, she will be the actual person greeting you with your pet after the flight arrives, so it creates a nice connection and makes the process feel at ease.

Bringing My Dog From Atlanta To Hawaii

When we left Atlanta, I ended up being fortunate enough to have a friend look after our dog James for the better part of three months. He is 12 years old, and we have had him since he was a puppy, so I didn’t really want to put him on a plane from Atlanta to LAX or San Diego and then onto Kona. So like any best friend, I flew back to Atlanta, and we did a road trip from there to San Diego, complete with stops at Steak & Shake, Whataburger, In N Out, and countless grassy areas and sniffs to behold. We honestly had a lot of fun driving through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, that endless stretch of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally California. Armed with endless paperwork and a kennel that looked like it could fit a small dinosaur, I loaded him onto the Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Kona and took my seat in the cabin. We got to Kona, and within twenty minutes, he was with Kelly and ready to be picked up. God knows what was going through his head after crossing through nine states, a ride on an airplane, and being in a place he’s never been. But the family felt complete again, and in the end, every step of the process didn’t seem so bad after all.

Moving To Hawaii Blogs

Making The Decision (Part 1)
Choosing A Moving Company (Part 2)
Tips For Shipping Your Car To Hawaii (Part 3)
Bringing Your Pet To Hawaii (Part 4)
Rent Or Buy On The Big Island (Part 5)
Moving With Kids (Part 6)