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If you’d like to visit or move to Hawaii but can’t imagine going anywhere without your dog, check out Can You Take Your Dog to Hawaii? Maybe you think so.
Can I Take My Dog To Hawaii On Vacation
When we moved from London to Maui, we had a big problem to solve: how to transport our beloved dog Heidi. We knew he could be taken to Hawaii, but we had heard horror stories about how dogs had to be quarantined for six months after arriving in Hawaii.
How To Move Your Pets To Hawaii
Yes, you can bring your dog to Hawaii, but you must apply for a Direct Airport Release (DAR) to avoid the six-month quarantine. You should start this process several months before arriving in Hawaii. We’ll show you how we went through the process and what we learned.
Our dog Heidi met the vet at the Maui gate for immediate discharge from the airport. He escaped six months of quarantine in Hawaii!
If you’re in Hawaii or on vacation, check out our packing lists, our favorite things to do, places to stay, car rental deals, and even discount codes.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture provides a checklist for you to adopt a dog in Hawaii. These are great resources, but to be honest, I’m a little confused at times.
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Our dogs are getting ready to leave the cold of England and head to the beaches of Maui. He doesn’t regret moving to Hawaii.
The microchip number will be used to identify your dog when you arrive in Hawaii, and the number will be used for any blood tests your dog will need. If your dog’s microchip doesn’t work, get it implanted.
Hawaii is a rabies-free state (great!) and their strict regulations are one way to protect your habitat from rabies. Hawaii is the only rabies-free state in the United States.
This means that every animal entering the country must ensure that it has sufficient anti-rabies antibodies in its blood.
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To do this, your dog must be vaccinated against rabies at least twice in its lifetime, and the last rabies vaccine must be valid (not expired) prior to arrival in Hawaii.
Heidi had never been vaccinated against rabies (there is no rabies vaccine in the UK) so we had to vaccinate her twice. The intervals between injections are supposed to be 30 days, so we have to wait 30 days after the second injection to get the blood work done.
Before taking your dog to Hawaii, you need to plan and have enough time to do it all!
Now that you’ve given your dog two rabies shots and had time to develop anti-rabies antibodies, it’s time to get a blood test at one of three certified laboratories.
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For us coming from England, this is the hardest part of the whole process. If you live in the US, this should be easier to do. Let your veterinarian know the name of the lab and they can coordinate sending the sample.
A sample of your dog’s blood will be sent to a laboratory, which will send the results directly to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. You should also get a copy of the results from your veterinarian
If you would like to check the status of your test and see if the results have been received by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, you can search using the Animal Quarantine Microchip Search.
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Once you’ve done all the hard work, it’s all done. Before applying for a license, you must do two things:
Once these two details are determined, it’s time to apply for a permit. If you don’t know the details, your veterinarian of choice in Hawaii can help guide you through the application process.
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If you are applying for a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit, please apply at least 30 days before you plan to arrive in Hawaii. Documents that need to be sent include:
We also send shipping labels for overnight use permits from the Department of Agriculture. We were so scared of getting permission to fly in time.
If you fly to one of the neighboring islands like we did, the Department of Agriculture will issue you a permit. This is a permit you must show to the airline before flying to Hawaii (they have it), and you will need to give it to your veterinarian upon arrival.
Return to your veterinarian 14 days before your flight for a health check and confirmation that your dog is fit to fly. You will need to treat your dog for ticks at this appointment, as your veterinarian should also be listed on the health certificate.
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Bringing your short friend to the island takes a lot of work and time. But it’s worth it. I was very nervous about the process and didn’t know what to expect after landing, but it wasn’t easy.
Our vet met us at the door, checked Heidi’s microchip number, checked her licensing papers, and off we went. This is the easiest part of the process.
Yes, the process of bringing your dog to Hawaii is a long one. But if you move, it’s not worth it. Heidi now spends her days enjoying the beaches of Hawaii and sunbathing on our balcony. He loves it here and we love him here.
You can pay up to $500 for flights, rabies blood tests, health certificates and license fees for your dog. We spent $755 to bring our dog to Maui, the breakdown is as follows:
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Most of these fees are typical, but you can save money by choosing the right airline. Dog flights to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines are $100. Hawaiian Airlines $225.
Looking for more cheap Hawaii tools? Find out how much a Hawaii vacation costs for a family of two to four. Find out how to book a trip and get cheap flights to Hawaii. Visit the cheapest island of Hawaii and book a stay with your little one!
I’ve listed all the steps you need to take to bring your dog to Hawaii during your move. The steps for taking a dog on vacation are the same. You need to decide if you should take your dog for a walk in Hawaii.
This requires months of planning and is very expensive. The total cost of bringing Heidi over, including rabies shots, was approximately $1,000,000.
Dog Friendly Guide To Honolulu
If you decide to take your dog to Hawaii, be aware that your accommodation options are more limited. As we traveled around the island, we were lucky enough to find a few hotels and vacation rentals that would allow us to take Heidi with us. But that always complicates planning.
We know bringing your dog to Hawaii can be difficult, so we’ve created a video guide to help everyone navigate the process. Check out the video below where we discuss how to bring Heidi your dog to Maui.
I co-founded Hawaii Vacation Guide with my husband, Jordan. We have lived on Maui and Oahu and continue to travel, experience and explore the Hawaiian Islands. We traveled with our children Henry and Edith. I am the planner! I love traveling from the mainland and planning island hopping, day trips, etc. I spend a lot of time SUPing in Hawaii and my favorite time of year in Hawaii is whale watching!
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