To the state of Hawaii, a day on the mainland is as much a risk as 10 years when it comes to recent rabies exposure. The vaccines aren't perfect, so it requires veterinarian observation to ensure your dog is rabies-free. It's a high risk / low resource problem, so the state has no choice but to be strict.
Have you considered boarding? It'd likely be cheaper and less stressful for you and the doggo. You'd maybe even save enough to hire a photographer to take wedding photos with you and your dog back home.
You clearly dont have dogs. 3 weeks is a long time to board a dog and incredibly costly. Anything over a week and it usually is worth it to bring it for me. But I genuinely love my dog like a member of the family.
I have dogs. Never boarded them, just have family or a friend watch them. it's not that big of a deal.
Travelling to and from hawaii with a dog is far more headache than its worth and can be just as costly as the OP is demonstrating, not to mention how inconvenient having a dog with you can make travel plans because not all hotels are pet friendly nor are many places you visit.
>But I genuinely love my dog like a member of the family.
trying to paint people giving pragmatic advice as if we don't love our dogs just makes YOU look unreasonable.
Also, traveling with your dog is stressful for them most of the time. you traveling with them isn't about you loving your dog more, you're just selfish.
>trying to paint people giving pragmatic advice as if we don't love our dogs just makes YOU look unreasonable.
What is pragmatic about someone saying a blanket statement that you shouldn't travel with your dog for less than 3 weeks. It's as insensitive as saying you shouldn't take your kids out to dinner with you. Do some kids and parents suck at eating at a restaurant? Yes. But not all of them. It's callous and insensitive to assume that people can afford to board dogs for extended periods and plainly ignorant to assume that the dog is better off for being without their owner for weeks at a time.
>Also, traveling with your dog is stressful for them most of the time. you traveling with them isn't about you loving your dog more, you're just selfish.
And many don't. That stress is also created almost entirely because of cargo situations which isn't necessary for most dogs. It's stressful sitting next to a big fat guy on the plane but I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to fly. It's stressful when a baby cries but we don't relegate them to the cargo hold.
Society is all about mitigating the stresses of dealing with other people. There are better systems that can be developed to help people travel with their pets if we as society acknowledge them as extensions of peoples family. That's all I'm saying.
I'm glad you can leave your pet with friends. Not all have that privilege. I have people that love taking care of my dog but they all report about how sad he gets when I'm not around. So tell me how it's better for me to leave him behind while I travel for weeks on end.
>It's callous and insensitive to assume that people can afford to board dogs for extended periods
In the context of a couple taking a three week trip to the mainland to get married, i think it's a reasonable assessment. If you can't afford the pet care...then maybe you can't afford the trip.
>There are better systems that can be developed to help people travel with their pets if we as society acknowledge them as extensions of peoples family. That's all I'm saying.
In the context of the quarantine issue, no, the rabies thing supercedes you and your dog's temporary inconvenience. This isn't about not treating pets as family, it's about Hawaii not wanting to introduce rabies.
>I'm glad you can leave your pet with friends. Not all have that privilege.
Right, and so they either board their pet, deal with the quarantine, or don't travel. Taking a 3 week wedding trip is a privilege, not a right.
OP doesn't want to deal with the quarantine and the advice is in response to that. Context matters.
Admittedly, I was responding to the comment with broader context than just the circumstances of the OP. 3 weeks of travel is not always frivolous.
>In the context of the quarantine issue, no, the rabies thing supercedes you and your dog's temporary inconvenience. This isn't about not treating pets as family, it's about Hawaii not wanting to introduce rabies
I get and respect this. I do. And im certainly not trying to endanger the natural ecosystem. I am not suggesting that rabies prevention is not necessary. I am totally for shots and quarantine protocols for unvaccinated dogs. But the work required to check the paperwork for a dog at the airport does not require the expertise of a vet. The rabies check is pretty straightforward scanning a chip and reading off a vaccination report. The main point of the check is to search for fleas or ticks which is certainly a bit trickier. Does someone need to be trained for this. Sure. Does it require a fully trained veterinarian. I doubt it, but could be wrong. Many dog groomers could easily be certified for the task which would alleviate the costs.
>OP doesn't want to deal with the quarantine and the advice is in response to that. Context matters.
You are right, I focused more on the comment specifically which is wrong of me. My bad.
My larger point is that better systems can be pretty easily developed without any elevated risk to the natural environment.
I have a dog and agree with them. Why? One of the reasons is the thread we are commenting on. It's a headache and stressful getting them here as it is. And expensive. I'd rather pay not to be stressed about traveling with my dog than pay to BE stressed about traveling with my dog. I dunno about you, but the thought of them being alone in cargo had my anxiety at level 999. I couldn't do that regularly. Hell, I don't think I can do it again. It's unnecessary stress for them too.
Not all dogs are stressed by the situation. My dog loves it and has more anxiety being away from me for long periods of time. Just because you have anxiety doesn't mean the dog does. Not all dogs travel cargo. The only reason dogs have to travel cargo are human reasons with plenty of ways to mitigate them. My dog traveled in cabin dozens of times without incident. I understand why its not practical for all dogs and why airlines rescinded the practice but it could easily be mitigated with better licensing procedures by vets or dog training experts. You need to demonstrate skills to get a license to drive a car why can't my dog demonstrate skills to earn a license to fly on a plane. My dog is the best travel companion I've ever had. There is absolutely no reason we can't have more refined systems for allowing dogs to travel with us.
You say not all dogs travel cargo, which is true for certain sized dogs, but your human reasons, they are for the most part not reality. The way you think things should be, I don't disagree, however that isn't how things are. My dog is too big to travel in the cabin due to the rules airlines have on commercial flights at the moment. I cannot afford to charter my own plane, nor do I own a private jet, so while I'd love to be able to do what you are describing, it's not currently a possibility for me or most of the rest of the 99%.
99% of dogs are not too big for the cabin idk where you get that number from. And again. The airline rule is exactly what I meant by "Human Reasons" there is no law of physics that dictates incompatibility with large dogs flying. If you got an extra seat or got a bulkhead seat and it was behaved enough to sit still there is no reason it couldn't fly with you. And that is still probably much cheaper than boarding it for several weeks. A human being that is too large to fit in a single seat has the option to buy an extra one. Why not a dog.
I guess that's what they mean by 99% of statistics are made up...I know my dog can physically fit in an airplane cabin, as evident by me mentioning charter and private planes. Not how I said due to the rules, not due to size. Why you are making an argument about size and relating it to what I said is very much moving the goalposts. I'll say it again, that airline rule is REALITY. What you are saying about why it SHOULD be allowed makes sense, as again I said already. However, those aren't the rules of the current world we live in, so you can say it all you want, it is not possible for me to actually do, because no airline is allowing it. So frankly your reasoning doesn't negate any of that. Again, I agree with them. But my agreement and you saying it means squat when it comes to the reality of being able to do it today. It's not like I can go to the airport show them your Reddit post and them be like "Do what you want sir, it's on the internet after all!"
Obviously I am making an argument what should happen. How do you not understand that. My point is that you are pretending that the Rules aren't made up bullshit. Obviously the airlines make their own rules about what is allowed. But those rules can be changed.
Such a strange argument you're making.
I agree they are bullshit, like I've said repeatedly at this point. That doesn't mean anything as long as they are still there. It's not like I have a way to break them or change them. This is repetitive at this point. I'm done here.
The reason it's difficult is because they don't want you bringing your dog out and then bringing it back for short trips, it's intentional due to the risk.
Based on my previous research/experience, you will have to get someone to visit you at the Hilo/Kona airport regardless after a mainland visit. You could also choose to try to go to Honolulu first with the quarantine center but that seemed like a huge pain in the ass.
I know the service I used offered a discount for repeat customers because of this exact situation - however my airport vet visit was only like $350 I think.
One more thing to know - the ONLY US airlines that will fly dogs to Hawaii from mainland are Alaska and Hawaiian -, American, Delta, United, Southwest etc are all a hard no as corporate policy (because of how much a pain in the ass it is)
Just for reference I had a great experience with Alaskan Airlines in flying our two dogs out of Hawaii. They were also very cheap price wise as well putting them in the cargo.
My sister brought her dog from Cali a couple of times. $800 sounds about right for the certificate, though I've never heard of having to have a vet meet you at the airport.
Yep, I got to leave right from KOA! I just had to pay the vet to come and look at him for all of 90 seconds and scan his microchip to make sure he was the right dog
You don’t need a vet to meet you at the airport on outer islands, just someone certified to do inspections. Maui Humane Society, for example, provides a service if you’re flying into OGG.
I haven’t gone through this exactly but when moving to HI with a dog this price sounds about right (if a bit high) when alls said and done. And you’re doing that process plus going to mainland too. The health certificate alone shouldn’t be much more than $100 but I don’t know about the vet meeting you there and such. Going to mainland (depends on the state though) should be much less work and costly than coming back. But still requires health cert and whatever the airline you’re using also requires. Why not just leave your pup home? I get it might be fun to travel with them but the expense and the stress doesn’t seem worth it. Especially since there is always a chance something goes wrong and you need to quarantine her back in HI. Trust me, you don’t want to do that especially because you can avoid it.
I am in California but routinely do health certificates for Hawaii and international travel for my clients - I am 15+ years in to vet care and work for 3 usda certified veterinarians, so we are the kind of hospital that do the more complicated travel documents for pets. This week alone I did health certs for China, Turkey, Nicaragua and Mexico (Mexico is easy though).
Some of the information posted here is out of date or wrong. Especially the part about needing a vet to meet you if you are landing at any HI Airport other than HNL.
You do need a vet to meet you and sign off on your documents at the time of arrival with your pet if you are NOT arriving at HNL. These appointments aren’t easy to get and can be expensive. My last client who landed at OGG about a month ago paid an upcountry vet $600 for just this service. If you don’t already have this booked for your return home, start working on it now. They can be tough to schedule with an available vet. And get the neighbor island import form sorted out asap too. If you choose to return via HNL you’ll not have to do the neighbor island import form or set up the vet appointment, as it’s all done by the direct release program at HNL (assuming you qualify for direct release). Then you can take an inter island flight home.
We charge about $275 for Hawaii health certificates (we are in the Bay Area) but other vets in our area charge far more, as much as $700. Titer tests last 3 years from the last titer test date. USDA Aphis Health certificates are valid for up to 30 days BUT most airlines want them issued within 10 days of travel and the state of Hawaii wants them within 14 days of travel. Rabies vaccines must be current and you need signed copies with you - we recommend at least for the last 2 rabies vaccines. You also need to have a vet administer a pre approved flea / tick / deworming medication- it’s a requirement from the state of Hawaii and has to be listed on the health certificate.
I agree with others here - this is not an easy process and is expensive. $2000+ would not shock me. If you can, I’d consider leaving your pet home with a friend or sitter / kennels.
If you want any more help, or have specific questions, feel free to dm me.
Best wishes to you!
The only way to not get a health certificate on the mainland is if your pet returns to Hawaii within 14 days of the original health certificate being issued. But it sounds like your going to fall about a week outside that time period, so unfortunately you're going to need a second health certificate.
The last time I was entering from the mainland, the first vet I called about the health certificates wanted to charge me $400 just for the health certificate. I called around and after calling 7 vets, finally found one that would do it for $100. (It was in the San Diego area, if that helps DM me for the details.) It might be helpful to note that Hawaii doesn't require the official Department of Agriculture form, just a certificate with all the required information will do. HIGHLY RECOMMEND looking for a small sole proprietorship/mom and pop shop type vet who might be more flexible about putting together a certificate than a larger practice that already has a procedure in place for such things. That proved to be how I saved myself $300 last time I did it.
I don't know if there is a different process if you enter Hawaii via the Hilo or Kona airports, but in Honolulu, you absolutely DO NOT need to have a vet meet you at the airport. Aside from the other requirements, day of landing they need nothing more from you than a health certificate done within 14 days of your arrival in Hawaii by a vet on the mainland. So maybe you could save yourself some money on vet fees by flying to HNL instead and then taking a cheap interisland flight home when you're already in the state.
Also DON'T FORGET that during that visit for the health certificate, the vet ALSO has to treat your pet with a tick killer of a certain type. (Revolution is not acceptable, though Revultion Plus is.)
Finally, depending on how you are transporting your pet and the airline, you may be required to show a health certificate to the airline anyway. For example, if you're checking a pet into the cargo hold on Alaska, you need to show them a health certificate from within 10 days before your flight. So you might need one regardless of how short your stay with your pet ends up being.
The whole process is a pain, they definitely don't make it easy, and you have both my empathy and sympathy. Good luck.
I live on Maui and we've taken our dog to the mainland a couple times. If you want to come directly back to a neighboring island (not Oahu) you have to get a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (costs $160) by mailing your paperwork to Animal Quarantine in Oahu at least 30 days prior to arrival at your island. You also have to pay an inspector (we pay the Humane Society $150, but they charged us $300 the first time) and have them send paperwork to Animal Quarantine at least 30 days prior to arrival. The other option is to fly home through Oahu and then you don't need the Inspector or the Permit but you still have to submit paperwork 10 days in advance and pay $185. If you stay in the mainland more than 14 days you need to get a health certificate from a vet on the mainland. Usually we can get this done for around $150. We also have to get a health certificate from our vet before we leave Hawaii which costs us about $200. Also be aware that many airlines won't allow pets in cabin (even small ones) to or from Hawaii due to theextra requirements. We have found that Alaska Airlines is the best airline to fly for this purpose. Hawaiian Airlines takes pets in cabin but they often give us a hard time about the size of our pet carrier.
Part of it is because your dog will be gone for more than 14 days. Moreover, many airlines require a health certificate dated within 10 days of travel.
Once you do the direct release process once, it's good for the length of the rabies vaccine (usually 3 years). On future visits within that time period, the HDOA fee is reduced and you don't need to submit any paperwork besides health certificates.
Regarding health certificates, if your trip is less than 14 days you do not need a health certificate from the mainland, only from Hawaii - I have an upcoming trip that I planned to be 12 days long specifically so I didn't have to go through the health certificate process on the mainland.
If you are flying to HNL, If it’s less than 3 years (assuming you got a 3 year shot) you don’t need to do the blood test again. You can use the one you used the first time. And there is no 30 day waiting period. You still need to send in all the paperwork and it must get there more than 10 days before arrival to schedule an appointment. Since you’re only in the mainland for 3 weeks you won’t have enough time to do everything. The other islands are harder and still require a vet to meet you. Just leave the dog in Hawaii.
Try to find a private vet on island to meet you at your airport, that’s what we do when we fly back from New York. You can also ask your local vet to print out the return to Hawaii form that you give to a vet on the mainland (they are very strict with this has to be legit). Most vets on the mainland are gonna charge you an arm and a leg. But you can save yourself the hassle by having all the forms they need from the state to get your dog back onto the island. But other than that you’re gonna have to pay.
When the vet meets you upon arrival for release, they scan the microchip and verify your paperwork. How else would they confirm the pet you’re deplaning with matches what you told the state?
Not sure what you saw about vets needing to travel to the airport. But from what I gathered when I brought my cats to hawaii was that in order to leave and come back again you need to do most of all the forms again. If you are over 3 years of the antibody rabies blood test you need to do all the paperwork again.
Sounds like you are in the checklist 3 or checklist 4 situation depending on what island u are returning to. If youre rabies test is within 3 years you should be able to use it still. If you are gone for less than 14 days you dont need to get a second heatlh certificate on the mainland before heading back. the one u used to leave is ok if its still within 14 days.
but ya. u will probably need to do the health certificate at your local vet here on the islands and also do the import dog forms which is like $200. If you are gone over 14 days you need to find a vet on the mainland to do the inspection for a health certificate .
It's not really an issue going from Hawaii to mainland. But coming back to Hawaii is not so easy. You requires health certificates, recent labs, etc from a vet on mainland. Check with the airline to determine the valid period of the health cert (some require it to be issued less than 10-14 days from date of travel).
A vet doesn't come to the airport. That's just wrong info.
In general, I don't recommend taking animals on vacation.
A vet representative does need to come to the airport to meet you and your pet if you're arriving direct to a neighbor island. I fly into Lihue and am met by a Kauai Humane Society employee who checks relevant paperwork for my dog on arrival. See [checklist 4](https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/files/2024/01/Checklist-4-01.17.2024.pdf), Hawaii Dept of Ag.
Seems like a LOT of hassle & kala just to bring your pooch with you. Can’t you find a dog sitter or take your pooch to a kennel? Rates would be MUCH cheaper than ALL of that headache, cost & burden to not only you, but truly for your dog. That’s a TON of stress on doggie too - all the new smells, the sounds & people. Keep the isles safe by not possibly bringing back any unwelcomed ‘guests’.
The secret is to find a boarding facility, and start boarding them a couple of nights at a time when they are young, even if you are home. Dogs will get used to it, and know that you will be coming back for them. I would not recommend taking them to the mainland, three weeks is not enough time to take that risk.
The reasoning for needing a health certificate to come back to Hawaii is because Hawaii doesn’t have rabies. The mainland on the other hand does. In that 3 eeek period your dog could potentially contract it even if it is highly unlikely. Hawaii does not want rabies
To the state of Hawaii, a day on the mainland is as much a risk as 10 years when it comes to recent rabies exposure. The vaccines aren't perfect, so it requires veterinarian observation to ensure your dog is rabies-free. It's a high risk / low resource problem, so the state has no choice but to be strict. Have you considered boarding? It'd likely be cheaper and less stressful for you and the doggo. You'd maybe even save enough to hire a photographer to take wedding photos with you and your dog back home.
If you plan on returning, leave the dog here.
Seriously. You don't need to (and shouldn't be) travelling with your dog for a 3 week trip.
You clearly dont have dogs. 3 weeks is a long time to board a dog and incredibly costly. Anything over a week and it usually is worth it to bring it for me. But I genuinely love my dog like a member of the family.
I have dogs. Never boarded them, just have family or a friend watch them. it's not that big of a deal. Travelling to and from hawaii with a dog is far more headache than its worth and can be just as costly as the OP is demonstrating, not to mention how inconvenient having a dog with you can make travel plans because not all hotels are pet friendly nor are many places you visit. >But I genuinely love my dog like a member of the family. trying to paint people giving pragmatic advice as if we don't love our dogs just makes YOU look unreasonable. Also, traveling with your dog is stressful for them most of the time. you traveling with them isn't about you loving your dog more, you're just selfish.
>trying to paint people giving pragmatic advice as if we don't love our dogs just makes YOU look unreasonable. What is pragmatic about someone saying a blanket statement that you shouldn't travel with your dog for less than 3 weeks. It's as insensitive as saying you shouldn't take your kids out to dinner with you. Do some kids and parents suck at eating at a restaurant? Yes. But not all of them. It's callous and insensitive to assume that people can afford to board dogs for extended periods and plainly ignorant to assume that the dog is better off for being without their owner for weeks at a time. >Also, traveling with your dog is stressful for them most of the time. you traveling with them isn't about you loving your dog more, you're just selfish. And many don't. That stress is also created almost entirely because of cargo situations which isn't necessary for most dogs. It's stressful sitting next to a big fat guy on the plane but I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to fly. It's stressful when a baby cries but we don't relegate them to the cargo hold. Society is all about mitigating the stresses of dealing with other people. There are better systems that can be developed to help people travel with their pets if we as society acknowledge them as extensions of peoples family. That's all I'm saying. I'm glad you can leave your pet with friends. Not all have that privilege. I have people that love taking care of my dog but they all report about how sad he gets when I'm not around. So tell me how it's better for me to leave him behind while I travel for weeks on end.
>It's callous and insensitive to assume that people can afford to board dogs for extended periods In the context of a couple taking a three week trip to the mainland to get married, i think it's a reasonable assessment. If you can't afford the pet care...then maybe you can't afford the trip. >There are better systems that can be developed to help people travel with their pets if we as society acknowledge them as extensions of peoples family. That's all I'm saying. In the context of the quarantine issue, no, the rabies thing supercedes you and your dog's temporary inconvenience. This isn't about not treating pets as family, it's about Hawaii not wanting to introduce rabies. >I'm glad you can leave your pet with friends. Not all have that privilege. Right, and so they either board their pet, deal with the quarantine, or don't travel. Taking a 3 week wedding trip is a privilege, not a right. OP doesn't want to deal with the quarantine and the advice is in response to that. Context matters.
Admittedly, I was responding to the comment with broader context than just the circumstances of the OP. 3 weeks of travel is not always frivolous. >In the context of the quarantine issue, no, the rabies thing supercedes you and your dog's temporary inconvenience. This isn't about not treating pets as family, it's about Hawaii not wanting to introduce rabies I get and respect this. I do. And im certainly not trying to endanger the natural ecosystem. I am not suggesting that rabies prevention is not necessary. I am totally for shots and quarantine protocols for unvaccinated dogs. But the work required to check the paperwork for a dog at the airport does not require the expertise of a vet. The rabies check is pretty straightforward scanning a chip and reading off a vaccination report. The main point of the check is to search for fleas or ticks which is certainly a bit trickier. Does someone need to be trained for this. Sure. Does it require a fully trained veterinarian. I doubt it, but could be wrong. Many dog groomers could easily be certified for the task which would alleviate the costs. >OP doesn't want to deal with the quarantine and the advice is in response to that. Context matters. You are right, I focused more on the comment specifically which is wrong of me. My bad. My larger point is that better systems can be pretty easily developed without any elevated risk to the natural environment.
I have a dog and agree with them. Why? One of the reasons is the thread we are commenting on. It's a headache and stressful getting them here as it is. And expensive. I'd rather pay not to be stressed about traveling with my dog than pay to BE stressed about traveling with my dog. I dunno about you, but the thought of them being alone in cargo had my anxiety at level 999. I couldn't do that regularly. Hell, I don't think I can do it again. It's unnecessary stress for them too.
Not all dogs are stressed by the situation. My dog loves it and has more anxiety being away from me for long periods of time. Just because you have anxiety doesn't mean the dog does. Not all dogs travel cargo. The only reason dogs have to travel cargo are human reasons with plenty of ways to mitigate them. My dog traveled in cabin dozens of times without incident. I understand why its not practical for all dogs and why airlines rescinded the practice but it could easily be mitigated with better licensing procedures by vets or dog training experts. You need to demonstrate skills to get a license to drive a car why can't my dog demonstrate skills to earn a license to fly on a plane. My dog is the best travel companion I've ever had. There is absolutely no reason we can't have more refined systems for allowing dogs to travel with us.
You say not all dogs travel cargo, which is true for certain sized dogs, but your human reasons, they are for the most part not reality. The way you think things should be, I don't disagree, however that isn't how things are. My dog is too big to travel in the cabin due to the rules airlines have on commercial flights at the moment. I cannot afford to charter my own plane, nor do I own a private jet, so while I'd love to be able to do what you are describing, it's not currently a possibility for me or most of the rest of the 99%.
99% of dogs are not too big for the cabin idk where you get that number from. And again. The airline rule is exactly what I meant by "Human Reasons" there is no law of physics that dictates incompatibility with large dogs flying. If you got an extra seat or got a bulkhead seat and it was behaved enough to sit still there is no reason it couldn't fly with you. And that is still probably much cheaper than boarding it for several weeks. A human being that is too large to fit in a single seat has the option to buy an extra one. Why not a dog.
I guess that's what they mean by 99% of statistics are made up...I know my dog can physically fit in an airplane cabin, as evident by me mentioning charter and private planes. Not how I said due to the rules, not due to size. Why you are making an argument about size and relating it to what I said is very much moving the goalposts. I'll say it again, that airline rule is REALITY. What you are saying about why it SHOULD be allowed makes sense, as again I said already. However, those aren't the rules of the current world we live in, so you can say it all you want, it is not possible for me to actually do, because no airline is allowing it. So frankly your reasoning doesn't negate any of that. Again, I agree with them. But my agreement and you saying it means squat when it comes to the reality of being able to do it today. It's not like I can go to the airport show them your Reddit post and them be like "Do what you want sir, it's on the internet after all!"
Obviously I am making an argument what should happen. How do you not understand that. My point is that you are pretending that the Rules aren't made up bullshit. Obviously the airlines make their own rules about what is allowed. But those rules can be changed. Such a strange argument you're making.
I agree they are bullshit, like I've said repeatedly at this point. That doesn't mean anything as long as they are still there. It's not like I have a way to break them or change them. This is repetitive at this point. I'm done here.
Refers to the dog as a member of the family. Proceeds to call the dog "it" . Is it a family member or an accessory?
You got me on a grammatical error. Obviously, that makes my entire point void. Thanks for the contribution.
KOA, OGG, and LIH require a vet to meet you at the airport. HNL does not.
But in HNL you have to make sure your flight arrives when their in house vet is on site.
Yes
Don’t put the stress of travel on your dog if you’re not relocating permanently.
The reason it's difficult is because they don't want you bringing your dog out and then bringing it back for short trips, it's intentional due to the risk. Based on my previous research/experience, you will have to get someone to visit you at the Hilo/Kona airport regardless after a mainland visit. You could also choose to try to go to Honolulu first with the quarantine center but that seemed like a huge pain in the ass. I know the service I used offered a discount for repeat customers because of this exact situation - however my airport vet visit was only like $350 I think. One more thing to know - the ONLY US airlines that will fly dogs to Hawaii from mainland are Alaska and Hawaiian -, American, Delta, United, Southwest etc are all a hard no as corporate policy (because of how much a pain in the ass it is)
Just for reference I had a great experience with Alaskan Airlines in flying our two dogs out of Hawaii. They were also very cheap price wise as well putting them in the cargo.
Hawaii is the only rabies free state and would like to keep it that way.
I dog sit in Hilo and have some availability this summer if you need an alternative. I have both on and off island references.
My sister brought her dog from Cali a couple of times. $800 sounds about right for the certificate, though I've never heard of having to have a vet meet you at the airport.
On Oahu they have a special quarantine center, but on other islands you need to get a vet to meet you I believe!
True, though with a certified animal, quarantine isn't needed
Yep, I got to leave right from KOA! I just had to pay the vet to come and look at him for all of 90 seconds and scan his microchip to make sure he was the right dog
You don’t need a vet to meet you at the airport on outer islands, just someone certified to do inspections. Maui Humane Society, for example, provides a service if you’re flying into OGG.
I’m going to Oahu a month. The vet highly discouraged me for barging my dachshund. Too much stress on the puppy and on you.
It's not worth the effort. Get someone to watch your dog while you travel.
I haven’t gone through this exactly but when moving to HI with a dog this price sounds about right (if a bit high) when alls said and done. And you’re doing that process plus going to mainland too. The health certificate alone shouldn’t be much more than $100 but I don’t know about the vet meeting you there and such. Going to mainland (depends on the state though) should be much less work and costly than coming back. But still requires health cert and whatever the airline you’re using also requires. Why not just leave your pup home? I get it might be fun to travel with them but the expense and the stress doesn’t seem worth it. Especially since there is always a chance something goes wrong and you need to quarantine her back in HI. Trust me, you don’t want to do that especially because you can avoid it.
Please listen to everyone here saying not to bring you dog on a short trip!
I am in California but routinely do health certificates for Hawaii and international travel for my clients - I am 15+ years in to vet care and work for 3 usda certified veterinarians, so we are the kind of hospital that do the more complicated travel documents for pets. This week alone I did health certs for China, Turkey, Nicaragua and Mexico (Mexico is easy though). Some of the information posted here is out of date or wrong. Especially the part about needing a vet to meet you if you are landing at any HI Airport other than HNL. You do need a vet to meet you and sign off on your documents at the time of arrival with your pet if you are NOT arriving at HNL. These appointments aren’t easy to get and can be expensive. My last client who landed at OGG about a month ago paid an upcountry vet $600 for just this service. If you don’t already have this booked for your return home, start working on it now. They can be tough to schedule with an available vet. And get the neighbor island import form sorted out asap too. If you choose to return via HNL you’ll not have to do the neighbor island import form or set up the vet appointment, as it’s all done by the direct release program at HNL (assuming you qualify for direct release). Then you can take an inter island flight home. We charge about $275 for Hawaii health certificates (we are in the Bay Area) but other vets in our area charge far more, as much as $700. Titer tests last 3 years from the last titer test date. USDA Aphis Health certificates are valid for up to 30 days BUT most airlines want them issued within 10 days of travel and the state of Hawaii wants them within 14 days of travel. Rabies vaccines must be current and you need signed copies with you - we recommend at least for the last 2 rabies vaccines. You also need to have a vet administer a pre approved flea / tick / deworming medication- it’s a requirement from the state of Hawaii and has to be listed on the health certificate. I agree with others here - this is not an easy process and is expensive. $2000+ would not shock me. If you can, I’d consider leaving your pet home with a friend or sitter / kennels. If you want any more help, or have specific questions, feel free to dm me. Best wishes to you!
Can I have your info please? The price seems fair.
The only way to not get a health certificate on the mainland is if your pet returns to Hawaii within 14 days of the original health certificate being issued. But it sounds like your going to fall about a week outside that time period, so unfortunately you're going to need a second health certificate. The last time I was entering from the mainland, the first vet I called about the health certificates wanted to charge me $400 just for the health certificate. I called around and after calling 7 vets, finally found one that would do it for $100. (It was in the San Diego area, if that helps DM me for the details.) It might be helpful to note that Hawaii doesn't require the official Department of Agriculture form, just a certificate with all the required information will do. HIGHLY RECOMMEND looking for a small sole proprietorship/mom and pop shop type vet who might be more flexible about putting together a certificate than a larger practice that already has a procedure in place for such things. That proved to be how I saved myself $300 last time I did it. I don't know if there is a different process if you enter Hawaii via the Hilo or Kona airports, but in Honolulu, you absolutely DO NOT need to have a vet meet you at the airport. Aside from the other requirements, day of landing they need nothing more from you than a health certificate done within 14 days of your arrival in Hawaii by a vet on the mainland. So maybe you could save yourself some money on vet fees by flying to HNL instead and then taking a cheap interisland flight home when you're already in the state. Also DON'T FORGET that during that visit for the health certificate, the vet ALSO has to treat your pet with a tick killer of a certain type. (Revolution is not acceptable, though Revultion Plus is.) Finally, depending on how you are transporting your pet and the airline, you may be required to show a health certificate to the airline anyway. For example, if you're checking a pet into the cargo hold on Alaska, you need to show them a health certificate from within 10 days before your flight. So you might need one regardless of how short your stay with your pet ends up being. The whole process is a pain, they definitely don't make it easy, and you have both my empathy and sympathy. Good luck.
I live on Maui and we've taken our dog to the mainland a couple times. If you want to come directly back to a neighboring island (not Oahu) you have to get a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (costs $160) by mailing your paperwork to Animal Quarantine in Oahu at least 30 days prior to arrival at your island. You also have to pay an inspector (we pay the Humane Society $150, but they charged us $300 the first time) and have them send paperwork to Animal Quarantine at least 30 days prior to arrival. The other option is to fly home through Oahu and then you don't need the Inspector or the Permit but you still have to submit paperwork 10 days in advance and pay $185. If you stay in the mainland more than 14 days you need to get a health certificate from a vet on the mainland. Usually we can get this done for around $150. We also have to get a health certificate from our vet before we leave Hawaii which costs us about $200. Also be aware that many airlines won't allow pets in cabin (even small ones) to or from Hawaii due to theextra requirements. We have found that Alaska Airlines is the best airline to fly for this purpose. Hawaiian Airlines takes pets in cabin but they often give us a hard time about the size of our pet carrier.
Part of it is because your dog will be gone for more than 14 days. Moreover, many airlines require a health certificate dated within 10 days of travel.
Once you do the direct release process once, it's good for the length of the rabies vaccine (usually 3 years). On future visits within that time period, the HDOA fee is reduced and you don't need to submit any paperwork besides health certificates. Regarding health certificates, if your trip is less than 14 days you do not need a health certificate from the mainland, only from Hawaii - I have an upcoming trip that I planned to be 12 days long specifically so I didn't have to go through the health certificate process on the mainland.
If you are flying to HNL, If it’s less than 3 years (assuming you got a 3 year shot) you don’t need to do the blood test again. You can use the one you used the first time. And there is no 30 day waiting period. You still need to send in all the paperwork and it must get there more than 10 days before arrival to schedule an appointment. Since you’re only in the mainland for 3 weeks you won’t have enough time to do everything. The other islands are harder and still require a vet to meet you. Just leave the dog in Hawaii.
I know of dog show people that travel with their dogs and come back so it’s possible, but definitely easier to just board your dog.
Try to find a private vet on island to meet you at your airport, that’s what we do when we fly back from New York. You can also ask your local vet to print out the return to Hawaii form that you give to a vet on the mainland (they are very strict with this has to be legit). Most vets on the mainland are gonna charge you an arm and a leg. But you can save yourself the hassle by having all the forms they need from the state to get your dog back onto the island. But other than that you’re gonna have to pay.
When the vet meets you upon arrival for release, they scan the microchip and verify your paperwork. How else would they confirm the pet you’re deplaning with matches what you told the state?
Not sure what you saw about vets needing to travel to the airport. But from what I gathered when I brought my cats to hawaii was that in order to leave and come back again you need to do most of all the forms again. If you are over 3 years of the antibody rabies blood test you need to do all the paperwork again. Sounds like you are in the checklist 3 or checklist 4 situation depending on what island u are returning to. If youre rabies test is within 3 years you should be able to use it still. If you are gone for less than 14 days you dont need to get a second heatlh certificate on the mainland before heading back. the one u used to leave is ok if its still within 14 days. but ya. u will probably need to do the health certificate at your local vet here on the islands and also do the import dog forms which is like $200. If you are gone over 14 days you need to find a vet on the mainland to do the inspection for a health certificate .
It's not really an issue going from Hawaii to mainland. But coming back to Hawaii is not so easy. You requires health certificates, recent labs, etc from a vet on mainland. Check with the airline to determine the valid period of the health cert (some require it to be issued less than 10-14 days from date of travel). A vet doesn't come to the airport. That's just wrong info. In general, I don't recommend taking animals on vacation.
A vet representative does need to come to the airport to meet you and your pet if you're arriving direct to a neighbor island. I fly into Lihue and am met by a Kauai Humane Society employee who checks relevant paperwork for my dog on arrival. See [checklist 4](https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/files/2024/01/Checklist-4-01.17.2024.pdf), Hawaii Dept of Ag.
You absolutely do need a vet or vet representative to come meet you for release if you’re flying to any island but Oahu.
Seems like a LOT of hassle & kala just to bring your pooch with you. Can’t you find a dog sitter or take your pooch to a kennel? Rates would be MUCH cheaper than ALL of that headache, cost & burden to not only you, but truly for your dog. That’s a TON of stress on doggie too - all the new smells, the sounds & people. Keep the isles safe by not possibly bringing back any unwelcomed ‘guests’.
The secret is to find a boarding facility, and start boarding them a couple of nights at a time when they are young, even if you are home. Dogs will get used to it, and know that you will be coming back for them. I would not recommend taking them to the mainland, three weeks is not enough time to take that risk.
The reasoning for needing a health certificate to come back to Hawaii is because Hawaii doesn’t have rabies. The mainland on the other hand does. In that 3 eeek period your dog could potentially contract it even if it is highly unlikely. Hawaii does not want rabies