Avoiding Quarantine Checklist Step 1

As much as I'd like to go on and on about the food, the weather, the daily tidbits regarding life in Hawaii so far, I think I should get to some of the serious business of the pet importation requirements. After all, that is the purpose of this blog. If you are moving your pets here, you may have already printed out the list of requirements at http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/aqs-checklist-5.pdf . I noticed that there is the same checklist within the "HAWAII RABIES QUARANTINE Information Brochure" but the rev. date is 2 years older, 1/06 vs. 2/08. I didn't see any significant differences that would mess you up. The link I provided is the latest version.

Doggie weather report: it's a bit cool and windy, which is helping me to stay inside and write a blog entry. A couple of people I met on our walk this morning said, ooooh, this is just her kind of weather! Referring to my Samoyed, Tasha, who easily tolerates 20 degrees F snowy weather. She seems to prefer the weather here, partly since it means I don't mind stepping into my slippers (called flip flops on the mainland) and taking her out several times per day without having to bundle up. The dogs like having the windows open 24/7 so they can smell flowers and BBQ, hear the birds singing, mango trees and palms rustling, and other sounds of nature. Back on the mainland we called it "door TV" in the summer, Tasha would stay by the open door behind the screen and watch squirrels. It's nice that the dogs don't start panting in the wee hours of the morning anymore when the heat used to switch on to heat the house, now the temperature is fairly constant all the time. Danzig, our other dog seems much fitter. He was getting arthritis from the cold weather on the mainland, but he hasn't been stiff at all since he's been here. And he figured out not to drink seawater by the second walk. It's been "fall" here. Coconut palm fronds are falling off the trees.

Step 1 Rabies Vaccinations (refer to Dept. of Agriculture checklist)

1. Your pet must have been vaccinated at least twice for rabies in its lifetime, and the two most recent vaccinations must have been given more than 90 days apart. Remember when I said to go look in your records for original signed rabies certificates? If you didn't find any, go get your pet vaccinated right now. And SAVE the original signed certificate. Make sure the certificate is an "original signature or carbon copy" (PHOTOCOPIES NOT ACCEPTED!) and includes the vaccination date, type of vaccine, lot or serial number, booster interval, and expiration date. If you don't have any records, you will need to get the first vaccination now, then wait 90 days and get the second one. You can do the blood test, if you haven't done it already, I wouldn't wait more than 30 days from the second/most recent vaccination so the 90 and 120 day periods can end around the same time.


2. If you found one rabies vaccination certificate, check on the date of expiration and make sure the vaccine hasn't expired. Make sure you have the second vaccination done before the expiration date (and at least 90 days from the first one).


3. If you found two rabies vaccination certificates, how old is the most recent one? Having had two vaccinations alone isn't going to qualify unless the second, most recent one is still within the expiration date on the planned date of arrival in Hawaii. This means, the most recent vaccination must have been done not more than 12 months prior to the date of arrival in Hawaii for a one-year vaccine, and not more than 36 months for a three year vaccine. If it's going to expire before you fly, better get it done early to satisfy the 90 days (see 4 below in red).


4. If you need to vaccinate again, it needs to be done at least 90 days before you plan to move them to Hawaii. The exact language is "The most recent rabies vaccination was also done not less than 90 days before my pet's date of arrival in Hawaii." If you fly your pet here before 90 days has passed since the most recent vaccine, your pet will be quarantined until the 90 days is completed!

To summarize step 1 of the checklist, your pet needs two rabies vaccinations total, done over 90 days apart. The most recent one must have been done over 90 days before date of arrival in Hawaii. When your pet arrives in Hawaii the vaccine must not have expired (one-year or three-year vaccine expirations). I know, pretty simple, the checklist is quite straightforward, I thought I would explain it at length just as an extra double check for you.

Looking ahead to step 5 of the checklist, be aware that you will need to provide "original signature or carbon copy of rabies vaccination certificates for the two most recent rabies vaccinations my pet received (PHOTOCOPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE)." Certificates must have vaccine name (e.g. PFIZER), lot or serial number (e.g. S606672c), booster interval (1 or 3 year), vaccination date and expiration date.

I need to comment about some of the food prices I posted earlier. I overpaid compared to the market in Chinatown, which I hit on Saturday. I found papayas for 59 cents a pound (even less for overripe ones, good for smoothies) oranges for 40 cents a pound, dollar bags of veggies just like at the farmer's market by city hall in San Francisco. There were exotic fruits such as rambutan, dragonfruit, dragon eyes, canistels, cherimoya, durian, star fruit, and mangosteen. With cash, they don't charge sales tax. I also go to the local farmer's markets around here which are comparable to the weekly specials, but Chinatown is the least expensive place for produce (and fish and meats, but I didn't have time to check those out this time).

Rainbow picture: taken from Alan Wong's restaurant in Honolulu.