Final Preparations

When you have all the necessary documents required by the 5-Day or Less Program checklist, get ready to send them to the Animal Quarantine Branch. You can't send them too early, and if you wait until the last minute there will be some scrambling because of everything else associated with travel (such as your own personal things other than the pets). Allow time for getting a money order, going to a notary, and the vet. It's a good idea to call the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture in advance of travel to make sure they received everything.
The links to the checklist, Dog and Cat Import form, and vet instructions for the health certificate can be found at http://move2hawaii.blogspot.com/2008/11/step-1-at-vet.html
I had the Dog and Cat Import Form notarized before sending, as the signature line requires the signature of a notary public or DOA employee. You may want to go to your bank to get a Cashier's Check for the fees because personal checks are not accepted. You can wait to pay at the airport (where credit cards would be accepted), but the forms say that processing will be delayed. I had the Pet names and microchip numbers included on the cashier's checks. We used FedEx to send everything in. The checklist says to make sure they are received more than 10 days before the pet's scheduled arrival.
You are also required to provide a health certificate done within 14 days of arrival in Hawaii. The checklist says "If I did not send an original health certificate . . . when I submitted my other documents, I will provide the health certificate upon arrival. . ." I think it's cutting it close to have the certificate done and then send all the documents in together, so I chose to send all the documents except for the health certificate first. This way I could call ahead to make sure they were received and have enough time to send them again if something happened to them. Make copies of everything before you send it!
Make an appointment with your vet within 14 days of your flight. At this appointment, obtain the health certificate and have your pet treated for ticks (with Frontline or something containing Fipronil). There is a checklist to take to the vet with you available on the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Website, which I linked to in an earlier post. Carry the original health certificate with you at all times when you travel to Hawaii with your pets and protect it like your passport!
As an additional precaution, we had the vet write a letter regarding the weather restrictions. This was in response to an item on Northwest Airline's checklist to provide certification that the animal could handle cold weather. "To Whom it May Concern, I am writing this letter in reference to (dog description, name). (Dog's Name) has been examined and determined fit for travel. (Dog's Name) is acclimated to weather above 85 degrees and below 45 degrees for short periods of time. If we can be of any further assistance please contact our office at (phone number)."

So if you've completed the checklist, bought the plane tickets, crate trained your pets, tested travel products, all described in detail in my previous posts, time to pack and get ready for the big day!