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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Caesar has flown across the Pacific three times — and his family hasn’t even changed stations yet. With 70 days remaining of his quarantine in Virginia, the black and white husky with bright blue eyes needed to board a plane bound for Hawaii with his owner, Elizabeth Martin.
“When my husband was given his orders to Hawaii, we didn’t get them (with) enough time to finish his 120 days of quarantine,” Martin said.
At 3 a.m. on the day of the flight, Martin found out that Caesar’s crate was one inch too tall, and he was ineligible to fly with her. Martin had to put her dog on a separate flight, which cost more money. However, when her mother brought Caesar back to the airport the next day, he was again ineligible to fly due to the weather.
“They refused to fly him because it was too cold and he needed a note from the vet approving him to fly,” she said.
Caesar finally flew to Hawaii the following day, and finished his remaining 70 days of quarantine in the islands — at full price.
Before arriving in Hawaii, service members can prepare by researching pet regulations for their destination state and new duty station. Certain animals are not allowed to reside on the islands. A list of prohibited animals can be found at the State of Hawaii Plant Industry Division website. To inquire about a specific animal, call the Plant Quarantine Branch at 832-0566.
In addition, certain animals are not allowed on military installations. Pet policies for Marine Corps Base Hawaii are available at mcbhawaii.marines.mil. Visit the brown “Welcome Aboard” tab, then the “Family Housing” tab. On the right hand side, click on the black “Family Housing” tab, then “Pets in Hawaii.”
FLYING
Check your airline’s website for specific instructions when preparing your animal for flight. Some dogs and cats are brachycephalic, which means they have smushed-in faces. These animals, including those that are overweight, may have a harder time breathing when on a plane, according to Dr. Laurel Rhodes, a veterinarian at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii veterinary treatment facility.
Martin recommends that families come to the airport four hours in advance, and to check that every connecting flight can fit the pet’s crate.
“Always expect something to go wrong and have at least two backup plans,” Martin said. “If possible, try to do a test run.”
QUARANTINE
Dogs and cats must usually be quarantined either upon arrival in Hawaii for 120 days, or prior to their arrival. There are different forms of quarantine, such as one specifically for animals already residing in Hawaii, located on the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s website. Owners can pick up their pets at the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. For more detailed information about the quarantine process, there is an information brochure available to download at hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/animal-quarantine-information-page/.
Pets can complete their 120-day quarantine before they fly to Hawaii, and be released at the airport upon arrival, provided they have all the necessary paperwork and procedures in order.
Owners must also ensure an accredited veterinarian issues an original health certificate for the animal. Animals must also have a microchip, all their necessary vaccinations, and be registered with an approved Hawaii veterinary hospital.
Because Hawaii is a rabies-free environment, two unexpired rabies vaccines and a blood test are required for pets before they arrive. The pet needs to have had two rabies vaccines in its lifetime, with 30 days between each vaccine. The pet needs to wait a minimum of 90 days after a vaccination before they can be brought into the state. Pets entering Hawaii require a microchip, which is implanted into the animal for identification purposes, and must be properly treated for ticks.
Owners must also make sure their pets pass an OIE-FAVN rabies blood test, which is tested at the Department of Defense Food Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory in Texas. The blood test results can be checked at the Department of Agriculture’s website. Pets cannot arrive in Hawaii until 120 days after the initial blood test, and the test is only valid for 36 months.
Owners must wait at least 14 days after the most current rabies vaccination before the blood is pulled, or the dog may not pass the test because the body has not yet responded to the vaccine. Several documents are required, including a completed Hawaii AQS-278 Dog and Cat Import Form (downloadable at the Department of Agriculture’s website, to be completed at least two weeks prior to arrival), two certificates of rabies vaccinations, health certificate completed by a veterinarian and payment.
The health certificate must be completed within 10 days of departure or it will not be valid. All pet owners or those authorized to pick up the animal should be listed on the form. The documents are to be sent to the Animal Quarantine Station in Aiea, Hawaii. All necessary documents must be original, and not photocopies.
Christine Rossen, a certified veterinary technician at the base VTF, encourages service members and families to do as much research as they can from sites such as the USDA website and to ask their command sponsor for assistance.
“It’s helpful to contact a command sponsor,” Rossen said. “(It’s) really helpful to talk to people that have done it before.”
REGISTRATION
Dogs and cats have specific requirements to live on base. Service members living on MCB Hawaii with pets are required to report their pets to the base Game Warden’s Office within two days of arriving. Residents living at Camp H.M. Smith and Manana Housing must also come to Kaneohe Bay to register their pets. Pet registration is conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. at the office, located across the flightline in building 3099.
Robin Cabilao, an animal enforcement technician with the Game Warden’s Office, said it is important to register dogs and cats on base, because it helps the staff reunite owners with lost pets. In addition, although each incident is handled on a case-by-case basis, an unregistered dog that has bitten someone can potentially be removed from the base.
Dogs must have a valid City & County of Honolulu license when they are at least 4 months old. The Hawaiian Humane Society and satellite city halls have dog license tags available. The closest satellite city halls for Camp Smith, Manana Housing and K-Bay residents are in Kaneohe and Aiea:
Windward City Shopping Center
45-480 Kaneohe Bay Dr.
Phone number: 768-4100
Pearlridge Satellite City Hall
98-1005 Moanalua Rd. #244B
Phone number: 768-5000
The Windward City Satellite City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and only accepts cash and checks. The Pearlridge Satellite City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Owners should bring a registration form, available at the Hawaiian Humane Society’s website, and a completed veterinary certificate. They must have a microchip and have received all of their vaccinations, including rabies, DA2PP and leptospirosis, before turning 16 weeks old.
Cats must have a microchip and have received all of their vaccinations, including rabies, feline viral rhinotracheitis calicivirus panleukopenia and leukemia, before they turn 16 weeks old.
Owners may obtain temporary registration for animals younger than 16 weeks old.
Additionally, service members living in Forest City housing must also register their pets with the Forest City office. Forest City residents are only allowed to have two pet mammals in their house.
Finally, all pets residing aboard MCB Hawaii must be registered with the base VTF. To register a pet, families are asked to come to the facility Monday through Friday between 8 and 11 a.m., with a military identification card. They do not have to have their pet present.
For more information, visit the Game Warden’s Office in building 3099 or call 257-1821. The base VTF is reachable at 257-3643.
Editor’s Note: This is Part II of a two-part series on how to PCS with a pet.
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2015 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 164939 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Preventing a ‘ruff’ PCS: Bringing a pet to Hawaii, by Kristen Wong, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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