Best Of Hawaii Real Estate | Moving Pets to Hawaii

A little planning

Luckily, and despite strict laws regulating the practice, there are ways to bring pets and plants into the islands – all it takes is proper preparation.

Hawaii Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine has the most up-to-date and complete information about Hawaii’s animal quarantine laws.

Caring for Hawaii

Hawaii’s natural beauty rests in the hands of those who call the islands home.

Introducing any alien species of plant or animal to an island ecosystem – especially one as isolated as Hawaii – has the potential of creating a massive ripple effect that can damage native populations of plants and animals.

Did You Know...

According to fossil records, Hawaii was once home to native populations of bald eagle, long-legged owl, and even species of three-foot-tall flightless geese.

Only in Hawaii

A species is Endemic when it is native and can be found only in that location.

Examples of organisms that are endemic to Hawaii are the spectacled parrotfish, fantail filefish and Hawaiian Monk Seal.

Dogs and Cats

Dogs wearing tourist style hula costumes

Your furry friends are part of your family, so you’ll be happy to know that some recent changes to Hawaii law have made it much easier to bring them along. For years, animals being brought into Hawaii were required to be quarantined for extended periods to ensure against various infections.

Hawaii’s new “5-day-or-less” program states that quarantine periods for dogs and cats meeting specific pre and post arrival requirements may be vastly reduced or even avoided entirely.

Horses

Transporting horses by air and sea to Hawaii is also a common practice, and one for which the procedures thankfully don’t include required quarantine. Your options vary by cost, departure location and transportation time.

If your horse isn’t located somewhere on the West Coast, you will have to arrange a way to get it there. Sallee Horse Vans, International Horse Transport and Brook Ledge Horse Transportation are trucking companies that specialize in horse transport. They can help you get your horse to a West Coast port in preparation for the last leg of the journey.

Many opt for air transport for the sake of the animal’s comfort. Pacific Airlift specializes in transporting horses to Hawaii by air and operates out of the Los Angeles International Airport. The company also offers temporary boarding and transportation services to the airport at an additional charge.

Sheila Head’s Hawaiian Transport operates out of the Bay Area and offers comprehensive horse transport by sea. Prices include cost of feed during the trip, any necessary medical work needed for transportation, and the shipping itself. At nearly one-third the price of air transport, this is a popular option. This method takes between four and six days and requires you to get your horse to Sheila Head’s ranch located near San Francisco, CA.