Quarantine Services

Our Quarantine Services for Kauai Visitors & Residents Hawaii State law governs the importation of dogs, cats and other animals into Hawaii. This law states that dogs and cats meeting specific pre- and post-arrival requirements may qualify for 5-day-or-less quarantine program, which also has a provision for direct release at the airport after inspection. Kauai Humane Society now provides inspection of animals for entry at the Lihue airport for direct release as well as quarantine boarding of pets who don’t qualify for direct release. Please go to the State Animal Quarantine website for all requirements to enter Hawaii with a pet. Please review this in detail with your veterinarian well ahead of any plans to come to Hawaii. The link to the state website is: http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info State Animal Quarantine Contact Information: Phone: 808-483-7151 Email: rabiesfree@hawaii.gov Mail: Hawaii Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine Station 99-951 Halawa Valley Street Aiea, Hawaii 96701-5602

Direct Release Brochure (PDF) Checklist for Direct Release (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions Why do you have quarantine? Hawaii has no rabies. This program is to prevent rabies from entering the state. How long is quarantine? Normal quarantine for pets just entering the state with no prerequisites is 120 days. We provide this service here at the Society for Kauai resident owned pets at a fee of $15 per day. How do you qualify for the 5-Day or Less Quarantine program where my pet can be released directly at the airport? You must start preparation at least 4 months prior to arrival. Sometimes it is even longer. Your pet must have 2 rabies vaccinations at least 3 months apart. The second rabies vaccination must be given at least 3 months prior to arrival in Hawaii. Your pet must pass a blood test that shows a response to the vaccine. This blood test is specific for the State of Hawaii and must be passed at least 4 months before arrival to Hawaii. Your pet must be microchipped. Due to the minimum requirements, puppies and kittens must be at least 10 months of age before they can qualify for direct release. This includes direct release at Lihue airport if your pet meets requirements. All foreign arrivals need to go through Honolulu International Airport! What if I am a Hawaii resident and I want to take my pet out of state for a short visit? You need to start preparations at least 4 months prior to your travel. Your pet needs 2 rabies vaccinations at least 3 months apart. The second rabies vaccination must be given more than 2 weeks prior to leaving Hawaii. Your pet must pass a blood test that shows a response to the vaccine at least 2 weeks prior to leaving. This blood test is specific for the State of Hawaii. Your pet must be microchipped. You will need to obtain a health certificate from your veterinarian no more than 14 days prior to leaving. Some airlines require 10 days or less prior to leaving. If you are gone more than 14 days, you will need to get another health certificate by a veterinarian on the mainland to enter back into the state. What are the fees for Kauai Humane Society to do the direct release check at Lihue Airport? $400 per pet for the first inspection and greeting at Lihue airport and $100 for each subsequent inspection at Lihue airport for the life of the pet. These fees are separate from the fees that must be paid to the state for direct release. The monies we collect from these fees will go directly back to helping Kauai’s homeless animals and our critical community services and programs. How do I arrange for Kauai Humane Society to do the direct release check for my pets arriving at Lihue Airport? First, you must get approval from the State Animal Quarantine Station that your pet qualifies for direct release. Once your pet is approved, you must either call us at 808-632-0610, or fax us at 808-632-0727 with the following required information to make a reservation for us to meet you at Lihue airport: Airline Name and Flight Number Date and time of arrival Owner’s name, contact phone number, and address Information for each pet: Name, Microchip #, Species, Breed, and Sex We require pre-payment of all fees -- credit card, money order or personal check with Kauai address only. We are available 24 hours daily for direct release services. We will fax a confirmation to the State Animal Quarantine Station. Once confirmed, you will be issued a LIHUE permit by the State Animal Quarantine Station. You must apply for this permit at least 30 days prior to arrival and for any subsequent arrivals. If you don’t have approval from the State Animal Quarantine Station to bring your pet to Hawaii, please contact them first and start the approval process. Once completed, please notify us with all the above information. These are general guidelines only. Owners should check the State Animal Quarantine Station for more detailed information so each step is correctly followed. If owners don’t follow the necessary steps, their pets could be denied direct release at the airport and are subject to be quarantined.