Pet quarantine proposal killed

Some vaccinated pets would have
been able to avoid confinement

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By Keiko Kiele Akana-Gooch
kakana-gooch@starbulletin.com

A state agency has killed a proposal that would have ended quarantines for vaccinated dogs and cats in Hawaii.

In a hearing at the state Capitol yesterday, the Board of Agriculture voted 7-0 against the Community Quarantine Reform Coalition's proposal to allow quarantine exemption to cats and dogs traveling to and from Hawaii upon successful completion of two vaccinations, a blood test and microchip identification.

Several board members said they considered the coalition's proposal inconclusive and that the proposal could lead to legal problems if approved.

For now, the current quarantine rules require animals to be quarantined for 120 days to ensure that they are rabies-free. Animals may be quarantined for 30 days if specific requirements are met before and after arriving in Hawaii.

Dozens of anti-quarantine advocates were frustrated following the three-hour hearing.

Pet owner and new Hawaii resident Lisa Will, a Navy officer, said of her cats: "They're like our children. People don't understand that."

Coalition founder Chris Quackenbush said she was not surprised by the ruling, which comes after a year of discussion and research on quarantine alternatives.

"They completely failed to do their homework," she said of the board. "They simply choose to ignore the facts that vaccinations are foolproof."

The board also deferred by a 6-to-1 vote a decision on another proposed alternative that would include a 180-day pre-arrival waiting period and a 5-day confinement. The proposal, by state veterinarian James Foppoli, will be discussed at a future board meeting.

Foppoli said the coalition's proposal presents a three-times greater risk of rabies introduction into Hawaii -- the only rabies-free state in the nation -- than his proposal and the state's current quarantine regulations.

Under Foppoli's proposal, the five-day confinement would be contingent on the arrival of documentation proving the animal's vaccination and blood-test results. Foppoli said the animal could be released before the allotted five days should its paperwork arrive sooner.

But Foppoli said the 180-day pre-arrival period following a blood test is necessary to catch a potentially infected animal. Should the pet fail the test, it would be subjected to either a 30- or 120-day quarantine.