A compromise bill that would reduce the time required for pets going through quarantine advanced out of the House Agriculture Committee yesterday. Isle animal quarantine
bill moves forwardBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com
The original bill would have eliminated the need for quarantine for animals that get two approved rabies vaccine shots, vaccinations against other diseases, microchip identification, and a valid health certificate issued not more than 14 days before arrival declaring the animal free of disease.
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Agriculture Committee chairman Rep. Felipe Abinsay altered the bill to include a five-day maximum quarantine period and a 120-day pre-arrival waiting period for animals.
"I'm glad it's still alive," said Susan Tartaglia, whose dachshund Ruby died in quarantine and for whom the bill, called Ruby's Law, is named.
"It's not exactly what we want, but it's only just begun," she said.
The current rules, adopted in 1997, require a 90-day pre-arrival waiting period and 30 days of quarantine for animals that undergo the rabies vaccine shots and meet other requirements and 120 days of quarantine for animals that do not get the vaccine.
The quarantine rules are designed to keep rabies out of Hawaii.
Abinsay said the bill would allow a maximum five days of quarantine to allow paperwork to be processed at the quarantine facility.
"The ultimate goal is no confinement," said state veterinarian James Foppoli, but said it will be hard to get general fund money to hire people to do the inspections at the airport to eliminate the need for inspection at the quarantine station.
Many quarantine opponents were unhappy with the changes to the bill. Chris Quackenbush said vaccines work and saw no need to have a 120-day pre-arrival waiting period.
Abinsay said he hoped the legislation would speed the process for people like Sonya Senj. The Hawaii-born woman who lives in Boston, testified she wants to return to Hawaii to care for her ailing parents, but has an 11-year-old dog and "is torn by the risks of quarantine."
