87% of pets
bypass quarantine

The program to speed pets' release
to owners exceeds expectations,
state officials report

Eighty-seven percent of cats and dogs were released to their owners upon arrival in Hawaii in the second half of last year after going through extensive pre-arrival preparations, the state Department of Agriculture says.

An additional 3 percent of the pets were qualified for release within five days under the 5-Days-or-Less quarantine program.

There were 4,097 cats and dogs that entered the state between July 1 and Dec. 31. Of that number, 3,559 qualified for direct release at the airport. An additional 128 animals qualified for release within five days.

The five-day program is 1 1/2 years old, and its success is far exceeding expectations.

"The feeling was we'd have around 50 percent," said Isaac Maeda, program manager for the Agriculture Department's Rabies Quarantine Branch.

Of the rest of the incoming pets, 116 qualified for the state's 30-day quarantine program, and 294 animals required up to 120 days in quarantine.

The state's quarantine law is designed to prevent the spread of rabies in Hawaii, the only rabies-free state in the country.

The 5-Days-or-Less program started June 30, 2003. In the first year, 5,447, or 80 percent, of the 6,834 cats and dogs that entered the state qualified for release within five days. Of that, 5,276, or 77 percent, were release upon arrival at the airport.

State officials are not sure whether the number of people taking advantage of the program will increase. However, Maeda said there will always be a certain percentage of people who will not have the time or do not care to make the necessary pre-arrival preparations, which include two rabies vaccinations, microchip identification, a blood serum rabies test, a 120-day waiting period and delivery of the required paperwork 10 days prior to the pet's arrival.

Prior to the start of the program, the number of cats and dogs awaiting release in state quarantine on a typical day this time of year averaged about 550, Maeda said. That number is down to about 235 this month, he said.

As a result, the state has transferred eight animal caretakers to other departments and eliminated one maintenanceŚconstruction worker position.

The state is also leasing 70 kennels to the U.S. Army for the pets of military personnel on deployment, on vacation or who arrive here and are not immediately able to secure housing that allows pets.