Can You Bring Your Dog With You To Hawaii?
Hawaii is a popular tourist destination, and visitors from all over the world visit Hawaii to enjoy the beautiful beaches, pleasant weather. Many of the visitors are very attached to their pet dog and would like to bring the dog with them on their Hawaii holiday. In other cases, individuals with transferable jobs like military staff may be posted in Hawaii and would like to find out if you can bring your dog with you to Hawaii. Hawaii consists of a number of islands so the visitors would like to find out if there are any restrictions on traveling to Hawaii with a dog.

Unlike the rest of the states in the United States, Hawaii has always been rabies-free, and the government of Hawaii is very strict in regulating the entry of dogs and other pets to Hawaii so that it remains free of rabies. The department of Agriculture in Hawaii is responsible for ensuring that dogs entering Hawaii do not carry rabies, which they can spread locally, and they have implemented a large number of rules to regulate the entry of dogs to Hawaii. Dog owners should also be aware that most hotels do not allow pet dogs, so though it is possible to bring a pet dog to Hawaii, it is not advisable to do so.
However, if the dog owner still wishes to travel with his dog to Hawaii, he should comply with all the rules which are specified by the Hawaii government. There are checklists that are provided if you are traveling with your dog to Hawaii. This includes a lot of paperwork that the dog owner has to complete, usually with the help of the veterinarian. The pet dog should undergo a rabies antibody test and also rabies vaccination at least 30 days before his planned visit to Hawaii. The pet dog should be microchipped before the Hawaii trip. There is a dog import form that the pet owner will have to fill and submit to the Hawaii government.

The dog will be quarantined at the airport for at least 5 days, and a fee will have to be paid to release the dog from the quarantine. If the paperwork is not complete, the dog will be held in quarantine for a longer period of time. Similarly, if the Hawaiian government agencies do not receive the required paperwork on time, the dog will be kept at the quarantine facility. The dog will be released only after all the paperwork is completed. The dog owner will be charged for each additional day, the dog remains at the Hawaii quarantine facility after 5 days.
So the dog owner should be aware of the time, money, and effort required to complete the stipulated procedures for taking a dog with him on his Hawaii trip since the government is very strict in ensuring that Hawaii remains rabies-free. If the dog owner is planning to visit Hawaii for a shorter period of time like a few weeks or less, it is usually not worth the effort to take the dog with him, it is better to find a suitable reliable pet sitter. However, if the dog owner is relocating for professional reasons, and is attached to his dog, he will have to complete the procedures listed above.
Carly Regnier is a freelance photographer and blogger. She loves to travel and is a foodie and with her job, she had done it a lot.