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I keep reading these posts/threads bout people's concerns bringing their dogs to HI on the plane and quarantine issues. Wondering if anyone could just tell me bout how their dog is liking HI. Are there are a lot of pet friendly places like beaches?
How are groomers? Are there a lot of groomers?
Pet stores?
I have two small dogs, a bichon and shih tzu. So wondering if they are a lot of other small dogs or mainly big dogs.
I am cross-reading your posts here, but Teach for America's salary definitely would not pay for you and two dogs to live comfortably. Especially if they require grooming. And they seriously limit your rental options. Not to be negative, but that's a whole other major expense issue. And getting them here is not inexpensive.
Lots of dogs on Maui. Happy dogs. Hot dogs. Beach dogs. Little dogs. Big dogs. And interesting "island mix" dogs. Surfing dogs, even.
I keep reading these posts/threads bout people's concerns bringing their dogs to HI on the plane and quarantine issues. Wondering if anyone could just tell me bout how their dog is liking HI. Are there are a lot of pet friendly places like beaches?
How are groomers? Are there a lot of groomers?
Pet stores?
I have two small dogs, a bichon and shih tzu. So wondering if they are a lot of other small dogs or mainly big dogs.
Thanks in advance.
I brought my Chesapeake Retriever to Hawaii some years ago ... he is a service dog so he flew with us in the airplane cabin ... (hilarious ... he is about 115 pounds) There are all kinds of dogs in Hawaii, all sizes, too ... but really big dogs, not so much ... my boy turned a lot of heads due to his size. He loved it, despite being a breed developed for duck hunting in freezing waters. He swam in the breakers daily and couldn't get enough of it (luckily no sharks viewed him as a sea lion ;-)). There are beaches that allow dogs. There are beaches where they are banned. Some of the hotels right on Waikiki allow dogs because they cater to the kinds of tourists who can afford — and demand — to bring their dogs on vacation (!) Other Waikiki municipal beaches do not allow dogs.
Plenty of pet stores and supplies.
As for quarantine: nowadays, the process has been streamlined — IF you get your act together WELL in advance. You can be expedited right through the station if you get everything done before you arrive ... but it requires months of communication with the authorities in Hawaii. I found the folks great to deal with. Very helpful. Start your process 6 months or more in advance.
I had some fun stops at the Diamond Head Bark Park when I lived in HNL. We would walk around Diamond Head (4 miles) then stop in at the park for play time.
Oahu seems to be more dog friendly than the big island as far as organized dog friendliness goes. The big island doesn't have any official dog parks although I've heard rumors there will be a new pet store over in the Kona district. The big island does have a lot of pig hunting dogs as well as little dogs and cattle dogs and such.
My dog has settled in nicely. There are 2 parks nearby where I walk her, and just by showing up, we got adopted by a doggy group that walks there every day. I've made a lot of friends by having my dog and walking her around the neighborhood.
There are some beaches you can go to, and nice off-leash parks, too. Check out the Humane Society for info: Hawaiian Humane Society - Programs & Services - Dog Park (http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/dogparks/index.html - broken link)
People keep warning me about aggressive dogs running around, but we've been here since May and haven't had a single problem (knock wood). My dog is a 50lb mutt, and she's usually the biggest dog around. There are big dogs, but it's hard to find housing for them. Most dog lovers tend to get the smaller breeds because it just makes everything a bit easier.
Can't speak to groomers (we're DIY in that area). There are lots of pet stores, but none of the big chains (Petco or Petsmart) are here. It seems like most of the pet stores sell puppies, which I can't stand, so my choices are limited, but there are still a couple of great places that we frequent.
Getting them here is challenging, and finding housing can be challenging, but the area is really pretty dog friendly once you're here!
A good friend of ours has two dogs, and they seem quite happy here. Heart worm is a BIG problem. Our friend has lived here 20+ years and she says that any dog will get heart worm unless on meds.
We moved from the San Francisco Bay Area, which had lots of dog friendly places. Even the shops/restauarant areas would put out dog bowls of water, or you would see a dog waiting outside while the owner finished breakfast. You don't see that here on Maui. Perhaps that is because of the visitor populations, but dogs generally are not seen tied up outside a coffee shop or store. Sometimes in the back of a truck, but not really many around town.
There are dogs on some beaches, but some post No Dogs. All must be leashed at all times.
Our neighborhood has several dogs; most are pretty well behaved, but a few have inconsiderate owners.
As far as dog groomers go. I live on Maui and there is a great one a friend uses that comes to your home and grooms the dogs there. She goes all over the island. The dogs are much more relaxed getting trimmed in the home with their owners then at a grooming shop. If you are moving to Maui and want her info send me a direct message.
Some of the hotels right on Waikiki allow dogs because they cater to the kinds of tourists who can afford — and demand — to bring their dogs on vacation (!)
To the best of my knowledge, there is only one hotel left on the island (other than short-term military accommodations) that allows dogs. The W.
Even extremely well-heeled tourists typically don't put their pets through the 7 month prep and then risk having the dog end up in Halawa Quarantine Station anyway just to bring them on a 2-week trip to Hawaii.
But even for residents, Honolulu is just not a very dog-friendly place.
There are almost zero restaurants, even those with outdoor seating, where you can take a dog-size dog. Purse dogs can go anywhere. The Health Department has a thing about "paws on the ground." Like that's gonna contaminate your salad or burger.
In many Mainland cities, dogs are welcome in hotels, cafes, and parks. Not so here. And it truly is difficult finding rentals that will take dogs. Many condo associations prohibit dogs. Those who do allow them often have a 20 or 25 pound weight limit. Some require you to carry the dog in the lobby and elevators. Most associations also limit the number of pets of any description you may have.
Even if the building allows pets, the owner may not. It's harder to negotiate with an owner here. Many other places you can just offer the landlord a substantial deposit, enough to cover whatever damage they're afraid of (a new carpet). Here, it's illegal for a landlord to collect more than the equivalent of 1 month's rent as a security deposit. A law intended to protect tenants actually ends up shooting them in the foot.
On the other hand, progress is creeping slowly. We have a few dog parks now and dogs are now allowed in at least parts of nearly all the beaches except Ala Moana and Waikiki.
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Groomer
