Moving MD to Oahu with Pugs and Cats (Honolulu: 2010, how much)

[PearlHarborBound]

We are looking to relocate from Washington DC Maryland Metropolitan area permanetly to Oahu, HI over the next few months (Dec 2009-February 2010) as a military off-base relocation. We have several AKC purebred Chinese pugs and three cats that we intend to take with us and have the requisite veterinary certifications including all medical records since birth since we bred all the animals and all their innoculations are up to date. We believe we can satisfy the quarantine requirements to forego the 120 waiting time and obtain the release of our animals in the 5 day period because of our superior recordkeeping and the wellknown integrity of our veterinarian(s). Our problem is finding an air carrier domestic or international to transport our pets from either the Washington DC area to Honolulu or as we have already ascertained from Los Angeles because we have enough family members to carry each on at least two airlines domestically. Please help because this relocation also involves giving moral support to our son who serves aboard a Navy nuclear sub whose home port is in Pearl Harbor and my husband is a Navy engineer who after 25 years has obtained his transfer to move our family out to HI in order to be the support system our homesick long deployed son needs while he is in port. Any leads on air carriers who allow carry on or at least "safe" cargo ferrying of our precious four legged family members to Oahu for a family who have all served in uniform for the USN would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

but we are finding it difficult to find a viable way to do it. We would prefer to take them in the airplane cabin but it is hard to find an airline that will get them form the mainland to HI. Concerns regarding putting them in the cargo hold, is the pressure ok? Temperature? We also have the complication of taking our elderly mother with health issues that may preclude air travel altogether. Cross country trains do not allow pets in the sleeper cars. Also having difficulty finding any ships (cruise or otherwise) that will take pets. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can manage this move?

[hotzcatz]

Ask the folks who ship horses by boat if they take passengers as well as pet dogs?

If you are adding an elderly mother into the mix, you probably won't be able to move the herd together. I'm not even sure if you can get a one way ticket on a cruise ship, maybe you can have your mom "jump ship" in Oahu after paying for a round trip? That gets her here without flying, but does she want to be 2,500 miles away from everything else and not be able to fly back?

Each airplane has a maximum amount of animals per flight it can take so you may not even be able to get the rest of the folks on the same flight.

If this is being done with the Navy, ask them how they'd suggest. They've got a lot more ships than anyone else.

[Evelyn1998]

We moved to Oahu in Feb. 2009 w/ our Pug. He was fine and spent about 10 days in quarantine. If you can avoid quarantine, great. I think it's a money making racket. And you still have to pay a fee for each animal coming into the state. (quarantined or not) You can't fly any animals in the cabin into Hawaii. It's not an airline policy, but State of Hawaii or Dept. of Agriculture.
Our scenario...we flew out of St Louis at 6am in Feb. It was below freezing & knew it would be. He flew in cabin w/ us to Dallas in his soft sided carrier. We checked the hard kennel as baggage. Once in Dallas my husband claimed the hard kennel and re-checked it w/ our Pug. Sounds like a pain, but it worked out smoothly. I made it very clear to the airline what we were doing in advance.

[PacificFlights]

Unless you charter a private jet, or they are certified Service Animals, none of the airlines let you take them in the cabin with you to Hawaii. If using a scheduled passenger airline, they go in the cargo belly. If you use a scheduled cargo only company, they go in the cargo cabin, but it's still cargo. Hotzcatz makes a good point that the schedule passenger airlines limit the total number of animals so you may have to split the shipment. The scheduled cargo only flights don't usually have limits, but you can't be with them. There are no passenger ships from the mainland to Hawaii that takes pets. The cargo airlines also prohibit passengers.

[mdand3boys]

Why won't your pets qualify for direct release at the airport? If you follow the rules to begin with, there is no "quarantine".
Try Continental Airlines Pet Safe program.

[mogon]

Originally Posted by PearlHarborBound

...We believe we can satisfy the quarantine requirements to forego the 120 waiting time and obtain the release of our animals in the 5 day period because of our superior recordkeeping and the wellknown integrity of our veterinarian(s)?

Sounds like you're well on your way to satisfying the quarantine requirements by doing the quarantine on the mainland. Just be sure to meticulously follow all the rules, and feel free to stay in touch via email or phone with the Ag/Quarantine folks. They are very responsive and helpful. It's great to have a vet you think so highly of, but it's the on-the-mainland quarantine requirements that must be done exactly to the letter of the law and with all the paperwork right that matters.

As far as traveling with pets in-cabin, a friend who is a vet tech says that in his experience, traveling with a pet in-cabin is actually far more stressful for the animal than in the cargo hold (which will, of course, be pressurized and heated). He points out (and he personally has shipped dozens of animals back and forth from Hawai`i) that the airline personnel are trained to deal with live animals, have good procedures in place, and do this every day.

One very, very good source for all the various airlines' requirements regarding pet travel is here: Travel with Pets - FlyerTalk Forums

[Wendyllen]

Originally Posted by Evelyn1998

And you still have to pay a fee for each animal coming into the state.

Aloha Evelyn1998 and Mahalo for sharing your experience and advice. But can I ask how much the fee was? Is it a set fee or does it vary depending on the animal, wieght, ect. ?

Mahalo

[Evelyn1998]

Originally Posted by Wendyllen

Aloha Evelyn1998 and Mahalo for sharing your experience and advice. But can I ask how much the fee was? Is it a set fee or does it vary depending on the animal, wieght, ect. ?

Mahalo

Glad I could help. $165 per pet, regardless of weight. Check out this link. It's info & FAQ's for Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture.
Have a great day!
http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info

[Wendyllen]

Originally Posted by Evelyn1998

Glad I could help. $165 per pet, regardless of weight. Check out this link. It's info & FAQ's for Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture.
Have a great day!
Animal Quarantine Information — Hawaii Department of Agriculture

thanks.

You too!