Canine castaway will arrive to a celebrity's welcome
By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer
It will be "Lights! Camera! Hokget!" tomorrow morning at Pier 24 in Honolulu when the abandoned ship's dog formerly known as Forgea meets the media.
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But the pooch's Hollywood debut is months away.
TV host Jay Leno wants Hokget the dog as a guest on his show.
Hawaiian Humane Society officials say all national television networks, except CNN so far, have indicated they will be in Honolulu tomorrow for the return of Hokget, a 2-year-old mixed terrier who was the skipper's pet on the ill-fated fuel supply tanker Insiko 1907.
Jay Leno even wants Hokget to fly to Los Angeles for the "Tonight Show," said Pamela Burns, president of the Hawaiian Humane Society.
But the Coast Guard said yesterday the dog will be available for photos for "no longer than one hour" before Hokget is whisked into the 120-day quarantine required by Hawai'i's rabies prevention program.
Hokget was unintentionally left behind when Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Star rescued the captain and eight crew members from the disabled ship April 2, about 220 miles south of Hawai'i. Her plight prompted the Hawaiian and United States humane societies to launch a $50,000 rescue mission.
She was given up for dead when the first search failed, but the Coast Guard later spotted the ship with Hokget on board April 20.
The Coast Guard, which went after the ship to prevent it from running aground in nature preservation areas at Johnston Island, is having the ship towed to Honolulu to off-load 60,000 gallons of fuel and other petroleum products, and to attempt to recover the remains of a crew member killed in the engine room fire that crippled the ship March 13.
The Coast Guard is considering towing the empty ship back out to sea to be sunk in deep water.
Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.
