87% of pets get 5-day-or-less quarantine

Associated Press

The number of dogs and cats qualifying for direct release at Honolulu Airport has reached 87 percent since a five-day-or-less rabies quarantine program was implemented a year and a half ago, state officials said.

The Department of Agriculture said 4,097 dogs and cats entered the state between July 1 and Dec. 31, with 3,559 being released after inspection.

Hawai'i eased its strict rabies quarantine rules in July 2003. Before that, arriving animals faced a minimum 30 days of quarantine in state kennels.

Under the five-day-or-less program, pets may be released at the airport if a number of pre-arrival requirements are met, including two rabies vaccinations. Required paperwork must be received more than 10 days before a pet's arrival.

Thirty- and 120-day quarantine programs remain in effect for pets that fail to qualify for the five-day-or-less program.