Flight Prep: Best Guide To Bringing Pets To Hawaii Step 9

Step 1: Prohibited Animals
Step 2: Vaccinations
Step 3: Microchip
Step 4: Blood Test
Step 5: Flight Booking
Step 6: Kennel
Step 7: Import Form
Step 8: Health Certificate

Step 9: Flight Prep

At least 7 days before your pet’s arrival in Hawaii…

Call the airline(s) to confirm your pet’s reservation(s).

Look up your pet’s microchip number in one of these two universal databases to make sure your contact info on record is correct:

  • Pets microchipped within the U.S.
  • Pets microchipped outside of the U.S.

– For guide dogs and service dogs only: If you want your dog to be inspected in the terminal of Honolulu Airport (instead of the quarantine holding facility) and haven’t already submitted a request to do so, fax your request to the Department of Agriculture: 808-483-7161. (NOTE: Your pet’s arrival time must be between 8am-4pm.) If your request is granted, you will receive a “Notice of Terminal Inspection” in the mail, which you’ll need to present to an airline representative upon arrival in Hawaii.

At least 48 hours before your pet’s arrival in Hawaii…

If your pet is coming from Guam, Australia, New Zealand, or the British Isles:

  • Print out the Affadavit For Export form. If your pet is coming from Australia, New Zealand, or the British Isles, cross out every instance of the word “Guam” and replace it with your pet’s correct country of origin.
  • Fill out the top half of the Affadavit For Export form (under “STATEMENT OF OWNER OR CONSIGNOR”). If your pet will be traveling unaccompanied and will be picked up in Hawaii by another person, put their name, phone number, and address under “Consignee.” Otherwise, leave those fields blank.
  • In the bottom half of the Affadavit For Export form (under “CARRIER’S STATEMENT), leave all the fields blank. At the very bottom, next to the field “PRINT NAME,” write in two more fields:
    • “BUSINESS ADDRESS: _________________”
    • “BUSINESS PHONE NUMBER: ________________”
  • Photocopy the following documents and pack the photocopies in your carry-on luggage:
    • Affadavit For Export form
    • Health certificate
  • Put the originals of the 2 above documents inside one of the plastic bags attached to your pet’s kennel.
  • Pack at least 4 non-releaseable cable ties inside the same plastic bag.

If your pet is coming from any other country:

  • Put the photocopies you made of the following documents (one set for each pet) inside one of the plastic bags attached to your pet’s kennel:
    • 1-2 rabies certificates (1 for service dogs or guide dogs; 2 for all other pets)
    • Proof of passing blood test (a printout of the result from the Department of Agriculture’s website, or a copy of the test result that was mailed to your veterinarian)
    • Health certificate and health form (NOTE: If you haven’t already submitted these to the Department of Agriculture, then you need to put the original documents in the plastic bag on the kennel, and pack the photocopies in your carry-on luggage.)
    • Dog & Cat Import Form (not necessary for guide dogs and service dogs)
    • If your pet is a service dog: Doctor’s statement certifying that the service dog is necessary, OR a certificate of the service dog’s training.

If you have a guide dog or service dog that will be inspected in the terminal of Honolulu Airport, put the original Notice of Terminal Inspection (that was mailed to you) in the plastic document bag on the kennel, and pack a photocopy in your carry-on luggage.

If your pet will be inspected and processed at the quarantine holding facility at Honolulu Airport, print out this map showing the location of the facility and pack it in your carry-on luggage.

If your pet will be inspected and processed at Kona, Kahului, or Lihue Airport, put the original Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (that was mailed to you) in the plastic document bag on the kennel, and pack a photocopy in your carry-on luggage. Make sure you have the name and phone number of the contractor who will be inspecting your pet on behalf of the Department of Agriculture.

At least 24 hours before your pet’s arrival in Hawaii…

Call the airline(s) one last time to confirm your pet’s reservation(s). Ask if there’s a deadline for checking in your pet at the airport. (Some airlines require pets to be checked in at least 2 hours before the flight’s departure, but not more than 4 hours before.)

– If your pet is a dog, see if there is a place to walk your dog at the airport you’ll be flying out of, so your dog can go to the bathroom one last time before checking in at the airport.

Freeze water in the water cup that will go inside your pet’s kennel.

Pack the non-releasable cable ties inside the plastic document bag (attached to your pet’s kennel), in case airport personnel need to use them on moving day.

– For guide dogs and service dogs only: If you haven’t already submitted your dog’s arrival info, send a fax to Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture (808-483-7161) that includes:

  • Date/time of arrival
  • Airline
  • Flight number
  • Location where your pet will be staying afterward

4 hours before you’re planning to check in at the airport…

Offer food and water to your pet. To avoid/lessen possible air sickness, don’t give your pet any food after this 4-hour mark. (NOTE: This is especially important for short-nosed pets. In fact, you might want to stop feeding your short-nosed pet 6-8 hours before check-in, or even earlier.)

Fill out the Shipper’s Declaration label on your pet’s kennel, including the last time your pet was offered food and water. (NOTE: The USDA requires that you offer your pet food and water within 4 hours of checking in at the airport. So make sure the time you write in isn’t more than 4 hours before your check-in. You may even want to hold off on writing in the time until you arrive at the airport, just in case it takes a little longer than you thought to reach the front of the check-in line.)

Fill one of the plastic bags attached to your pet’s kennel with one serving of dry food.

Leave the food cup inside your pet’s kennel empty.

If you bought one of DryFur‘s Deluxe Airline Kits, write a contact phone number on the temporary ID tag and hang it on your pet’s collar.

Right before you leave for the airport…

Encourage your pet to go to the bathroom (if you have a dog, take it for a quick walk outside).

Pack some plastic bags (for picking up pet waste) and your pet’s leash and/or harness in your carry-on luggage.

If you’re freezing water in your pet’s water cup, reattach the water cup to the inside of the kennel’s door.

Put your pet inside the kennel and shut the door. (If your pet will be flying in the passenger cabin for the first part of its journey, it can go in its under-seat kennel instead.)

Secure the kennel door closed by threading the hand-releaseable cable ties through the holes at each corner of the door.

Step 10: Moving Day