Kaua’i Humane Society now does pet quarantines

In what appears to be a win-win-win-win situation, the Kaua’i Humane Society tomorrow will open an animal quarantine section at its Puhi headquarters.

Officials said animal owners will benefit by having their pets on Kaua’i and being able to visit them seven days a week during the state-mandated, anti-rabies quarantine period of at least 30 days (for animals arriving from out of state).

The non-profit Humane Society capitalizes because it maximizes the use of its acreage along Kaumuali’i Highway near Kipu Road. New fencing was erected to provide a grassed setting in which pets and owners can bond.

The Society’s bottom line is bolstered by fees it hopes to collect boarding as many as 24 cats and 24 dogs at any one time (and attempting at least initially to offer the service without increasing staff).

And people relocating to Kaua’i now don’t have the added obstacle of being without their pets for up to four months.

The quarantine area was about a year in the planning and making, according to Dr. Rebecca Rhoades, a veterinarian and the local Society’s executive director.

When she joined the agency about a year ago, she came up with the quarantine idea to increase revenues and use all of the new facility, inside and out.

Between six and nine animals are expected to arrive tomorrow from the O’ahu quarantine facility, picked up at Lihu’e Airport by Society staff and brought to the Puhi facility to serve all or the remainder of their quarantines.

Big Island has the only other quarantine facility in the state.

Animals coming to Hawai’i must be quarantined 30 to 120 days, with the length of incarceration dependent upon many factors, including veterinarian documentation of animal health, Rhoades explained.

Being separated for several months can be a traumatic experience for pets and their owners. If the animal is on O’ahu and the owner is on Kaua’i, the bond is nearly impossible to maintain, Rhoades said.

“We understand the importance of the human-pet bond” and the need for physical contact to keep it strong, she said.

Indeed, many relocated Kaua’i residents had to become reacquainted with their pets after lengthy quarantines to ensure the absence of rabies in the state.

Since dogs and cats are the main threats to introduce rabies into a state believed to be without the disease, the quarantine became a legal requirement for bringing the animals here from other parts of the country and world, explained Rhoades.

The O’ahu quarantine facility processes around 4,000 animals a year, with an average of 300 a year bound for Kaua’i after being given the state seal of approval, according to Rhoades.

She said Kaua’i has lost out on some new residents who didn’t want to put their beloved four-leggers through the quarantine ordeal, and hence decided not to move here.

Though quarantine times range from 30 to 120 days, depending on veterinarian approvals and other state Department of Agriculture requirements, some 75 percent of the animals brought into the state qualify for the 30-day quarantine, said Rhoades.

But all dogs and cats coming into the state must spend two to three days on O’ahu and pass a blood test before being quarantined on Kaua’i, Big Island or O’ahu.

Those planning on bringing their animals to Kaua’i for quarantine need to make reservations by calling (808) 632-0610.

The Kaua’i Humane Society is closed Sunday and Monday, but there are some limited hours those days for owners of quarantined animals. That means those with animals in quarantine at the shelter will be able to visit seven days a week if they desire, Rhoades explained.

Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).