Department of Agriculture

Board Approves Temporary Animal Quarantine Fee Reductions

Honolulu – The Hawaii Board of Agriculture today approved temporary fee reductions for owners of dogs and cats that were quarantined in Hawaii during the period of July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001. Current fees are $1,080 for the standard 120-day quarantine and $655 for pets that qualify for the 30-day quarantine. These fees were reduced by $120 for dogs and cats belonging to civilians and active duty military grades E-7 to 0-3, and $220 for active duty military grades E-1 to E-6. No fee reduction will be given to active duty military officers above grade 0-3. The sliding scale reductions for military personnel were requested by CINCPAC to provide more assistance to lower ranking personnel.

Although the Board approved the fee reductions, the retroactive reimbursements will not be available until about May 2001. Pet owners seeking reimbursement should contact the Animal Quarantine Station after May 1, 2001and request an application for reimbursement. The rule changes must still be reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Budget and Finance and the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, before it is submitted to the Governor for approval.

The fee reduction was made available last year by the state legislature, which appropriated $500,000 to provide temporary fee subsidies for military personnel until federal legislation would provide subsidies through the U.S. Department of Defense. Public hearings on the matter were held statewide in February 2001 and the proposal was approved unanimously by the Board this morning.

Hawaii has strict quarantine laws to prevent the introduction of rabies into the state. All dogs and cats entering the state must complete either the 120-day or 30-day quarantine unless they are arriving from rabies-free areas such as Australia, New Zealand and the British Isles. Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that is rabies free.

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