If You Have to Go Into Quarantine in Hawaii

Animal Land ships many pets to Hawaii under the direct release program and we are experts in ensuring that all veterinary work is in order to ensure you can pick up your pet several hours after his arrival into Honolulu. However, because the process must be started well in advance of transport, some clients who must move quickly find it necessary to ship their pets prior to their eligibility date for release, where they must remain in quarantine.

I have recently had the pleasure of working with a terrific client, Andrea, in the transport of her adorable dog, Sebastian to Hawaii. Andrea is an "on the go" businesswoman and she wanted Sebastian to arrive into Hawaii before his 120 day wait period was over so that she could be close to him and be able to visit. Sebastian is spending 28 days at the main quarantine station in Hawaii. Andrea has been kind enough to provide this great picture of her and Sebastian after he was all settled in to his quarters at the main dispensary last week. This is where your pet will reside awaiting his eligibility date for release if he must be transported early. Andrea has also been kind enough to provide her assessment of her experience with the quarantine station after her first visitation to the facility.

Andrea also made sure Sebastian had a special Lei to welcome him to the islands. I just love their matching outfits! Thanks Andrea - we couldn't have asked for better models!

It was a pleasure having you help get my big baby to Hawaii. I will take some video footage and more pictures of the facility and send them to you.

The kennels are outdoors ( I didn't expect that at first, but it seemed to be okay). They are on a big slab of concrete, with a bed lifted off of the ground (the bed is made of ply wood and most people put blankets on the plywood. The dog has plenty of space to move around. The area is cleaned out daily with a hose.

They have a bench inside of the cage so the owner can sit and visit with their dog.

They feed the dogs 3 times a day, unless the owner instructs otherwise. The workers were giving some baths that needed them. The people working at the quarantine were very friendly. I believe they must play with the dogs, because the dogs seem to like the people (always a good sign).

You can bring your pet treats, dog beds, and toys (toys can't have rawhide). They have a vet on staff that inspects your dog when he arrives to Hawaii. My dog has a bad leg and they left a note on his cage to tell me to come talk to the vet. The vet was just checking to make sure he didn't get injured in his travels. I appreciated them checking.

Thanks again for all of your help,

Andrea

How To Teach Kids To Interact with Dogs

We have all experienced the "awwwwww" moment of seeing a cute dog and wanting to go up and grab it around the neck. If you are a parent, you have probably also experienced the anxiety of having your child run up to a strange dog and wondering if the dog was friendly.

Teaching a child how to safely approach and pet a dog is incredibly important for parent and child alike. The Victor Valley Daily Press has a great article with valuable tips:

Some experts suggest having the child putting out a closed fist or a hand with palm upraised, others say just stand there. But all agree: let the dog decide whether to approach the child. Don’t hold a dog still in your lap for petting, and respect the dog’s decision if it turns away or moves behind the owner.

If the dog does approach, observe the body language. Don’t concentrate on the tail, it can be hard to read. Pelar says, “I tell people that if they’re looking at the tail, they’re watching the wrong end of the dog.”

Instead, the mouth can give a lot of clues. A dog that’s licking lips, panting excessively, or yawning, is showing that he’s not comfortable. These are oral self-soothing behaviors much like sucking your thumb, says Pelar. In contrast - opposite of the common maternal fear of the teeth showing - if the dog’s mouth is open, that’s a sign that it’s relaxed.