Patient Spotlight

Dexter is a 3-year-old dog who was living in the Grand Rapids area until his owner Keith decided to move to Hawaii and bring him along too!

Traveling anywhere with pets can be challenging, but the Hawaiian regulations are some of the strictest in the nation. Since rabies is not present on the island, they have to be extra careful when animals travel to the islands. Dexter had to have the required vaccinations, rabies bloodwork and microchip done many months before moving. He also had to have a health certificate from a veterinarian within 14 days of his arrival in Hawaii; confirming that a pet is healthy and up-to-date on vaccines.

When the time came to leave for Hawaii, Keith knew he didn't want to fly the entire way because Dexter would have had to stay in the cargo section the entire time. Although they had to fly the final portion of the trip over the Pacific, Keith decided to lessen Dexter’s time spent in cargo by driving from Grand Rapids to Los Angeles: a road trip over 2,000 miles!

Keith elected to take a more southern route along Route 66 to avoid snow and make his trip more interesting. From Chicago, he and Dexter traveled south to St. Louis, Texas and Albuquerque. Then onto the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Death Valley and finally California. There they saw the Pacific Ocean and Hollywood (Dexter made sure to pose by all the of major landmarks that they saw). On the 4^th day, they flew to their new lives in Hawaii.

“Do your research ahead of time before traveling with pets,” says Keith.  If you are traveling to Hawaii or another country, it is best to plan early since the requirements can vary and some require extra preparation in advance. His main concern was keeping Dexter safe - especially during the flight portion of his trip. He believes that researching an airline’s reputation for animal care and pet safety is a must because airlines are required to report their number of pet deaths. He also recommends booking affordable, pet-friendly hotels ahead of time.

For now, Dexter does not have to worry about travel requirements or health certificates. He is happy settled in Hawaii and has adapted well to island life, although he misses the snow and squirrels!