Hi Woof Woof Woof!
Thanks for your thoughts.
Yes - 17 is pretty old and yes, anything can happen. BUT - he is very healthy and doing very well. He gets acupuncture for mild arthritis and is on no drugs. There is no reason to think that he won't be around when it is time to move. Let's think positive!
As far as vaccinations, I share your concern. Thankfully he is up to date with everything and they are good until July 2010. So we are good to go with that, assuming his rabies titer is high enough. Having rabies shots every 2-3 years for his whole life, he should have enough left in him to last years!
Oliver (doggie) got his micro chip today and is set to have the blood work for the titer done in two weeks. It takes about 3-4 weeks for that to be processed. If all is well with that, then the clock starts ticking - you must wait at least 120 days before you can enter Hawaii. You are also required to have the last 2 rabies certificates (original copies only). In addition, you need to have the vet apply the flea and tick stuff for at least 2 months in a row and this all has to be documented and federal expressed to Hawaii Department of Agriculture. There are a couple of other things that need to be done. BUT, if you follow the rules to the letter, Hawaii Department of Agriculture will send you a certificate that you show with your 10 day health certificate and you should be able to have direct release. No quarantine at all.
I understand that most people put their pets in cargo and all is fine. And that is great for them. However, it is absolutely not safe for certain breads (such as Pugs and other short nose dogs), it is also not very safe for elderly dogs. They tend to be wobbly on their feet and can't anchor themselves when they are being moved around. This can cause injuries. They also tend to be very sensitive to temperature changes. I'm just not willing to take the chance. So as far as I'm concerned, this is not a crazy idea at all.
Oliver is strong and healthy and happy. He has moved 12 times in his 17 years, so he is used to change. In an ideal world we would not have to leave the continental states until he was no longer with us. Unfortunately we have no choice, we have to move to Hawaii. Oliver is part of our family. Leaving him behind is not an option. If there is a dog that has a chance of living to be 19 or 20, he is it. So we will dot our i's and cross our t's, making sure that everything is set for direct release in Hawaii. And we will do our very best to find a group to share a charter with.
Hopefully Oliver will be having a luau for his 18th birthday! Positive thinking!
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am sure I would feel like you if I were moving my dog and I have moved many a horse at huge prices and believe me animals do care how they travel. Shipping horses is the single most stressful thing you can do and with dogs I believe it is just as important
