Cost of Bringing a Dog To Maui

Lisa From Maui · Nov 9, 2009

in another thread, okie icu rn wrote: we have 2 dogs and i don't know how feasible it will be to bring them… i too have checked out the cost of obtaining the vaccines and tests required to bring them here and avoid quarantine altogether or only the 5 day period. your vet where you are from must be far more expensive than mine because it was around $300 per dog to get everything done.

dear okie:

i'm trying to be honest and upfront here. these are perfect examples of how people under-estimate the cost of moving to and living in hawai’i. i wrote, in another post, that it cost us $1200 to bring our one dog here, to get everything done. you didn't seem to agree with those numbers. you replied that your vet only charges $300 per dog. let me explain...

$ 0 2004. i gave my dog 2-3 rabies vacines when she was young, so i already paid that cost.

$ 0 2006. my dog got a microchip when she was young, so i already paid that cost.

$ 35 nov 2008. my husband got a job offer to work on maui. i went to south shore vet care and had a consultation with karen. she explained “how to” get the dog here.

$ 200 dec 2008. i took our dog to the vet, got blood drawn, sent it to kansas state, probably something else, can't remember.

jan 2009. we moved from mainland to maui, left the dog with a friend back home.

april 2009. i flew to the mainland, alone, to bring back the dog, and get some other things done.

$ 100 dog crate. you may find something on craigslist for $60. i bought one new, $100 from petco / petsmart, designed for air travel. i was not gonna buy a crate on craigslist, get to the airport, have the airline tell me it wasn't approved for travel, and then spend $500 to re-book my flight & my dog's flight. i paid $100 to make sure it would be done right the first time. my dog weighs 45 lbs. i didn't want to buy a small crate for the plane flight, that would be cruel. i spent $20 more at petco / petsmart and got a little bigger crate. we still have that crate today, in our bedroom. that’s where the dog sleeps at night.

$ 100 vet appointment. vet signed papers, saying that the dog was healthy. gave the dog anti-flea medicine (fipronil or something similar.)

$ 300 dog’s airplane ticket, mainland to oahu (honolulu).

$ 150 dog’s airplane ticket, oahu to maui.

$ 150 extra cost of my plane ticket. i found a flight where the dogs could fly, and then booked myself on the same flight. i didn't get the best deal. i had to pay $150 more for my plane ticket.

$ 165 money paid to state of hawai’i quarantine office for direct airport release.

$ 20 and let’s not forget… tip for porter at the airport. he helped me with bags, luggage, dog kennel, on day of flying. it’s only $20, but all the costs add up.

what i’m trying to say is… there’s a huge difference between how people think, and how then estimate cost of living, before and after they move here. bringing a dog is just one example.

okie, you wrote in another post that you wanted to hear something positive about living here. i wrote that it only cost us $1200 to bring the dog here. it could have cost $2000. i wasn’t trying to make fun of you. i was serious.

what if i had not put in a microchip when she was young? that surgery alone would have been $400. what if i had made a mistake and not had all my paperwork done right? on the day i arrived, there was a lady in line, at honolulu, a the government quarantine office, who just brought her cat here. the lady didn’t have one piece of paper done correctly. they kept her cat in quarantine. she had to pay $500 to the state to hold the dog in their kennels for 2 more months. she lived on the big island, so she also had to pay $ 150 for her plane flight 2 months later + $$ for the cat's plane flight, 2 months later. all because she forgot one piece of paper.

so yes, i am glad that it only cost us $1200. it could have been more.

people on the mainland just don’t get it. vacation to hawai’i is paradise. living here is expensive as h***.

Lisa From Maui · Jan 5, 2010

Correction: I gave my dog a microchip 7-8 years ago. I'm pretty sure I did it at the same time she had surgery, or teeth cleaned or something. So, in my mind, I connected the two. Microchip = must anesthetize the dog = at least $ 400.

Someone told me the cost of the microchip is closer to $50-$100. It's just like giving the dog a shot. So, let me correct what I wrote. The cost of the microchip changed. All else remains the same.