Moving pets to Hawaii is not for the faint of heart. It was actually one of the most stressful times of our lives, but we also had THREE pets to move, so that tripled the “what if” questions. What if one doesn’t pass a blood test? What if they get restless on the six hour flight? What if I need to find a temporary place for one of them to stay back while we sort things out from afar?

Since our pets were small we were able to keep them in a soft pet carrier under the seat in front of us. Otherwise they must fly below the plane. If you have three pets like we did, you are required to purchase an extra plane ticket for the extra seat. You might want to do this just for the space and reduced stress of having another passenger next to you who may or may not appreciate your pet.

One of our dogs was a pug, and he liked to stretch out. So we got the expandable pet carrier for him to be comfortable right up until the plane, and intermittently when we had him on our laps. Our pets were well behaved and older, so they weren’t very stressed for the six hour flight. We also allowed them to get comfortable with their soft carriers well in advance of the move.

We didn’t have to use any drugs for the pets, although we did apply the highest quality lavender essential oil to us and them MANY times throughout the flight. In the end, the only people who knew we had pets were the ones who actually saw them. If this doesn’t sound like your kiddos, check with your vet for recommendations.

Thankfully everything was a complete success! With a little tenacity and careful planning (a minimum of 60 days in advance), anyone can do it. We didn’t have to quarantine. We landed, went straight to an office with our prearranged vet, she checked all the paperwork and we were on our way!

When it comes to reviewing the lengthy instructions on the states website, we recommend re-reading all of the steps multiple times. It’s a lot to take in and coordinate. Missing a step or timeline could be the difference between a successful move or having to quarantine your pets.

Moving to Hawaii? Contact Seth and Lee today! We would love to help with your real estate search, and of course want to meet your pets! ❤️

For more information on moving your pet to Hawaii, this first link is the main Hawaii resource.

Next is the direct link to the checklist for Hawaii Island (Big Island). If you’re connecting in Oahu, find that checklist at the first link.

This is the vet we used in Kona. We were really happy with them throughout the entire process.

Here’s another couple companies who may be able to help: https://www.konapets.travel/ and https://islandpetmovers.com/estimates/.

While we have been through this process, only a vet or specialized pet moving company is an expert. So use this information as a starting point.