Hawaii Punishes Pet Owners

I love animals. I love my dog. I love that other people are as into pets as I am. They are loyal companions and excellent roommates that never bitch at you for forgetting to buy toilet paper or coming home late. They will patiently cross their legs for ten hours when you have to work a crazy double shift, and they are always happy to see you.

I relocated to Hawaii to be a volunteer for an accredited governmental program assisting the war on poverty. I make less than minimum wage and qualify for food stamps. I am rewarded for my service to America and my relocation to another state with incredulous amounts of paperwork and a 4 month waiting period in order to bring my dog along, with bucketloads of stress to find affordable housing in my meager price range that allows him. Affordable housing is hard enough. Figure in a 50 lb dog and a poverty level budget, and you have yourself a challenge. Getting him here is yet another.

Hawaii animal control says that this system is in place to keep Hawaii a "rabies-free island," which I do not refute. I have no problem with their need to keep rabies off the island. What I DO have a problem with is making someone like myself, who has ALWAYS kept my dog's vaccinations up-to-date, go through as many hoops as a zoo animal trafficker from Africa. They make it nearly impossible with confusing paperwork trails and deadlines, blood samples, restrictions and fees. My pet must be current on all vaccinations to fly, which certifies that my dog does not have, nor has ever been able to have, rabies. Since he has always been current, he is vaccinated against contracting rabies. Why must I have bloodwork done, then, which takes 4 months to process, and costs hundreds of dollars? It makes no sense. Add that to the administrative processing fees, vet fees for completing paperwork and flight costs, and I'm looking at over a thousand dollars to bring my dog over. I'm doing it because he's worth it to me... but come on. Is all of this really necessary, or is the state making some serious money off of my compromised situation? I see it as an unfair tax on compassionate pet owners who don't want to give up their pets just because they're relocating. Instead, they should be thanking me for keeping him out of the pound and attributing to the homeless animal crisis.

Hawaii is not unlike any other state when it comes to its population regarding animals as "disposable." A gifted puppy for xmas turns into #1024 at the pound by summer, and thousands of "pets" are euthanized yearly. One main difference that I am enormously aware of with Hawaii, however, is an intolerance for pets in rental properties. This problem for pet owners is not unique nationwide, but in Hawaii, where most rental properties are owned by investors (most who don't even LIVE on the island), pets are not allowed. Period. If there is a rare exception, the pet must be under 25 lbs, which limits rentals to owners of chihuahuas, other small breeds, and cats. Why landlord investors think a chihuahua or a cat is less of a threat to their investment than a golden retriever, I cannot possibly understand. They can wreak just as much havoc, bite just as many people, bark just as much... or be just as innocent. It has a lot more to do with the owner and how they manage their pet (this runs parallel to discrimination that bully breeds and other working-class dogs face. I won't even go into Breed Specific Legislation and blatent discrimination against how a dog looks). Not allowing pets is open discrimination against pet owners.

Medium to large dog owners like myself are constantly threatened by the ending of a lease. Not having a pet-friendly rental lined up within a month (you just can't find one sooner) could mean that I must either smuggle my dog onto the premises and risk eviction, rehome him (if I'm lucky) or give him up to a local shelter. Many distraught pet owners must face the sad reality of discarding their beloved pet like trash in order to avoid being homeless, dumping Fido at the shelter. Some take the chance of having their pet find a new owner by setting them "free" into a park in hopes someone that can will take them home. It's absolutely horrifying to think about having to give up my dog. I don't even want to consider it as an option.

Thanks, Hawaii, for making pet ownership hell.