I.      INTRODUCTION

Moving to a remote location such as American Samoa (AS) involves careful planning and preparation, and it can be a very stressful experience for many people.  When the move also involves relocating pets, additional preparation is required.  This guide serves as an introduction to process you might expect if you want to bring your pet to AS.  It also covers the process for exporting your pet once you decide to move back to the mainland U.S. 

II.      SHOULD YOU BRING YOUR CAT OR DOG TO A.S.?

1. The first thing to be aware of is that the American Samoa Government only allows importation of dogs and cats.  All other pets (birds, reptiles, rodents, etc.) are strictly prohibited and will be destroyed if they reach American Samoan shores.

2. The second question you should ask yourself is whether your dog or cat is fit enough to travel to AS.  Air travel for puppies and kittens, older dogs and cats, and some dog breeds such as pug-nosed dogs (e.g. Boxers, Pitbulls, etc.) can be hazardous to the animal.  In addition, once your dog or cat arrives in AS, its life here can be challenging due to the lack of veterinarian facilities equipped to treat most pet problems.  Pet medicines and vaccines can be difficult to obtain, and treatment for many common illnesses is unavailable.  The government does have a veterinarian, but his time available to treat pets is limited.

3. There are many stray dogs in AS (and few fenced in front or back yards), and inevitably if you take your dog on walks you will encounter “dog packs”.  Though most encounters end peacefully, there is always a risk of your dog being injured in a fight.  Many Samoan dogs are also affected by various aliments; mange (a subcutaneous mite) is widespread and highly contagious.  Treatment is possible, but it is usually a lengthy process.  Additionally leptospirosis, which is a rare but serious bacterial infection, is transmitted to mammals by coming into contact with urine of infected mammals.  Pets on the island also risk coming in contact with island dogs that have a sexually transmitted venereal disease.  Longhaired dogs can suffer from the year round high temperatures.  Dog and cat poisoning is also a high risk.

4. American Samoa is a rabies-free territory.  What this mean is rabies has not been imported to these islands and therefore there are strict quarantine requirements to ensure that rabies does not come to AS.  Many of the south pacific islands (including American Samoa) have large populations of stray dogs and cats and a rabies epidemic would be devastating. Even if your dog or cat has had all its rabies vaccinations it must still go through the quarantine process outlined below.

In short, if you are planning to bring your dog or cat to AS, be prepared to keep them inside the house most of the day, and walk your dog on a leash in a few selected areas.  Also, make sure you bring a selection of dog or cat supplies (such as Frontline, Heartguard) and preventive medications.  Talk to your veterinarian about registering online with a pet pharmacy if your dog or cat required prescription medications.

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III.      AIR TRAVEL FOR YOUR DOG OR CAT

Timing is extremely important when traveling with animals.  Depending on you point of departure and arrival, many airlines have a pet embargo for traveling during summer months (usually from April 15 to October 15).  Some airlines simply refuse to fly animals, while other may take dogs or cats as “cargo”, charging much higher rates. 

Currently, the only airline servicing AS from the US mainland and Hawaii is Hawaiian Airlines, with direct evening flights from Honolulu, HI to Pago Pago, AS.  Flights are only 2-3 times a week, depending on the season.  Hawaiian Airlines has fewer restrictions than other carriers, and they will usually fly your dog or cat as “checked baggage” as long as the temperature does not exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  The best advice in booking your travel to get you to Hawaii is to call several airlines and check their requirements as early as possible.  You may also want to call the same airline multiple times, as some customer service representatives are more informative than others.  Whenever possible, book direct morning or evening flights.  If you live on the east coast and you have to travel during the summer months, you may want to consider driving part of the way (when we moved from Florida to AS in June we drove cross-country with our dogs to San Francisco so that our dogs would only have to take one direct flight to Honolulu.  It was cheaper, since each dog would have cost around $500 to fly as cargo from FL to CA, and it was certainly less stressful for our dogs).  Once you have selected the airline(s) you will be using for your travel, make sure you carefully follow their kennel requirements.  People that arrived at the check-in counter with their pet(s) in unauthorized kennels will be turned down and their pet(s) will not be allowed to board the plane.

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IV.      QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS

AS is a rabies-free territory.  If you come from any of the mainland states, your dog or cat will be required to complete a 30 or 120-day* confinement period at the Animal Quarantine Station in Hawaii as there are no quarantine facilities in AS.  To qualify for the 30-day quarantine period, your dog or cat must meet many specific pre and post arrival requirements, and planning should commence at least 6 months before departure. 

You can download a complete “Rabies Quarantine Station Information Brochure” (RQSIB) from the following website: http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/ai_aqs/.  Alternatively, you can call or write the Animal Quarantine Station in Hawaii (see “Contacts” section) and request a copy of the brochure and ask that documents be mailed to you.  Make sure you read the requirements several times, and call the quarantine station to confirm your understanding of the requirements to avoid the 120-day quarantine (an individual I met at the quarantine station misread the rabies vaccine requirement, and was forced to place their dogs under 120-day quarantine upon arrival).

When your dog or cat lands at the Honolulu airport, airline personnel will transport it to the Airport Animal Holding Facility, from which it is taken to the Hawaii State Quarantine Station by State personnel.  You do not have to be present when your dog or cat arrives, however, you will have to make certain prior arrangements, such as registering with a state-approved private veterinary  facility (a list is provided in the RQSIB package), and arranging payment of quarantine fees.  Dogs and cats are kept in kennels for the duration of their stay and are NOT released for exercise or regular walks.  There are various kennel sizes and your pet will be placed in an appropriate kennel based on its size.

Upon completion of State of Hawaii quarantine requirements, your dog or cat is released only to owners, co-owners, or properly designated representatives, such as intermediate handlers (obtain a list from the Hawaii Quarantine Station).  The intermediate handlers are experienced in transferring/transporting pets, and will handle all documentation (such as Health Certificate and AS Import Permit) required to ship your dog or cat to AS.  However, there are fees associated with this service.

Please keep in mind that this is only a brief outline of the process, so you should consult the Hawaii Quarantine Station Information Brochure for more details and up-to-date information. 

*Quarantine period in Hawaii many be reduced to only 5 days.  For pet owners that have sufficient time to have a rabies titer (the detection of anti-bodies through a laboratory test) drawn and then wait for three months in their home state before traveling, can do the 5 Days or Less/Direct Release Program in Hawaii. The pre-arrival requirements are similar to the 30 day quarantine, but planning should commence well in advance of departure.  Please consult the Hawaii Quarantine Station for more information.

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V.      BRINGING YOUR DOG OR CAT TO A.S. SOIL

To finally bring your dog or cat to AS from Hawaii, you must apply for an import permit from the AS Department of Agriculture (ASDOA).  If you are physically in Hawaii, you can begin this process during the last 10 days of your pet’s stay in at the Hawaii Quarantine Station.  You will also need a health certificate (obtainable at the quarantine station) dated within 10 days of your pet’s travel date to AS and then have it faxed to the ASDOA.  Upon receipt of the health certificate (and payment of $50 fee), the ASDOA will issue an import permit for your dog or cat.  This process only works if you (or a co-owner) are in Hawaii at least a week before the scheduled release/travel date of your pet, and you also have a trusted contact person in AS that can follow up on the import permit and who can fax it to you in Hawaii.  The import permit and health certificate must accompany the dog or cat on the flight from Honolulu to Pago Pago.  If you are not in Hawaii, you will need to hire an intermediate handler to obtain all the necessary documentation for you, as well as pick-up your dog or cat from the quarantine station and transfer it to the Honolulu airport for shipment to AS.  Once at the Pago Pago International Airport, you will be charged over-time fee for the inspection of your pet.  Flights only arrive at night from Hawaii and employees are not present past normal business hours and therefore the Department of Agriculture charges a fee for this.  They only take cash and local American Samoan checks.  Please check with the ASDOA for the current fees.

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VI.      WHILE YOU ARE RESIDING IN A.S.

Make sure you keep your dog or cat current on shots, flea and tick treatments, and heartguard treatment while in AS (see contact page for pet supplies while on island).  Keep a journal of shots (name, expiration dates, etc) and treatments that will come in handy when you decide to return to the mainland.  Consult the AS Humane Society or the ASDOA veterinary clinic on obtaining the required vaccines.

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VII.      DEPARTING FROM A.S. WITH YOUR DOG OR CAT

Bad news: If you move to Hawaii from AS, your dog or cat will have to be quarantined again since the State of Hawaii does not currently recognize AS as a rabies free territory.  Moreover, it may prove extremely difficult to qualify for 30-day quarantine due to the lack of well equipped veterinary facilities able to submit the OIE-FAVN test required for qualification.  The AS Humane Society and ASDOA are currently working to find a solution to this problem.

Good News: If you are moving to the mainland, the worst part is over!! Departing from AS with your dog or cat is extremely easy compared to what you had to go through to bring your pet here, provided you follow the same precautionary measures outlined in the sections above (e.g., prepare in advance, contact airlines, travel during cooler months etc).  To transport your dog or cat on Hawaiian Airlines from Pago Pago to Honolulu you will need a health certificate dated within 10 days of your pet’s travel date.  As usual, make sure you book your flights with plenty of notice and leave enough room for connecting flights from Honolulu to your final destination.  If your layover in Honolulu is less than 24 hours, your dog or cat will be transported by airline personnel to the Hawaii Human Society Animal Port for the duration of your layover.  If you are staying in Hawaii for more that 24 hours, your dog or cat will have to go to the Hawaii State Quarantine Facility until your departure date (more details in the “Rabies Quarantine Station Information Brochure”).

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VIII.      SUMMARY

The purpose of this brochure is to merely outline the process necessary for dog or cat travel to and from AS from Hawaii, and this document should not be used as the sole reference for pet travel.  Information in the brochure is subject to change as airlines and US policies change with regards to pets.  You are strongly advised to contact the airlines, the State of Hawaii Quarantine Facility, and the ASDOA for up-to-date requirements and procedures.  In addition, please keep in mind that there are hundreds of unwanted dogs and cats in AS seeking to be adopted by loving owners!

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