[Dailydrool] Our situation here in Hawaii

[Val Brewer]

Sorry I haven't responded sooner--my computer has been down.

Basset hounds in Hawaii: It is true that there are few basset hounds in Hawaii, but it is not true that there are none. Some years ago there were two breeders on the island of Oahu--one in Kailua, one on the North Shore, but both have moved to the mainland USA and now there are no breeders in the state that I am aware of. Most of the basset hounds currently in Hawaii are from either these two breeders, bassets who have moved here with their owners from off-island, or members of "the Hawaii-6"--the litter born in naval housing that was passed from owner to owner until finally ending up in rescue homes. My two are both from the Hawaii-6 litter. There have been no bassets shown at dogshows here for a few years, since the breeders left, I am told.

Hawaiian droolers: There are a handful of basset owner/ droolers in Hawaii. On Oahu there are Kim Slagel and Jessica Shiepko (who am I forgetting?) On the Big Island there is myself.

Basset Rescue in Hawaii. There is no Basset Rescue in Hawaii. I do the closest thing, which is far short of a rescue but is something. I keep an internet e-mail network. I have a list of people who want bassets (about a dozen) and whenever I learn of a basset needing rehoming (through the grapevine, shelters, Craigslist, newspaper, or Kijiji, all of which I monitor), I send out a "basset alert" to all potential adopters who contact the source and are screened by the source. In the past three years I have helped connect about five bassets needing new homes with people offering new homes. A few months ago we found a wonderful new home for a nearly toothless, lovely 9 year old gentleman who had fallen on hard times. I have several folks willing also to foster (Jessica, Marshall Browne). By all means, if anyone contacts you from Hawaii looking for a basset and they aren't already on the basset alert list, give them my e-mail address.

Basset puppies in the future in Hawaii. I know of two people (one on Oahu and one on the Big Island) who have been trying to breed their female bassets (responsibly, genetic testing, etc.) but no luck so far. I will hear of these litters if they come to pass.

Hawaiian quarantine regulations: The quarantine regulations are strict, though not as awful as they were a few years ago. Detailed information is available in a brochure from the state which can be googled under the search title "Hawaiian quarantine requirements". But, briefly, here's a summary. A dog coming to Hawaii (which is rabies-free) must have had two rabies vaccinations in its life, one no less than a month before coming, and rabies titer levels must be drawn at a vet's and sent to a specific lab and be above a certain level.  The prep time is 120 days, which must be passed either on the mainland before coming (or in the quarantine station for whatever of the period has not passed). The arriving dog must have a health certificate faxed here by a vet who examines the dog very shortly before flying here--details in the brochure. A number of conditions and vaccines must be met. The dog must fly in an airline-approved crate with a cargo reservation.
 The costs of all this, I presume, would be paid by the adoptive family, though the four months of preparation, vaccines, blood tests, and vet visits would fall to the mainland shipper. The costs are all in the brochure. Lots of people do bring dogs here, but it takes a lot of prep. If the prep is done in advance, the dog can be released to its owner at the airport. If not, the dog has to stay the 4 months at the quarantine station while all this workup is done. We brought a cat with us when we moved here and went through all this. Jessica more recently (2 years ago?) brought a basset. 

SO--in summary.Yes, I think it would be great if mainland rescues would consider Hawaiian homes, though it would mean a 4 month foster commitment to preparation, and a cost commitment to adopters, but it's possible for sure. Any homes that didn't work out, the dog could come back to me here in Hawaii and I could find a new home for it I am sure. 

The question of purebred dogs in Hawaii: Yes, there are lots of purebred dogs in Hawaii. Many of them have moved here with their owners or have been purchased from "Pet's Central" (a big petstore chain that brings in puppies from New Zealand and Australia which are also "rabies-free" and so do not need to go through the quarantine at all).  Purebred puppies are either locally bred (we have a gazillion pitbull breeders here, also Rottweilers, and chihuahuas!), or imported from NZ or Australia (by the time the rabies requirements are met, puppies from the mainland aren't puppies anymore). One of the folks on my basset alert list plans to bring in a puppy from a breeder in NZ and the cost of puppy plus shipping will be about $1600. Puppies are expensive here. But, although there are purebred dogs here, most dogs here are not purebred and most are pitbull mixes (which are banned in military housing, by the way). The pounds are full, but almost all the
 dogs in the pound are pit mixes.

So that's the scoop. Sorry the e-mail is long. Write me off-list for any additional info. Aloha, Val, Bo, and Harley of Hawaii 


      
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