A special program allows dogs and cats adopted from Kauai Humane Society to be sent to forever homes on the neighbor islands or mainland, according to a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • The Kauai Humane Society is able to transport 80 pets to the neighbor islands or the West Coast for $300

  • The cost to transport a Kauai pet past the West Coast, but within the U.S., is $500

  • The Kauai Humane Society’s mainland transfer program was started last year, and 201 animals were successfully transported

  • Transporting the animals off-island helps the Kauai Humane Society prevent overcrowding

With a donation from the DeSantis family, the Kauai Humane Society is able to transport 80 pets to the neighbor islands or the West Coast for $300. The cost to transport a Kauai pet past the West Coast, but within the U.S., is $500. Usually these transports cost more than $600.

For those who are interested in the program, one dog or two cats may be adopted for the price.

The price includes leash, collar, travel crate, vaccines, health certificate, boarding, transport to the airport, flight and food. 

The Kauai Humane Society’s mainland transfer program was started last year, and 201 animals were successfully transported. Another 401 animals were transferred to the neighbor islands.  

Transporting the animals off-island helps the Kauai Humane Society make room in their shelter for other animals and prevent overcrowding.  

“Our small island just doesn’t have enough homes to accommodate all the pets. We are working hard on offering free and low-cost spay and neuter clinics, as a long-term solution to this. But the reality of the short-term is that we are facing high populations of pets coming into the shelter and decreased adoptions. Housing is limited on Kauai and pet-friendly housing is extremely limited making it even more challenging to find homes for the thousands of animals we intake every year,” the Kauai Humane Society says on its website. 

The Kauai Humane Society is a no-kill animal shelter. Last year, 1,406 animals were adopted from the Kauai Humane Society, 425 animals were returned to their families and 1,205 animals went into foster care. 

For those interested in participating in the transfer program, view adoptable dogs here and cats here. Click “Apply for Adoption” under the animal’s photo or email customerservice@kauaihumane.org. Kauai Humane Society staff will follow up with the next steps, which will include meeting the animal in-person or virtually. 

Donations to Kauai Humane Society can be made here.  

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her ideas and feedback at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

Related Stories