Hawaii shortens pet quarantineSome pets flying to...

Hawaii shortens pet quarantine

Some pets flying to Hawaii will be able to get out of quarantine in five days or less instead of 30 days or more under a rule that takes effect Monday. But don’t pack Bowser’s or Fluffy’s bags just yet.

To qualify for the five-day option, pets must carry an implanted microchip for identification and undergo two rabies vaccinations and a blood serum test for rabies.

Owners must submit paperwork at least 10 days before their pet’s arrival and pay $165 to $224.

Pets that don’t meet the requirements are subject to the regular 30- or 120-day quarantines, costing, as before, $655 and up. Owners had complained that the old system was emotionally and financially taxing. For details, visit the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Web site, www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa.

Late last year, Britain loosened quarantine rules for dogs and cats arriving from the United States and Canada, and in May, Virgin Atlantic became the first airline to participate in the new program, called the Pet Travel Scheme, or PETS.

It requires that animals carry implanted microchips and undergo vaccinations and blood testing.

For details, visit the Web site of Britain’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, www.defra.gov.uk/nimalh. (Click on “The Pet Travel Scheme.”)

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WHO removes

Beijing from

SARS list

Travelers no longer need to avoid Beijing as a result of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, according to the World Health Organization, because “the situation ... has now improved significantly.”

Beijing was the last area on WHO’s “avoid” list for SARS.

As of Tuesday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was still

recommending that trav-

elers avoid Beijing and Taiwan.

On Tuesday, China plans to reopen Tibet to tourists after closing it for more than two months to keep SARS from spreading there, the official People’s Daily newspaper reported last week, according to wire services.

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Degas bronzes

on display in

San Diego

More than 70 bronze sculptures by French Impressionist master Edgar Degas (1834-1917) were to have gone on display this weekend at the San Diego Museum of Art. The exhibit runs through Sept. 28, then moves to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco to open Oct. 18 for a run through Feb. 8.

The show presents

one of four complete sets of the artist’s bronzes that are known to exist, with subjects such as bathers, horses and dancers that he also used in paintings.

A highlight is “Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen” (1881), the only sculpture that Degas put on exhibit in his lifetime.

The San Diego museum is open daily; hours vary. Adult admission is $8. (619) 232-7931, www.sdmart.org.

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Traveler’s note

Continental Airlines plans to offer in-flight two-way e-mail to passengers starting in mid-July on its 757 fleet and by fall on its 737 planes.

The basic fee will be $15.98, a spokeswoman said. United Airlines began a similar

service this month on its 767 fleet.

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DEAL OF THE WEEK

Three nights for

the price of two

Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts is offering three-night stays for the price of two at its nine hotels in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

The deal is good for stays through Sept. 15, subject to room availability, and the three nights must be consecutive.

At the Park Plaza Vancouver Airport in Canada, for instance, you can stay three nights for a total of about $174 per room.

Three-night totals at the Park Plaza Normandie San Juan in Puerto Rico start at $250.

For information: (888) 201-1803, www.parkplaza.com. (Click on “One, Two, Three Free.”)

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FREE FOR THE ASKING

Black Americans

in Baltimore

The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Assn. has produced a useful 32-page guide to African American landmarks, history, attractions, shops and tours in and near the Maryland city.

Order “Discover Baltimore: A Guide to African American Attractions” by calling (800) 343-3468 or visiting www.baltimore.org. (The Web site posts similar information.)

-- Compiled by

Jane Engle