The Hawaii Police Department has responded to about 20 animal control calls a day since taking over the county’s animal control services in July.
Hawaii County’s animal control contract with Hawaii Rainbow Rangers ended on June 30. Since then, according to an HPD news release, the department has contracted an animal control director and animal control officers and HPD assumed responsibility over animal control services and currently manages two animal shelter facilities on the island — one in east Hawaii and the other in west Hawaii.
These shelters hold animals under their care for a minimum period of 48 hours before being transported to one of the several animal welfare nonprofits around the island, where they can be fostered or adopted.
HPD categorizes animal control calls as Priority One, Two or Three. Priority One calls involve injured animals, public safety risks, animal cruelty and situations in which an animal’s owner has been arrested or died with no family to pick up the animal. HPD requests that these calls be made to police dispatch at (808) 935-3311.
Priority Two calls, which pertain to lost or found pets and non-emergency issues, should be directed toward animal control staff at (808) 327-3558. Currently, there is a temporary moratorium on animal intake, but those who have found a lost pet are encouraged to have the animal scanned for a microchip by a veterinarian or post about it on lost.petcolove.org, a national database of lost pets.
Priority Three calls pertain to deceased animals on the roadway, and should be directed toward the County Department of Public Works at (808) 961-8349 or the State Department of Transportation at (808) 933-8866, depending on whether the road is a county or state road.
Dog licensing is now being managed by the County Finance Department’s Vehicle Registration and Licensing Division. Dog owners will be able to download a license application from the county website beginning Sept. 8. License fees have not changed, and remain $2.10 for sterilized dogs and $6.10 for unsterilized.