January 1 will mark six months of hands-on handling by the Hawaii Police Department of animal control services on the Big Island – the same date a new law comes into effect requiring dog and cat owners to chip their teeth. animals.
The county assumed responsibility for animal control services on July 1, at the start of the current fiscal year, after terminating a contract with Hawaii Rainbow Rangers for animal control.
HRR’s tenure after nearly a year came to an end amid a litany of concerns including alleged mismanagement of county funds, a delay of several months before transitioning to full services, non-compliant facilities unfinished standards and reports – including a financial report and staff retention issues.
Police have taken over day-to-day animal control operations in a pilot program that is expected to last at least two years.
“The mayor’s office is the driving force behind it,” said Police Major Aimee Wana of the Administrative Services Division, when asked what the goal of the program was. “Really, what is the cost of operations? You know, we’ve been under contract with the Humane Society for a very long time. And I think the county needs to know what the real cost is and what the barriers are. “
“We passed it on, without success, to an entrepreneur,” she continued, referring to HRR. “And there were a lot of hiccups in this process.”
At the end of the pilot program, the county will decide whether to keep animal control services or to contract the services again.
Either way, animal control continues. On Saturday Christmas Day, animal control officers were hard at work responding to a 5 a.m. call from an injured dog in lower Puna. The extremely emaciated dog, about a year and a half old, had been left tied to a metal pole in the rain.
Officers immediately took the dog to the county shelter and provided treatment for it. Staff conducted a telemedicine consultation with a veterinarian and the male dog, whom Animal Control nicknamed Rudy, underwent fluid therapy, antibiotics, and treatment for intestinal parasites. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call (808) 935-3311.
Services offered and who to call
Calls received regarding animal control services continue to be prioritized one, two or three. Animal control staff continue to respond to Priority 1 calls 24 hours a day across the island. Since July 1, animal control staff have responded to 30 to 50 calls per day. On average, 20 of these calls require an immediate response.
Priority 1 appeals include those for injured animals, any animal posing a risk to public safety, cruelty to animals, and situations in which an animal owner has been arrested or died without a family to retrieve the animal. animal. Police are asking the public to call the Police Dispatch at (808) 935-3311 for priority one, or emergency assistance requests.
For priority two calls, those regarding lost or found pets and non-emergency issues, the public should call animal control staff at (808) 327-3558 or email [email protected] When leaving a message, please leave your name clearly and repeat your contact details so that the staff can contact you quickly. Staff answer and return calls during regular business hours.
“We’re just trying to improve the process and make sure we can serve the public in a proper way,” Wana said.
The county rents a kennel in eastern Hawaii and has a kennel in western Hawaii. The total capacity of the shelters is 135 animals, police said.
The county began transferring animals to partner agencies in August and says it has transferred 318 animals since then. Since July, they have returned 183 animals to their owners and have euthanized 171 animals. Police report average monthly animal control statistics as follows: 58% of animals transferred to partner agencies; 26% returned to owners; and 16% euthanized.
“We move animals every week and sometimes every day, where partners come in and make commitments,” Wana said. “Sometimes we have to euthanize the animals after the 48 hours. If there are serious medical issues, it is more humane to belittle them, in that regard – not because of space, but because of their health or physical condition. “
Plans are underway to make major upgrades to the Kona shelter, which is in need of repairs. Additionally, the county is exploring options to purchase a permanent shelter in eastern Hawaii in addition to the currently leased facility.
Lost and Found Healthy Pets
People who find a healthy stray animal or lose a pet are encouraged to post it as lost or found at https://lost.petcolove.org/. Petco Love Lost is a searchable national database that uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding lost pets faster and easier. This easy-to-use tool will be readily available to participating animal organizations nationwide, as well as any parent of a pet or anyone who finds a lost pet. Uploaded photos of a missing dog or cat are immediately scanned to determine if the lost animal is at a participating shelter or with a neighbor in the community. Technology scans photos at shelters every two hours to reunite lost animals and their owners as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Animal control is recruiting
“Right now we have five animal control officers in eastern Hawaii and two in western Hawaii. We are looking for 15 in total, ”said Wana. “We are looking for kennel technicians, as well as animal control officers on the east and west sides. The kennel technicians are the ones who feed, clean and care for the animals once we bring them to the door. It’s an integral part of animal control in any rescue organization, ”said Wana.
Recruitment for these contract positions will be done through the county website under Job Postings. In the meantime, those interested in applying for positions can submit a resume to [email protected]
Sterilization / sterilization services
Recognizing that pet overpopulation is a problem on the island of Hawaii, County Animal Control Services ensure that animals transferred to our partner agencies are spayed and neutered before they are available for a foster family or adoption.
“I would encourage pet owners to sterilize and sterilize their animals, as well as chip them,” Wana said. “You know, the microchip law goes into effect the first of the year.”
Email John Burnett at [email protected]