$2,500 reward still stands in case of fatal dog shooting

Question: Whatever happened to the case involving a 2-year-old white Maltese that was found shot and left for dead in Maunawili nearly two months ago?

Answer: No one has yet come forward regarding the case, so the Hawaiian Humane Society is still seeking the public’s help with information and offering a $2,500 reward, said Tasha Tanimoto, society spokeswoman.

In the early morning hours of May 23, former state Sen. Fred Hemmings heard gunshots followed by sounds of a crying dog outside his house.

He rushed out to find the female Maltese, covered in blood, with shots to her neck and hind area.

Hemmings said he ran back to his house, grabbed a piece of plywood along with a few towels and tried to construct "something like a stretcher" to keep the dog comfortable until police arrived.

"The areas where she was shot, really made it difficult to try and move her a lot," Hemmings said.

"It was hard to see an animal in pain like that but there really was nothing more I could’ve done than try to place her on the board and wait for the police," he said.

When police arrived, Hemmings said, they quickly got ahold of the dog and rushed her to the VCA Kaneohe Animal Hospital.

Later that day, the dog died due to complications from her wounds.

"It was obvious that whoever shot the dog intended for it to die and to this day that’s what infuriates me about the whole thing," Hemmings said.

Since the incident, he said nothing of note has occurred in the area surrounding his home.

"We get the usual wanderers and kids who park and party on the road but nothing extreme like the shooting," Hemmings said.

(Hemmings is a candidate in the 25th Senate District in this year’s elections.)

The Hawaiian Humane Society’s Animal Services Directory says the society responds to more than 17,000 calls every year regarding animal cruelty. The Hawaii Humane Society is the only organization authorized by the city to rescue animals and investigate cruelty.

The most recent case the humane society is investigating involves nearly a dozen birds, believed to be used for cockfighting, that were found dead and stuffed in trash bags alongside Paakea Road in Waianae, according to the HHS website.

An anonymous tip came through leading humane society officials to the birds, the website said. No arrests have been made yet.

The maximum penalty for someone found guilty of animal cruelty is five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Anyone with information on any animal cruelty case is asked to call the humane society’s 24-hour hotline at 356-2250.

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This update was written by ‘Alohi Bikle. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To…” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.