Question: Is the dog licensing bureau late in sending out renewals this year? Our dogs’ licenses expired on Dec. 31, and we have yet to get renewal forms in the mail.

Answer: They’re not "late," just sent later.

The previous policy of sending out dog license renewals in December was changed last month, based on the public’s recommendation, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division.

"The public felt that they may have misplaced or not received the mailed renewal form since the renewal notice delivery (previously) was made just prior to the busy Christmas season," he said.

Kamimura pointed out that although dog registrations are issued for two years and expire on Dec. 31, renewals don’t need to be paid until March 11. For licenses that expired last month, renewal notices were mailed Monday.

Section 7-3.1 of the Revised Ordinances of Hono-lulu requires dogs to be licensed and charged biennial fees, as follows: $9.50 (plus 50 cents for a metal tag) for dogs 4 to 7 months old and neutered dogs 8 months and older with a veterinary certificate; and $28 (plus 50 cents for the tag) for un-neutered dogs 8 months and older.

For more information, go to www.hawaiianhumane.org/Pet-Identification.html.

Question: I just moved and have been inundated with mail and catalogs from everywhere. I never had this at my old residence. How can I end this unwanted barrage beyond getting listed on a national do-not-mail list? I read online that one way our addresses are sold is when you put in a permanent change of address card with the Postal Service. It’s recommended you only put in a "temporary" change of address. Could you verify this? I have "opted out" with credit card companies and registered with directmail.com.

Answer: We also saw a posting on the Privacy Clearinghouse website that said the Postal Service "provides the addresses from its Change of Address cards to mailers who have your old name and address. This often includes the major marketing and financial companies. The Postal Service’s goal is to have less misaddressed mail. This is one way unsolicited mail is able to follow you to your new address."

Not true, says the USPS.

"The Postal Service does NOT sell or pass on new or existing addresses to marketers," spokesman Duke Gonzales said. "Our best guess," he said, is that the previous tenant was on "a lot of mailing lists."

Anyone submitting a "Change of Address" form is offered a "Mover’s Guide" packet containing coupons from local businesses, he said. "But, those businesses do not have access to customer information," Gonzalez said.

Check the address label on the junk mail you’ve received. Gonzales said many mailings are addressed to "Or Current Resident."

"This type of mail is delivered to the address and not to the specific person," he said. "Since this type of mail is not forwardable, it will continue to be sent to that address until the new resident requests that the mailings cease."

Gonzales said removing or changing a Change of Address form will have no effect on unwanted mailings.

You have taken the recommended steps to reduce junk mail. You can also register with the Direct Marketing Association’s mail preference service, www.dmachoice.org.

"The other time-consuming, but effective, option is to contact the mailer of each individual catalog," Gonzales said.

MAHALO

To the man wearing an orange aloha shirt who brought my purse to me in the parking lot after I rushed out of the Kailua McDonald’s. I was having a sundae with my mom and realized suddenly that we had to leave, forgetting my purse. — Grateful Citizen

Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.