Hawaii ranks among the nation’s worst states to have pets

Hawaii isn’t a pet-friendly state, according to a new national ranking.

The report by Safewise, a Utah company that researches home security and safety, ranked Hawaii as the 44th friendliest — or seventh worst — state in the country to have pets based on factors including animal protection laws and the number of no-kill shelters and veterinarians in the state.

For many dog owners, the key is whether their pets are welcomed in parks and other places.

Some of Oahu’s most popular beaches prohibit pets entirely. They include Ala Moana Beach, the Ko Olina lagoons and large portions of Waikiki. Kailua is a notable beach that allows leashed dogs.

Although pets are generally not allowed in food-serving establishments, there are more than 130 dog-friendly restaurants in Honolulu, according to BringFido. Still, that number pales in comparison with the 350 pet-friendly restaurants found in Portland, Ore., according to Safewise.

A bill introduced at the Legislature this year would’ve given restaurant owners the ability to allow dogs in restaurants, but it died early in the session.

In 2018 Hawaii was ranked as a “bottom-tier” state in terms of animal protection laws, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. It docked Hawaii for a lack of state laws making sexual assault on an animal illegal, light penalties for animal neglect or abandonment, limited protections against animal fighting and the absence of a requirement for veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty.

A bill to make bestiality illegal in Hawaii, House Bill 24, was introduced during this year’s legislative session but died before ever being heard. Dog fighting is a felony, but animal neglect and abandonment and animal fighting involving other animals are only misdemeanors in Hawaii.

“I do think we lag behind in a lot of respects,” said Stephanie Kendrick, public policy advocate for the Hawaiian Humane Society. “One of the most important ways in which I think we lag behind is the regulation of businesses and nonprofits that handle animals.”

Kendrick said regulations for pet stores, boarding facilities and breeders that ensure the humane treatment of animals do not exist in Hawaii as they do in other states.

“The only mechanisms are reactive,” she said. “We have a pretty good animal cruelty statute, but there’s no mechanism to help the animals until cruelty has already taken place.”

There are not many veterinarians in the state, either — only 230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hawaii ranks sixth lowest among states in veterinarians per 1,000 jobs.

Oregon was ranked by Safewise as the most pet-friendly state in the country. It classifies sexual assault against an animal as a sex offense, requires veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse, has more thorough laws regarding animal cruelty and outlawed leaving pets in cars.

Oregon allows dogs at almost any time and at nearly all its beaches along its 360-mile shoreline.

Kendrick said Hawaii is in need of more pet-friendly parks and beaches as well as pet-friendly housing. She also said the Hawaiian Humane Society expends much effort educating the public about animal care and welfare.

“How we treat the most vulnerable in our society is a reflection of who we are,” she said. “If we want to be the kind of community that treats its most vulnerable well and with compassion, then that should include our animals.”