Listen up, dog and cat owners: Be sure to register and microchip your pet, and don’t let them wander off for too long. An expected new Oahu law, effective July 1, will require all registered cats and dogs to be microchipped. And if the lost pet ends up at the Hawaiian Humane Society, the owner will have up to five days, not the current nine, to retrieve the animal.

Shortening that holding time was opposed, unsuccessfully, at a Wednesday hearing. But the Humane Society says the shorter period, with the mandatory microchipping, will improve operations overall for quicker retrieval, or quicker adoption of unclaimed animals.

Future of Pali Lanes in flux

Is the Pali Lanes bowling alley doomed?

The days could be numbered for the aged Kailua landmark, which has entertained generations of Windward residents. Compared to the shiny new establishments in the center of town, Pali Lanes looks worn down. But many locals still love the place, a reminder of an older, quieter Kailua they remember fondly. Chris Benjamin, president and CEO of landowner Alexander & Baldwin, said he hopes Pali Lanes can be saved. “But at some point there’s got to be a viable operation,” he said.

Ay, there’s the rub.