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COURTESY HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY
A screen shot from the Hawaiian Humane Society site shows stray pets.
Over the New Year’s holiday, the Hawaiian Humane Society picked up 56 stray animals, a 21.7% increase from the same time last year.
The admissions team checked in 56 pets from Dec. 31, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022, according to the Society. Strays include pets that were surrendered to the Society, as well as those found by community members that appeared to be lost.
While many pets do get lost over New Year’s Eve due to illegal fireworks, which frighten them and sometimes cause them to panic and escape a yard, spokeswoman Jessica Tronoski said there could be a multitude of reasons for the increase.
If a pet is lost, residents should immediately call the Society’s Pet Lost & Found line at at 356-2228 and file an online “lost animal report.” Animals without identification such as a license, tag or microchip are held for 48 hours before being evaluated for adoption.
Anyone who finds a stray or lost pet can bring it to the admissions center at the Society’s Moiliili campus at 2700 Waialae Avenue. There is no fee for bringing a stray animal to the center.
If the person willing to care for the pet in their own home, they can fill out an online “found report” and it will be listed on the Society’s “found pets” page.
More information on lost pets is available at hawaiianhumane.org/lost-and-found.
Starting Jan. 1 of this year, a statewide law went into effect requiring all pets in Hawaii to be microchipped. The initial bill, introduced into the State Legislature last year, noted that one in three pets will become lost during its lifetime, and that 90% will not return home unless equipped with some sort of identification.
The microchip — about the size of a grain of rice — is implanted beneath the pet’s skin between the shoulders and can then be scanned for a unique number used to find the owner’s contact information.
The Hawaiian Humane Society offers microchips for a fee of $20. The service is also available at numerous veterinarians’ offices.
Honolulu County has required pet dogs three months and up to be microchipped since July 1, 2020, replacing its former dog licensing system.
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