Senate Bill 2692 establishes a class C felony for a dog attack resulting in severe bodily injury, and class B felony when the attack results in a death — and the Hawaii County Council is all in, issuing a February resolution supporting state action. The Council passed its own bill creating felony-level penalties for owners of dogs that attack in April, but county code is preempted by existing state law, which limits penalties to a petty misdemeanor.

Stronger penalties are warranted. In August, Robert Northrop, 71, was fatally mauled by four loose dogs in Ocean View, and Aloha Animal Advocates reports that dog attacks on Hawaii island have more than doubled between 2020 and 2023 — from 107 to 279.