Last month, we covered the process that was provided by Hawai’i County Animal Control. There was a flyer distributed on social media and through local media outlets on what exactly one should do when they encounter an animal issue. Seeing as though there has been many concerns or questions on the aforementioned topic, we thought that we would take the liberty of sharing an article that provides some clarity.
Here's The Breakdown
Calls are triaged by three levels of priority and within each level is the severity of need:
Level One (Urgent), Level Two (Lost & Found) and Level Three (Not Urgent). While Animal Control does consider every call to be important, a system is put into place to determine urgency- quite similarly to how an emergency room is triaged for patient care. It is important to know that Animal Control is doing the best that they can with the resources and staff that they have available. It also might be helpful for the community to work with Animal Control and the system that they have in place to ensure an efficient partnership for the sake of the animals and the community.
Level One: Urgent
Examples:
-Loose dog in the road that is a public safety risk.
-Any injured animal encountered.
-Dog is an immediate and physical threat.
-Animal cruelty, immediate threat to animal.
-Owner was arrested or is deceased.
Who Do I Call? Dispatch 808-935-3311
What Do I Say? Provide as much information as possible such as the species, colors/markings/gender (if possible), and approximate or exact location.
Be brief, to the point and specific with the information that you provide, then ask them to relay the information to Animal Control.
Then What Happens? These calls have an hour response time and qualify for after-hours service. Bear in mind that with the stated response time, staff may be on other calls assisting others with possibly the same problem.
Level Two: Lost and Found
LOST?
FOUND?
What Do I Do?
-Post your lost pet on https://lost.petcolove.org/ and social media animal groups.
-Put up flyers in your area with identifying information of your pet and contact information.
-Check social media groups to see if your animal was found or spotted.
Who Do I Call?
-Call Dispatch 808-935-3311. Inform them of the found animal. Upon arrival for pick up, they will scan the animal to see if it has a microchip.
What Do I Do?
-Secure the found animal and take pictures of it. Post the animal on https://lost.petcolove.org and social media groups.
What If It’s a Stray and I Can’t Hold It?
-If the found animal is a stray, call Animal Control directly at (808) 327-3558.
Level Three: No Immediate Threat
What to do when the following occur:
-Animal cruelty/neglect investigations
Dangerous dog (not an active threat)
Call Dispatch 808-935-3311 with description and location.
-Deceased animals in the roadway
County Road: Call DPW Highway Division at 808-961-8349 with description and location.
State Highway/Road: Call DOT Highway Division at 808-933-8866 with description and location.
-Cat in trap: County is not accepting cats in traps at this time.
Still Need More Clarification?
You can always check out the Hawai’i County Animal Control website: http://www.hawaiipolice.com/services/animal-control-services
for more information. Please remember that the Animal Control staff are doing the best that they can with the resources that they have. The website also contains information on dog licensing and animal shelter reports from 2016.
Have something to add? Please comment below and let us know! Mahalo!
