Kokua Line

By Hildegaard Verploegen

It's against Hawaii
law to abandon an animal

Question: Isn't it against the law to abandon animals in Hawaii?
I was upset by the report about the couple who dumped a kitten in the rain in a parking lot in Kaneohe with the little girl watching and weeping in the car. I'm sure there is some kind of regulation against abandoning puppies or kittens.


Answer: Yes. Hawaii's law, making it illegal to abandon any animal, applies whether dumping an animal in a public place or leaving it behind when people move.

The law provides for a mandatory appearance in court and a maximum penalty of up to three months in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000, if convicted, said Eve Holt, spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Humane Society.

If the license number of the vehicle from which the kitten was dumped in Kaneohe had been obtained, the Humane Society could have tracked the vehicle owner through motor vehicle registration records. The Humane Society can issue citations for abandoning animals.

If you find an animal that looks abandoned, take it to the Humane Society. It could be someone's lost pet, and the Humane Society could have the identification information needed to return it to the owner.

If you see an animal being dumped, try to obtain the license number and other information such as the description of the vehicle and report it to the Humane Society.


Other items in today's Kokua Line:

- Hunting for Army ID card for Dr. Edward Enos
- How to contact designer Paula Rath
- Call police to report parked boat blocking visibility
- Traffic alert in Waikiki for parade tomorrow
- Mahalos

Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686, fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802. Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com

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