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Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Ewa Beach dog not
as lucky as Hok Get

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Question: What is the outcome of the lost dog in Ewa Beach's Ocean Pointe, reported by you to sit daily in an alley off 91-1069 Kaipua St.? Per your story, the HHS logged its first call about this dog on Feb. 17. Since HHS went a very long way to save Hok Get, the tanker dog, I hope the outcome for this lost local dog is equally happy and this pup is reunited with his family.

Answer: Unfortunately, the ending wasn't as happy for that dog.

In that case, an Ocean Pointe resident complained about what he said was the lack of response by the Hawaiian Humane Society in capturing the dog. In response, the HHS said the dog either was not to be seen or ran away when an investigator went to the scene.

The plan was then to set a trap for the dog.

Concerned neighbors did follow through, borrowing a humane trap from the HHS and capturing the dog, said HHS spokeswoman Eve Holt.

Unfortunately, the dog had no identification to help in locating an owner and also was aggressive, she said.

"We cared for him, hoping an owner would be found, but none came forward," Holt said. "We also wanted to give the dog time to get accustomed to the new surroundings, so we could make sure the aggressive behavior was not just a reaction to stress."

However, after determining he was aggressive to humans and potentially dangerous, he was euthanized, she said.

Holt said that sometimes dogs get lost, but sometimes they are "cruelly abandoned." The HHS relies on the community to help get those animals off the street because "companion animals have been domesticated for thousands of years and need humans to care for them," Holt said.

Not only is animal abandonment "terribly cruel," she said, it's also against the law.

If you witness someone abandoning an animal, call the HHS (946-2187), noting the time, place, description of people, car, license plate number, etc.

Auwe

To all the dogs and their owners who use the beaches along Oahu's North Shore as one big toilet. It's time the Humane Society takes a stand and starts carting the dogs off to puppy prison. Then, maybe the owners will wise up and tie up their dogs (there is a leash law), and we can once again spread out our beach towels and not end up in a pile of dog do. -- Concerned Resident Beachgoer

(Police enforce Honolulu's litter laws, while the leash law is enforced by both police and the Hawaiian Humane Society.

("Either organization will respond, but each has a limited number of officers on duty and will understandably have to give priority to calls involving human or animal safety," said HHS spokeswoman Eve Holt.

(The HHS tries to encourage dog owners to be responsible for their pets by making sure they are kept on leashes and by cleaning up after them. To this end, it has small cards -- with poop bags attached -- encouraging owners to do the right thing when in a park or on a beach.

(If you would like some of these cards to hand to out to dog owners, call the HHS at 946-2187, ext. 223.)

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Useful phone numbers

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Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com