Kokua Line
Kokua Line
City workers will
pick up dead animalsQuestion: At Kahekili Highway and Hui Iwa Street, a Pomeranian dog recently was hit and killed by a man in a dark green car. He stopped and put the dog on the side of the road then drove off. Is this considered a hit-and-run or does that only apply to humans ?
Answer: There is no specific law dealing with an animal hit-and-run case.
Someone's animal is "considered property under law, so there may be civil action that a pet owner could take," said Eve Holt, spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
However, "There are laws prohibiting stray dogs so it would be up to the courts to determine whether a person accidentally hitting a stray dog would be civilly liable," she said.
She said the man who hit the Pomeranian was thoughtful in moving the dog to the side of the road. Perhaps he even called someone to report the accident.
"There are state and city agencies that will pick up dead animals and they will check for identification, including scanning for a microchip ID," Holt said. "This provides an opportunity for a pet's owner to learn the fate of their dog or cat."
If you hit or come across a dead animal, you should move the body to the side of the road, if possible, then call the city refuse division, which handles dead animal pickup. If the accident occurred on a state roadway, the city will notify the state.
Depending on when you call, the animal may not be able to be picked up right away. If you call after hours, for example, pickup will be the next day; if you call Saturday, pickup will be on Monday.
An alternative is to take the animal to a veterinary clinics that is willing to hold a dead animal until the city can pick it up.
The city's dead animal pickup district offices are: Aiea/Pearl City/Ewa, 455-1725; Haleiwa/Waialua, 637-4795; Honolulu, 523-4424; Kailua-Waimanalo, 262-8346; Kaneohe, 247-3553; Laie, 293-5657; Wahiawa/Mililani, 621-5241; and Waianae, 696-3421.
The 15 animal clinics willing to hold the dead animals voluntarily are:
>> Aiea-Pearl City-Ewa: Waipahu-Leeward Veterinary Clinic, 671-4095.>> Haleiwa: North Shore Veterinary Clinic, 637-6202.
>> Honolulu: Aina Haina Pet Hospital, 373-2111; Aloha Animal Hospital, 734-2242; Animal Hospital of Hawaii, 732-7387; Blue Cross Animal Hospital, 593-2532; Kalihi Pet Clinic, 841-6313; Kapalama Pet Hospital, 841-2861; Pet Doctor, 733-8828.
>> Kailua-Waimanalo: Companion Animal Hospital, 262-8141; Feather and Fur Clinic, 264-1548.
>> Kaneohe: VCA Kaneohe Animal Hospital, 236-2414.
>> Wahiawa-Mililani: Gentry-Waipio Pet Clinic, 676-2205; Wahiawa Animal Hospital, 621-7000; Cat/Bird Vet Mobile Hospital, 623-5466.
Auwe
To a reckless biker. At 1:40 p.m., Oct. 19, on Farrington Highway in Waialua, while traveling on Davis Hill nearing Thomson Corner, you passed me and cut between two cars ahead of me. You almost caused a catastrophic accident because of your stupidity. You are a menace on the highways. --No Name
|
Useful phone numbers
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