As of July 1, the Hawaii County Animal Control Services will transition to become a separate entity, the Animal Control and Protection Agency, and will no longer fall under the management of the Hawaii Police Department, according to a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • Hawaii County Animal Control Services will transition to become a separate entity, the Animal Control and Protection Agency, and will no longer fall under the Hawaii Police Department as of July 1

  • Phone numbers to reach animal control services will remain the same, with 808-327-3558 serving as the number for lost pets and non-emergencies

  • Calls are categorized as Priority One, Two or Three — the contact numbers will also remain the same for the time being

  • Anyone who finds a stray animal (have it checked for a microchip first) or who loses a pet can post it as lost/found on the PetCo Love Lost website for free

After the contract with Hawaii Rainbow Rangers ended on June 30, 2021, Hawaii County took over the responsibility of Animal Control Services. The service fell under the Hawaii Police Department as part of a two-year pilot project.

After the Hawaii County Council passed Bill 22 earlier in the year, the new Animal Control and Protection Agency was created. Responsibility of the agency will fall under the Mayor’s Office.

The county is hiring a new administrator and administrative services assistant for the agency and expects at least one position to be filled by the end of June.

Phone numbers to reach animal control services will remain the same, with 808-327-3558 serving as the number for lost pets and non-emergencies.

According to Hawaii police, calls are categorized as Priority One, Two or Three — they will also remain the same for the time being.

Priority One calls — for injured animals, animals that are a public safety risk, animal cruelty, and situations in which an animal’s owner has been arrested or died with no family to care for the animal. In such emergencies, people can continue to call Police Dispatch at 808-935-3311.

Priority Three calls — for deceased animals on the roadway. People are asked to call the Department of Public Works Highways Division at 808-961-8349 for deceased animals on county roads or the State Department of Transportation Highways Division at 808-933-8866 for deceased animals on state highways or roads.

Priority Two calls — for lost or found pets. People can take several steps after finding a stray animal or losing a pet:

Hawaii police advise anyone who finds a stray animal to have it scanned for a microchip by a County of Hawaii Animal Control officer, at a veterinarian’s office or by a local rescue group. If the animal is microchipped, veterinarians can attempt to find the owner by searching for the microchip on the 24Pet website.

Anyone who finds a stray animal or who loses a pet can post it as lost/found on the PetCo Love Lost website for free. This searchable national database uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding a lost pet quicker and easier.

The site is accessible to nationwide participating animal organizations, as well as any pet parent or someone who finds a lost pet. Uploaded photos of a missing dog or cat are scanned immediately to find out whether the lost pet is at a participating shelter or with someone in the community.

The Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency, Hawaii Animal Kuleana Alliance and Hawaii Island Humane Society are using the technology.

Anyone with questions regarding a lost or found pet may also contact the Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency at 808-327-3558. The agency will continue to manage the shelter facilities in east and west Hawaii with staff caring for and feeding the animals.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.