Pet Holiday Safety Tips

As New Yearʻs celebrations get underway and fireworks are set off, pet owners may be wondering about special precautions they could take to provide some added safety for their animals.

The Maui Humane Society offers the following five things to remember:

• Ensure your pet is microchipped and ID tags are worn
• Walk them/exercise during daylight hours
• Close windows and curtains to muffle the sound
• Put on music or TV to mask the firework sounds
• Create a quiet space where your animal can feel in control If your animal goes missing, walk around the neighborhood and ask your neighbors to see if they have seen him/her. Next, file a lost report on the Maui Humane Society website. Post on social media bulletin boards like Lost Pets of Maui or NextDoor with a recent image and description of your pet and a phone number to contact you.

New Statewide Microchip Law

The Hawaiʻi Island Police Department notes that Act 5 goes into effect Jan. 1, 2022. It was passed during a 2021 Special Session of the legislature. The new law includes the following requirements:

• Requires dog and cat owners to have microchip identification implanted in their dogs and cats, and to register the microchip number and the owner’s contact information with a microchip registration company. The national registry www.foundanimals.org is a good site to register your pet’s microchip.
• Requires animal organizations to implant a microchip in all stray dogs and cats in their custody that do not have microchip identification.