The County of Hawaii ordinance requires that all dogs be licensed and that the license be worn at all times. A review of the Hawaii County Code, Chapter 4: Animals states that:

(a) The following fees are hereby established as biennial license fees for the privilege of owning, harboring or keeping of dogs in the County:

(b) For purpose of this section a sterilized dog means a spayed female dog and a neutered male dog.

Any person seeking to have his dog licensed at the sterilized dog rate must present a certificate from a veterinarian licensed to practice within the State showing description, age, and breed of the dog and certifying its sterilization. (End of ordinance description)

Only dogs are required by law to be licensed. Voluntary cat registration is offered by HIHS. Cat identification tags are available at the 3 sheltering facilities. The fee for the tag is $2.00 ($5.00 for a tag and a safety collar). Cat identification tags never expire, and registration information is maintained by HIHS should the animal ever be impounded.

Dog license tags are sold at all 3 animal shelters. Each facility is allocated a certain quantity of tags. Since rabies is not present on the island, a rabies vaccination is not a prerequisite to licensing (such a requirement is common in most areas of the United States). Proof of sterilization is required at the time of license purchase. In those instances in which adoptable dogs are waiting for transport to local veterinarians for spaying or neutering, new pet owners are charged the lower license fee, even though their new pet has not yet been surgically altered.

Tags must be renewed every 2 years, and expire on December 31^st of the second license term. The Hawaii County Treasury Division is responsible for mailing renewal notifications, which are typically sent prior to the tag’s expiration date. Dog owners may renew or apply for new license tags by mail (Treasury Division or HIHS) or obtain them in person from the Treasury Division offices in Hilo or Kona, or the 3 animal shelters. During the on-site study, Humane Officers were also observed selling license tags to citizens in the field (such sales are tracked via the "Dog License Assignment Sheet"). Replacement tags may be obtained for only 10 cents. Oddly enough, the State of Hawaii imposes a 10 cent "tax" on each license sold. This fee is added to the total cost of each license sold ($2.10 and $6.10).

The current fines for an unlicensed dog is $25.00 for the 1^st offense, $50.00 for the 2^nd offense, and $75.00 for the 3^rd offense. Humane Officers may issue a verbal or written warning, if the situation warrants, for any 1^st offense violation.

Licensing records procedures were described as follows:

"Dog licenses from all 3 shelters are sent to the Kona shelter. At the end of each month, they are reconciled, reviewed for completeness, and then sent to the County along with a check for the appropriate amount." (End of procedure).

Hawaii County provides a computer printout, of all the license tags sold, to each sheltering facility. HIHS tracks all tags sold by the 3 shelters via a Microsoft Access database. A HIHS volunteer is responsible for collecting monies and tracking license sales.

HIHS promotes the licencing program through information distributed to the public or through contacts by HIHS Humane Officers. (Note: A HIHS promotional pamphlet reviewed by the Study Team states that, "Hawaii County law requires that all dogs over the age of 3 months be licensed." The Study Team was unable to confirm the age requirement after a comprehensive review of the current ordinance.)

The Treasury Department is responsible for tracking unsold licenses. During the on-site review, a few tags allocated to HIHS were listed as "missing" on monthly statements (apparently the County does not require that every tag be accounted for). In fact, an October 1, 1998, memorandum confirms that HIHS has "been having trouble getting accurate information on the dog licenses that are sent in by shelters. Many times the information is incomplete, sometimes, there is virtually no information." Some of these discrepancies, the Study Team believes, may occur when volunteers (who are unfamiliar with the process) assist shelter customers with paperwork. The Study Team suggests that HIHS strengthen its own internal control of license tags to improve this situation.

It is unknown if any audits or integrity checks are performed on clerical entries of licensing information. Monies generated from license sales are returned to Hawaii County and are used to offset program expenses. The Study Team was provided the following historical data regarding HIHS licensing sales:

The following chart details County licensing sales during the same period:

The National Animal Control Association offers the following licensing policy statement:

State and/or local statutes should require all dogs to be licensed, and require licenses to be worn at all times. Licenses should be considered as permits which shall mandate specified responsibility and privileges of ownership. Licenses should be issued only upon proof of necessary immunizations.

Licenses provide for the proper identification of dogs and their owners. It has been proven that licensing programs, adequately enforced, greatly reduce the numbers of surplus animals impounded unnecessarily, and encourage owner responsibility. Licenses provide owners with proof of legal ownership. Licensing fees can provide a necessary revenue base for animal control services. Fines for licensing violations also help off-set the tax burden to the general public for such services.

Licensing laws should be fully enforceable by animal control officers and police officers, and should prescribe progressive penalties for repeat violations. Licenses considered as permits may be revoked for specific violations. NACA recommends that licensing programs be designed to provide a fast, efficient means of identifying dogs and their owners. Licensing records can be easily maintained via a central, local registry. Annual registration may help keep licensing records current and accurate, as circumstances frequently change in the lives of people and their pets. At the minimum, NACA recommends that licenses include complete owner contact information, and a complete description of the licensed dog. It is also helpful to include whether the dog has been spayed/neutered.

Licensing should be required as a condition for owning, harboring, or keeping a dog, and not combined with restraint laws.

State and/or local statutes should require all cats to be licensed, and require licenses to be worn at all times. NACA rejects the argument that cats are wildlife, and adopts the policy described for dogs.

Cats pose similar problems in today's society to that of dogs. Public health concerns include the threat of rabies or other diseases from cat-inflicted bites or scratches. Damage to property and overpopulation results in the degradation of community appearance and sanitation. NACA cites the pet-food industry as one example of American society's classification of cats as domestic animals. Cats share people's lives, homes, and hearts as proven companion animals. Cat ownership, then, should require responsibility for their welfare and owner responsibility to the general public. Cat licensing also extends to owners the benefits of legal ownership, a valuable means of identification, and services that cats considered as wildlife might not otherwise be afforded.

Licensing laws should be fully enforceable by animal control officers and police officers, and should prescribe progressive penalties for repeat violations. Licenses considered as permits may be revoked for specific violations. NACA recommends that licensing programs be designed to provide a fast, efficient means of identifying cats and their owners. Licensing records can be easily maintained via a central, local registry. Annual registration may help keep licensing records current and accurate, as circumstances frequently change in the lives of people and their pets. At the minimum, NACA recommends that licenses include complete owner contact information, and a complete description of the licensed cat. It is also helpful to include whether the cat has been spayed/neutered.

Licensing should be required as a condition for owning, harboring, or keeping a cat, and not combined with restraint laws. (End of statement)

7.01 Based on NACA’s policy statement, the County of Hawaii should require that all dogs and cats to be annually licensed and to require those licenses to be worn at all times. License fees should be established (at a rate consistent with the national average) in addition to offering differential fees (sexually altered versus unaltered) to encourage pet sterilization. Information regarding the actual number of licenses sold should be tracked annually by the County of Hawaii and offered in a summarized format. Rating: 3

7.02 In addition to licensing, the Study Team would also recommend that the County of Hawaii and HIHS explore the possibility of requiring the control of cats. This practice is fairly common throughout the United States and would enhance current nuisance ordinance compliance. Rating: 3

7.03 Audits should be performed to insure the integrity of licensing data entry. Rating: 3

7.04 License tags should be audited at the beginning and end of every fiscal year. Rating: 3

7.05 The County of Hawaii should explore the possibility of allowing local veterinarians to sell license tags. This procedure is fairly common throughout the United States and would enhance the current licensing program. Rating: 3