Kokua Line: Why are people giving up pets?

Question : Regarding the influx of pets at the Humane Society (), are these “pandemic puppies ” that have grown up and are no longer wanted ?

Answer : “No, there’s a misperception that what we’re seeing in the shelter with regard to owner-surrenders are ‘pandemic puppies, ’ which it is not. The most frequently cited reasons for families that have been forced to make the difficult decision to surrender their pets into our care are Hawai ‘i’s high cost of living and lack of affordable pet-friendly housing, ” said Brandy Shimabukuro, a spokesperson for the Hawaiian Humane Society, which is waiving all adoption fees on kittens, cats, puppies and dogs through Monday in an effort to find new permanent homes for the animals. Read more at.

The nonprofit’s shelters have been consistently over capacity for the past two years, and that does have something to do with the pandemic, Shimabukuro said in an email. “We’re seeing an unusual amount of unwanted litters of puppies being brought into the shelters. This could be due to families opting not to spay /neuter their pets during the pandemic (and now resulting in backlogs at spay /neuter clinics with long wait lists ), or clinics that temporarily paused non-urgent procedures during the pandemic, ” she said.

Overall, an average of about 40 animals a day, or 1, 200 a month, are brought to HHS, she said.

Another concern is the number of pets surrendered recently that are either sick or very young, unvaccinated animals that are especially vulnerable in a shelter environment, she said. As an open admissions shelter, the HHS doesn’t turn away these animals, but it can’t put them up for general adoption right away.

“Pets that are sick or too young to be ready for spay /neuter will undergo treatment from our veterinary care and would ideally find qualified medical foster homes (those typically require a longer commitment of time from the foster family than through our Couch Crashers foster program ), ” she said.

The adoption special that runs through Monday is the latest in a series of events that have waived fees, often thanks to donors who underwrite specific events. Shimabukuro said that only animals that have been physically evaluated to be healthy, have been spayed /neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and given flea, tick and heartworm preventives are available for adoption or allowed to participate in HHS’ Couch Crashers program, which gives animals a temporary respite from shelter life.

“Pandemic puppies ” refers to a trend of acquiring pets early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people were socially isolated and working or attending school from home.

Q : Will AARP host a free shredding event soon ? It usually has one in the fall, as I recall.

A : No, not on Oahu. The nonprofit had hoped to host an Oahu event in October, but the expected location did not work out, a spokesperson said.

Q : I don’t understand why a child can’t get a passport online if it isn’t their first passport.

A : The online process is for renewals only, and the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs says that “you cannot renew a passport for a child under age 16. You must apply again in person using Form DS-11.” Read more at travel.state.gov.

Speed humps Six speed humps are being installed this week on Kaukonahua Road (Route 930 ) in Waialua between Thompson Corner and Weed Circle, to slow down drivers on a dangerous stretch, the state Department of Transportation announced.

“The speed humps are part of HDOT’s strategy to mitigate speed-related motor vehicle crashes. The five-year history for this section of Kaukonahua Road included 28 motor vehicle crashes resulting in two fatalities and three serious injuries, ” it said in a news release.------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email kokualine @staradvertiser.com.------------