The Maui Humane Society reportedly receives about five lost pet claims every day.
That's upwards of 1,800 lost dogs at Maui's shelter a year.
To curb those numbers, the nonprofit has partnered with PetHub, a modern pet identification system out of Washington state, to distribute specialized pet tags that owners can add to their animal's collar.
The tag has a QR code with the owner’s information and the pet’s profile. The QR-coded tags are easily visible and can be scanned with a smartphone.
The pet's profile can include their name, breed, age, any behavior issues or medications. Pet owners have full control over the privacy settings, according to Maui Humane Society.
Owners can also upload their dog's license to that QR code. All counties in Hawaiʻi require dog owners to register for a biennial dog license, which expires at the end of the calendar year. The current tags will expire at the end of 2024.
"With a microchip, that's great, you can scan the dog and get that microchip number but now you need to call the microchip company to get the owner's information," said Jennifer Goguen, the director of client relations with Maui Humane Society.
"Fingers crossed that the owner registered themselves with the microchip manufacturer. That's one hurdle that a lot of people don't realize that they have to do," Goguen said.
State law requires all pets to be microchipped. The chip is placed under the animal's skin so it can't be lost or identified without a microchip reader.
"Really the fastest way to be reunited with your pet is always having a color and a form of identification on your dog's collar," said Goguen.
Maui dog owners can get the new PetHub ID and license tags at the Maui Humane Society's office at Puʻunēnē or through their website.
The tag comes with no extra fees when you register for a dog license.
Maui Humane Society is PetHub's first animal shelter partner in Hawaiʻi.
