(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi County officials are offering pet safety tips ahead what could be a noisy July 4th holiday celebration on the Big Island.

Before the July 1st transition of the police department’s Hawai‘i County Animal Control Services to the mayor’s Animal Control and Protection Agency, the Hawaiʻi Police Department shared a news release, providing the following:

July 4th Pet Safety Tips

• Keep your pet secured inside. Pets tied up outside can panic due to the loud noise and may break their tie-out or jump over a fence to escape the noise.
• Make sure your pet is microchipped and the current owner information is updated, to help increase the chances of reunification. Go to my24pet.com to register your pet’s microchip.
• Thunder shirts, favorite treats, and crating, are all ways to help keep your pet calm. Check with your veterinarian about anxiety medications for your dog.
• Check your yard for fireworks debris before allowing pets to explore the area.

Police also offered this information:

People who find healthy stray animals are encouraged to have the animal scanned for a microchip by a County of Hawai‘i Animal Control Officer, at a veterinarian’s office, or by a local rescue group. If a found animal is microchipped, veterinarians can try to find its owner by searching for microchip on my24pet.com.

People who find a healthy stray animal or who lose a pet are encouraged to post it as lost / found on lost.petcolove.org. Petco Love Lost is a searchable national database that uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding lost pets quicker and easier.

This simple-to-use tool will be easily accessible to participating animal organizations nationwide, as well as any pet parent or person who finds a lost pet. Uploaded photos of a missing dog or cat are immediately scanned to determine whether the lost pet is at a participating shelter or with a neighbor in the community.

There are a handful of organizations across the island using this technology, including Hawai‘i County Animal Control and Protection Agency, Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance, and Hawai‘i Island Humane Society.

Hawai‘i County Animal Control asks the public to please kokua this July Fourth by following the rules regarding fireworks to reduce the risk of injuries to people and pets alike.

As a reminder, as of July 1, 2023, Hawai‘i County Animal Control Services will transition to become the Animal Control and Protection Agency, and will no longer be under the management of the police department.

Earlier this year, Hawai‘i County Council passed Bill 22, creating a new Animal Control and Protection Agency, which will fall under the Office of Management (Mayor’s Office.)

Hawai‘i Police Department wants to assure the public that animal control services will continue in much the same way while it transitions to a new agency.

The phone numbers for animal control services will remain the same with (808) 327-3558 serving as the phone number for lost pets and non-emergencies. For animal emergencies, such as injured animals, any animal that is a public safety risk, animal cruelty, and situations in which an animal’s owner has been arrested or died with no family to pick up the animal, people can continue to call the Police Dispatch number at (808) 935-3311.

If people come across a deceased animal on a county road please call the Department of Public Works Highways Division at (808) 961-8349. If the deceased animal is on a state Highway or road, please call the State Department of Transportation Highways Division at (808) 933-8866.