ROH §12-7.8
Reporting serious dog bites
Read the official text at honolulu.gov ↗This rule says who must report serious dog bites to the police and what happens next. It also protects people who report in good faith. It does not cover minor bites.
domestic partnersvulnerable adults
The ordinance, as written (Honolulu County) — Mandatory reporting of dog bites
A copy, taken August 22, 2026. The version published by Honolulu is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
(a) All incidents of serious bodily injury from a dog bite shall be reported to the Honolulu police department by:
(1) Any licensed, registered, or certified medical service provider regarding their treatment of a person, as permitted under the regulations implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, specifically, 45 CFR § 164.512(f)(1); and
(2) Any veterinarian, regarding their treatment of an animal.
(b) “Serious bodily injury” means a serious physical injury to a person involving a broken bone, a concussion, a laceration that extends down to the level of muscle or bone, or a tearing or rupture of an organ.
(c) The police department shall forward each reported incident to the animal control contractor for investigation, and the animal control contractor shall make a determination whether the dog involved is a dangerous dog, prepare a report, and maintain a file of all reports.
(d) Anyone participating in good faith in the disclosure of any information pertaining to incidents of serious bodily injury from a dog bite shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred, imposed, or result from such action.
Published by the City and County of Honolulu through American Legal Publishing.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.