• Seventeen percent of America's pet owners carry a picture of their pet.

• Most owners kiss their pets, either in the air or on the mouth.

• Recent research conducted in Honolulu found that 96 percent of residents, pet owners or not, consider animal companionship important to their quality of life. Fifty-four percent of O'ahu residents share their lives with pets, compared with 61 percent nationwide.

• O'ahu dog families outnumber cat families with 37 percent of respondents having one or more dogs; the national average is 40 percent. About 21 percent of O'ahu's population has cats; the national statistic is 30 percent. About 20 percent of O'ahu households have other pets, including fish, birds and rabbits.

• People who were born and raised on O'ahu are significantly more likely to have a dog, and less likely to have a cat, than are those who have moved to Hawai'i.

• Forty-two percent of those surveyed in Honolulu got their pets from friends or relatives; 13 percent found pets at the Hawaiian Humane Society. This is similar to the U.S. national average.

• Only 52 percent of the O'ahu respondents' dogs were spayed or neutered, while 85 percent of the cats were sterilized. The national average is higher for dogs, with 70 percent of dogs neutered, and slightly lower for cats, with 80 percent of cats spayed or neutered. There are 5,500 pets born every hour in the United States.

October is Love-A-Dog month

This month, the Hawaiian Humane Society is offering those who adopt dogs:

• One month's free heartworm preventative from your veterinarian.

• A certificate for one free bath and brush at Dogpatch Academy.

• A bag of toys and biscuits from Ralston Purina.

• A bag of food from Nutro.

All dogs adopted from the Hawaiian Humane Society are sterilized and given a first vaccination, free microchip ID and a certificate from the Honolulu Veterinary Society for a free visit at a participating clinic.

$5 Microchip ID

This month, these clinics are offering $5 identification microchips (by appointment only) for dogs:

• 'Aina Haina Pet Hospital, 373-2111

• Animal Clinic, 734-0255

• Animal Clinic Mililani, 623-2814

• East Honolulu Pet Hospital, 396-3333

• Family Veterinary Clinic, 484-9070

• Feather & Fur Clinic, 254-1548

• Hawai'i Kai Veterinary Clinic, 395-2302

• Kailua Animal Clinic, 263-8863

• Kalihi Pet Clinic, 841-6313

• Kokua Pet Clinic, 843-8382

• Makai Animal Clinic, 262-9621

• Newtown Veterinary Clinic, 488-3667

• The Pet Doctor, 733-8828

• Wahiawa Animal Hospital, 621-7000

• Wai'anae Veterinary Clinic, 696-4161

• Waipahu-Leeward Veterinary Clinic, 671-4095