By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. Does Hawai'i have some sort of pet "lemon law?" I purchased a puppy from a breeder and 10 days later he died from parvovirus. Do I have any recourse under the law?

A. There is no special "lemon law" to protect pet purchasers who find themselves in this sad situation, said Eve Holt, spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Humane Society. The society encourages people to deal with responsible breeders when buying pets to try to avoid these kinds of problems.

In your case, you tried to get back to the breeder and found that the telephone number was no longer working.

Dr. Eric Ako, executive vice president of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, said there are steps that puppy buyers can take to try to protect themselves. A veterinarian who practices at The Pet Doctor in Kahala, Ako encourages buyers to make an appointment with a vet right away to get the animal checked out during those first days of ownership or even before the sale is complete.

He said pet buyers have the same 72 hours to return a pet as they would for other purchases under state law.

Working with a breeder with references may help avoid some heartache. Buying pet insurance can also help cover expenses and emergencies, Ako said.

He said vets are trained to give people advice about pets, from assessing the health of an animal to comparing how much certain breeds shed. Ako said a vet might have been able to treat the puppy.

"Parvo is not a common thing these days," he said. "Something went wrong."

Q. Why don't police enforce the requirement that cars have front license plates? A great many of these new models are not adhering to the law.

A. Honolulu police say officers issue tickets when they see a violation of the state law requiring front and back license plates on cars. "It's still in the books and we do enforce it," said Capt. Jose Gaytan of HPD's Traffic Division.

He suggests that anyone who sees such violations to call 911. "Obviously, we cannot be there 24 hours a day," Gaytan said. "But we'd like the people's help."

Some states require only one license plate, so cars that have been licensed in those states will not be cited for displaying the one plate.

Gaytan said police opposed a recent move at the Legislature to change the law to reduce the requirement to one plate. He said police believe having both license plates helps identify vehicles.

Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:

• E-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

Be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number.