State officials will review a decision to close the popular Makapu'u Lighthouse trail to pets, after signs posted earlier this month upset some pet owners who frequent the trail.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to appear at a Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board meeting on June 24 to discuss the issue of animal droppings left on the route, DLNR Director Laura H. Thielen said in a statement yesterday.

"We are reviewing the issues relating to dogs and dog feces and will be coming to the next Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board meeting to discuss a cooperative approach with the community," Thielen said.

The June 24 meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Haha'ione Elementary School.

The department had received complaints about animal droppings on the trail, and dog feces in bags thrown into bushes, said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward. There had been no reports of dog attacks, she said.

While dog feces were not the only reason behind the decision, "it was part of the reason," Ward said.

The pet ban surprised some trail users, who said they had not noticed a problem with unruly animals or irresponsible pet owners.

Dog owner Krista Schreiter said she was amazed to see signs posted near the trail parking lot on May 16 advising hikers that the gently sloping, paved hike to Makapu'u Lighthouse was off-limits to animals.

"It's not like a dog free-for-all, with dogs running everywhere wild," said Schreiter, who takes her 2-year-old beagle, Molly, up the trail once a week. "I really think the dog owners are very responsible."

Schreiter, who moved to Hawai'i Kai in November, said walking the trail with Molly, her husband and her 8-month-old has been a great way to meet neighbors, and not just other dog owners.

"We get to know each other as friends," she said. "For us, it's been such a great place to make connections in the community."

Hawai'i Kai resident Joie Gopez, who often joins Schreiter on the trail with her terrier, Tiger, brought the signs to the attention of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board on Tuesday.

"I just find it so unfair," Gopez said, speaking after the Neighborhood Board meeting.

"There are so few places where dogs have access, especially here in East Honolulu."

In the meantime, Gopez said she will take her pet to dog-friendly Sandy Beach, when the tide is low. She also is awaiting the June 29 opening of the Hawai'i Kai Dog Park on Keahole Street next to the city's Park and Ride facility.

Schreiter said she hopes pet owners and the state can reach a reasonable solution.

"Hawai'i is such a great place to live and it's so beautiful," she said. "We should be out enjoying it. And if we're enjoying it in a responsible way, we should be allowed to do that and not be restricted."

For a list of dog-friendly parks and beaches, go to the Hawaiian Humane Society's Web site at www.hawaiianhumane.org.