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<br /> 0-19 -L 1 :0 5 _FS'QI ~ . FE?CAL • ~]Lr~ _ BELL-B83EE'E 1 iG ?E9E'c 1 FniiE ~ . <br /> February 16,2001 <br /> To: Mayor Harry Kim <br /> County Council Members <br /> This letter is in regard to the horrible conditions that <br /> exist and have existed for some Limo at the Hawaii Island Humane <br /> Society shelter in Waimea. <br /> First, let me say that I have been spaying and neutering <br /> feral Cats for the past two years. The reason i got involved was <br /> HIHS did not want to address the leral cat problem and offered <br /> no spay neuter program. You can't imagine the suffering I've <br /> aeon In my 13 years of living on the big inland, Animals with <br /> broken backs ana legs, animals with their akin ripped from their <br /> bodies, blind, starving and sick feral cats every place you go <br /> on the west side of the island, <br /> 9o I decided that something had to be done to decrease <br /> their numbers and improve their health. Unfortunately there isn't <br /> enough money to fix all the animals I catch, so selectively for <br /> the past !ew years I've been trapping spaying and neutering <br /> feral cats at Hapuna Beach and the surrounding areas. <br /> For the cats that are to sick or to wild to be fixed I've <br /> been forced to take them to the Waimea shelter to be killed. No <br /> matter how many times i've been there I've always bean appalled <br /> and disgusted with the conditions the animals are kept in and the <br /> general over-all lack of concern for the animals welfare. <br /> Since the shelter has very limited hours of operation I've <br /> been forced to leave cats in the outside receiving cages. Num- <br /> erous times I've found dead and dying cats with no water or food. <br /> The outside dog receiving kenels are ~uat as bad. Even during <br /> their regular hours 1've found no-one there to help me with the <br /> cats. <br /> During the summer when feral cats are moat numerous, I make <br /> regular drop offs. Holding cages are very limited and I've seen <br /> staff workers cram up to 3 adult cats in a cage meant for one. <br /> I've pointed out that this is rather inhumane treatment and the <br /> reply i get is well it doesn't matter, they're all going to die. <br /> There also have been instances when feral cats have been stuffed <br /> and left in these cages overnight and well into the following day <br /> Regarding the dogs that are kept in the inside holding area, <br /> the conditions are just appalling. Dogs and puppies that have <br /> been hosed down when the kennels are being cleaned. Dogs forced <br /> to lie on cold wet cement with no warm or dry place to go. Cold <br /> and shivering dogs and puppies that never get attention or ex- <br /> ercise. This past week when the wind and rain was ao bad I stop- <br /> ped by the shelter to cheek on things and what i found was the <br /> dogs In the inside kennels as well as all the animals in the out- <br /> side cages wet and shivering. <br /> Under the HIHS contract I know that all animals are guaran- <br /> teed Certain things. Food,water,pr~per shelter and cages large <br /> enough for them to move about !n, Why are the basic necessities <br /> being denied to the animals? Why has nothing been done about <br /> these problems? why doesn't the HIHS do the job they were con- <br /> tracted to do? <br /> <br />