COM 0022.075 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Murashige, Laura From: Dolphin Journeys [dolphinpod@hawaii.rr.com] Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 5:11 PM To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: Section 4-22, article 4 & section 4-29 impounded stray animals and fees County Council: Section 4-22, article 4 mandates a 48 hour holding period for impounded stray dogs, but mentions nothing about cats. Currently the holding period for cats is 24 hours. It usually takes at least 24 hours for an owner/feeder to notice if a cat is missing. Please request that this 48 hour holding period be mandated for cats as well. The animal redemption fee is proposed to be raised from $10 to $25. You may or may not know that when notified by the HIHS of the holding of an ear tipped (i.e,nuetered cat), this redemption fee that Advocats must pay is hardship enough after the $65./$50. invested in neutering the animal. Please request that this fee should be waived for Advocats because they have voluntarily and with private (not county) funds and volunteer labor, undertaken a job which should be under the domain of the HIHS, but due to a lack of resources, these animals are euthanized unnecessarily because it is the "c:heapest" option. (This is a 150% increase in the redemption fee, which comes out of pocket from the person who redeems the cat and tries to find its rightful owner.) Regarding Section 4-29: Penalties for cruelty to animals which mentions dogs and cats have been raised, which is a good thing, however, Section 4-29, regarding "Injury or poisoning of dogs", should be reworded to include cats as well. We are well aware of the rash of cat poisonings and the hangings of poisoned feral cats at Honokohau Harbor last year. Cats should be included along with dogs in BOTH measures A and B. Most of the ordinance and fee changes award the lowest tier of fees to animals with microchips. There are problems with microchipping that council members may be unaware of in that the chips can move internally and are not foolproof for identification. Also, it is difficult ,and sometimes impossible to scan a terrified, aggressive animal (which may be that way only because it has been traumatized). I believe this "fee bias" to encourage microchipping is inappropriate. Certain factions of dog owners have raised the issue at hearing about licenses for cats. Nuisance dogs can be specifically tied to their behavior, ie: continuous barking, aggression, attack, and in this category, licenses help trace owners. This is totally impractical, and unreliable to require licenses for cats. Wearing a collar and tag presents a choking danger for outdoor cats, so this is not an "equality of the species" kind of issue. Thereby I strongly urge you NOT to consider licenses for cats. This will be impossible to enforce. The best identification for a cat is a microchip, but that should be voluntary with the pet owner, not a coerced decision with financial penalties for choosing not to microchip. I advocate my tax payer funds be used to educate. The domestic animal situation on the Big Island is one of our social challenges with the increasing population. Information on proper care of food and water for domestic animals is necessary. Education about proper pens and fenced yards to keep animals safe and free to get exercise and move about while they are left for long Cornm. No. Z Z. i Ref. To: Rc~f. ante