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animals, animals in general (dogs mentioned 7 times, cats twice), enforcement, animal <br /> pounds, spay-neuter fund, and state law. <br /> Obvious by its absence in the proposed ordinance is discussion of control of the most <br /> prolific, and one of the most destructive animals in Hawaii. Completely missing from the <br /> ordinance is the compliment to the Article regulating dogs, which would logically be <br /> entitled "Cats", and would contain similar restrictions related to licensing, identification, <br /> sterilization, confinement and mobility. <br /> Birds, not rodents, are cat's preferred prey. Feral cats impose a major threat to both native <br /> and introduced game birds, and extract a heavy toll on their populations every year. They <br /> are so destructive that last year Wisconsin considered listing them as an unprotected <br /> species so they could be hunted. <br /> Mark Twain visited the Hawaiian Islands for four months in 1866. He marveled at its <br /> "millions" of cats, "just about cats enough for three apiece all around". At that time he <br /> wrote, "I saw cats individual cats, groups of cats, platoons of cats, companies of cats, <br /> regiments of cats, armies of cats, multitudes of cats, millions of cats...." Hawaii's cat <br /> overpopulation is legendary, and it appears not much has changed in the last 140 years. <br /> What is striking is that a bill entitled "Animals", and directed toward "animal control", <br /> essentially ignores this large component of the island animal population. <br /> The extensive focus on dogs and absence of any significant consideration of cats was the <br /> most contentious issue of the proposed ordinance in public hearings. The overwhelming <br /> presence of feral and freely roaming domeetic cats was identified as the primary cause of <br /> inciting the barking of confined dogs. Dog owners believed themselves unfairly targeted <br /> for a problem not of their making, and outside their control. It is unlikely that the <br /> ordinance will receive support from dog owners until this inequity is addressed. <br /> To add insult to injury, the ordinance, as proposed, requires dog owners, through <br /> licensing fees, to support aspay-neuter fund for cats. Cat owners apparently get a free <br /> <br /> ride. We would hope this inequity will be corrected. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> <br /> President <br /> 3 <br /> <br />