COM 0022.117 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hugh Carroll 15-2724 Ina St. Pahoa HI 96778 April 18, 2006 County Council County of Hawaii Deaz Counci] Members, I am Sony that work requirements do not allow me to attend today's meeting on animal abuse and regulation. I will try to make my points succinctly in this letter. • Animal abuse here chiefly involves dogs. Other animals may be abused or come to the attention of the Humane Society, but the vast majority of all social problems with domestic animals on this island involve dogs. • There is a lazge and evident clash of cultures at the root of many conflicts. Some of the cultures of the South Pacific, Micronesia and Asia have no concept of "animal abuse." There is no Humane Society in these countries, and in fact people regulazly eat dogs. Cockfights and dogfights are common forms of amusement. • If you visualize a situation where these peoples are put together at close quarters with people from American/European backgrounds, cultures where the humane treatment of animals, especially dogs, is a matter of enforced law, you might easily imagine that the stage is set for ongoing cultural friction. This is exactly the demogntphics we have here in many neighborhoods on the Big Island. What to do? Is it fair to impose the limitations and restrictions placed on the treatment of dogs that exist in the rest of the United States? If we do, who will enforce the new laws? I would recommend that the guidelines of whatever behavior is enforced should be very understandable and as simple as possible. I think one point of law should be unmistakable. Dogs can be very loud, and dogs can be dangerous. If your dog is loud or dangerous, your dog is a social problem. If your dog is loud or dangerous, you are adversely impacting the quality of life of those around you. To my own specific problem: if your dog, tied up on a six-foot chain 24 / 7, barks constantly, wakes the neighbors up in the middle of the night, erodes the enjoyment of the neighbors on their own properties, howls, moans and projects his daily misery into the surrounding environment, your dog is just as much of a social problem as a siren set up on your roof that is constantly wailing and disturbing the neighborhood. County Planning Department enforces setback regulations for all construction so that adjoining properties do not negatively impact each other. How about some dog/noise setbacks? A person should not keep a dog tied so close to neighbors that Comm. No. Z Z . Ref. To•~reseatOd Re#. Uate