COM 0937.018 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 19, 2006 TO: Chair Higa and County Council Members, I, Frances Pueo opposed Bill 301, all of it and particularly the part of mandating cat license fee's and collars/tags. It puts cats in jeopardy, as the collar and license dangling tag will cause the animal to become entangled in the multi-various types of terrain on the Big Island. Plus, cats will try to get the collar off, which usually results in getting twisted around their neck and body. How can you justify putting cats in such jeopardy? Particularly, when the pig hunters have given testimony that they remove their dog collars because the dog will get hung up in our island forest or by the pigs tusk. Its been well discussed in previous presentations, so it doesn't make sense to mandate a collar/tag for a cat when they too will become hung up. In studies, by the San Francisco SPCA-1995, has spoken out against mandatory cat licensing. Please review the petition submitted with this letter. In January, it was rumored that a cat license might be imposed in the animal control ordinance and we started a petition, then we were told it would not be in, so we stopped circulating the petition. Incredulously, it's been put in and we are going to restart our petition again, and letting people know who is responsible for this! People could not fathom any sense or reasoning for mandating cat license. The general consensus and comments was that it was ludicrous and inhumane to implement cat collar license. Like it or not, the cat is the only real rat deterrent in keeping the mice and rat's from becoming an even more economic disaster. And please remember that rats build up immunity against poisons, and when our birds of prey eat the poison rats, it weakens or kills the bird population. If you all would really listen to the average person on this island, you would hear the numerous stories of the destruction the rats have done to their homes, appliances, cars, and crops. The average person was shocked when we let it be known that a mandated cat license might be implemented. And how can the cat hunt down the rat effectively with a collar and tag? The rat would hear them coming. Are we going to repeat history when the rat infestation was so bad that the county declared a rat bounty back circa 1930's?? Also, most do not have the additional monies for another bureaucratic exportation/excuse for obtaining money from their pockets. Wse and attacking dogs should be the focus of the animal control bill, not cats! Again, the only and humane solution for dog/cat overpopulation is making available no cost or truly affordable discounted coupons for animal sterilization and concentrating on hiring a full time veterinarian for our humane society. r..:. Respectively yours, 0r) r.._ Frances Pueo, 968-8279 P.O.Box 943 Mt. View, Hawaii 96771 attached: 148 signatures against mandating any form of cat license. ' Comm. No. 1• Ref. Ta - Ad Ref. Dote