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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> November 15, 2006 <br /> I oppose Bill 258 in its entirety. <br /> <br /> The bill devotes 8 pages to the handling of dogs yet sums up all <br /> <br /> other animals in definitions, as though they are all the same. One size <br /> does not fit all. <br /> <br /> In spite of the great damages done by feral cats there is still no <br /> prohibition of feeding them. This Is a problem older than the dog <br /> problem and is still not being dealt with; a problem observed and <br /> written about by Mark Twain. In a Democratic society there is no room <br /> for special treatment of one species, over all others. There is no <br /> reason to keep maintaining feral cat communities; quite the contrary <br /> there Is every reason to eliminate this. Not only have the feral cats <br /> successfully predated Palila chicks to the tune of at least 10% every <br /> year for the last 10 years but the Toxoplasmosis which they litter the <br /> aina with Is one of the leading factors in the decline and one of the <br /> leading factors in limiting the success of reestablishing the Hawaiian <br /> Crow. Toxoplasmosis can infect all warm-blooded animals, including an <br /> estimated 50 million Americans. People infected with Toxoplasma carry <br /> thousands of the parasites, many residing in the brain. No surprise <br /> that evidence Is mounting to link toxoplasmosis with schizophrenia in <br /> people. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this problem. See <br /> New York Times, June 20, 2006. <br /> <br /> <br /> Section 4-9, Complaints and Summons, speaks of "...animal <br /> control contractor who has been deputized...". Given the lack of the <br /> Keeau shelter being able to deal with the feral cat problem next door <br /> to them at the dump and given the way "chronic cruelty" is dealt with <br /> (see Biafra dog); with such a lack of Standard Operating Procedures <br /> why would it be a good idea to deputize animal control officers? I <br /> would also add that the BTK (bind, torture, kill) serial killer of last year <br /> was a deputized animal control officer. Would there be any background <br /> and psychological checks? And again this would increase tax-payer and <br /> County liability without proper oversight that the job was actually <br /> being done right. <br /> <br /> <br /> Thank you for your time and consideration. <br /> <br /> Halyna Kuheana, P.O. Box 968, Kurtistown, HI 96760 968-8700 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> C 7f Na. 1Q g .2`~ <br /> R0 rr t <br /> -NOV 15 200fi <br /> Ref. Date <br />