HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0642.027 2020-2022 COMM,0
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From: Becky Jones
Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2022 2:33 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony- Bill 125 - Dog Attacks
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I am the co-coordinator for Neighborhood Watch for the Ainaloa subdivision.
Loose, aggressive, and vicious dogs are a daily occurrence in our neighborhood. People do not feel safe to walk their
dogs,their children are not safe to walk to the park or school bus stop, and even older teenagers are afraid to ride
their bicycles down certain roads. Repeated reports are made, but HPD and animal control do not have the
resources to respond to this problem. To make matters worse, statute and County Code has not provided the
necessary framework allowing authorities to take the necessary steps to address the problem. The entire
neighborhood is prevented from feeling safe because of a few dog owners who do not respect the law, care about
the consequences of their dogs' behaviors as they stray, or fear the consequences of their dogs' behavior.
I am encouraged that injuring or destroying another animal is part of this bill as we have dog on animal attacks on a
weekly basis in Ainaloa. Some of our worst offenders who habitually allow their dogs to stray repeatedly only
receive a $25 citation on the rare occasions that they are cited no matter how many prior citations they've received
in the past 5 years. The tiered citation system that was intended in the existing County Code has largely been
ignored in the cases I've seen. Though that issue is not within the topic of this bill,I would hope it be addressed in
the future. We need mandatory minimum citations, not just maximums for these repeat offender dog owners.
Please pass this bill. It is long overdue.
Mahalo,
Becky Jones
Ainaloa Neighborhood Watch
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7 7-
Pahoa, HI 96778
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