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From: leokirk
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2023 11:44 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Written Testimony from Leanne (Iseri) Kirk regarding Bill 22
Dear Councilmembers:
My name is Leanne (Iseri) Kirk. I have been concerned about the animal control issue for a few
years now. I am in favor of Bill 22 to create an animal control and protection agency.
If you would kindly please read the letter that I wrote last year to Councilman Aaron Chung, Mayor
Mitch Roth, Senator Laura Acasio, and Representative Chris Todd, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Here is the letter that I wrote last year:
1265 Kumukoa Street
Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
May 5, 2022
The Honorable Aaron Chung
Council Member, Hawai'i County Council
25 Aupuni Street, Room 1402
Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
Dear Councilman Chung:
My name is Leanne (Iseri) Kirk. I was born and raised in Hilo, but lived in Southern California for
38 years until Jan. 2020 when I moved back to Hilo to help my elderly parents.
The reason I am writing to you is because I am very concerned that there is no management
strategy to control the feral cat, boar, and chicken population on Hawai'i Island.
There is a feral cat colony in my neighborhood, and I have been trying to trap and have them fixed
through Petfix Spay and Neuter's program. The problem is that I have to wait two months between
appointments, and in the meantime, the cats are multiplying. Plus, they are difficult to trap.
One of the women from Petfix Spay and Neuter told me that they are falling behind on the
spay/neuter program due to the overwhelming demand for their services.
I know that in the past, my neighbors and parents would trap the feral cats and bring them to the
Humane Society to be adopted/euthanized, but now there is no organization that will take in feral cats
on Hawai'i Island. There are only the spay/neuter programs.
Also, I went to Ala'e Cemetery recently to visit my great-uncle's grave, and the ground is all torn up
around the graves from the feral pigs. I had heard about it in the paper (https-//www.hawaiitribune-
herald.com/2022/01/19/hawaii-news/pigs-make-a-mess-inside-alae-cemetery/), but I was shocked at
how bad it was. I personally feel that allowing this damage to happen is very disrespectful to our
deceased loved ones.
In addition, the feral chicken problem seems to be out of control. My friends (tourists)who have
come to visit us from the mainland have noticed this, as well. They mentioned that the feral chickens
and cats detract from the beauty of Hawai'i Island. The feral chickens and cats create the
atmosphere of being in a poor, rural town in Mississippi — dirty and unsanitary.
Please forgive me for venting, by why does it seem like problems are only addressed when they
are out of control? We should try to control the feral chicken, boar, and cat population while it is still
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controllable. It is sort of like a cancer that is still operable right now, but if we wait too long, it will
metastasize, and we will be in a panic situation.
What I mean is that, currently cats are killing the endangered native Hawaiian bird population and
also contaminating the environment with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that kills the Hawaiian monk
seal. If we wait any longer, the Hawaiian bird population will be on the verge of extinction, and it
would have been our fault for not doing something sooner.
I wrote to the Big Island Invasive Species Committee to find out if there were any plans or
legislation in the pipeline to control the feral animal population. I found out that there is a small but
vocal group of people who oppose drastic measures to control the feral animal population. I hate to
say it, but spay and neuter programs are not going to work. They are overwhelmed and are only a
"drop in the bucket" when it comes to solving the problem. There needs to be an official organization
(like the former Humane Society) who is in charge of animal control that takes in feral animals. Also,
the euthanasia program needs to be reinstated.
In addition, the feral chickens and boars need to be trapped and euthanized, as well.
I know that it is not politically correct to express these views, but there are a large majority of
people who feel the same way based on the people I have communicated with.
Please do what you can to introduce and for support legislation that will implement a management
plan to address the feral cat, boar, and chicken problem on Hawaii Island.
Please do not listen to a small group of vocal animal activists. There is a larger majority out there
who are very frustrated about the problem and who would appreciate whatever you can do to help.
Thank you very much for your time and help.
My cell phone number is: (31 Q) 849-9352, and my email address is: LeoKirk@aol.com.
Sincerely,
Leanne Kirk
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