HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0091.071 2022-2024 pt Gounc,i
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From: Lori Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2023 10:54 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Bill 22 testimony- 3/8/23 Council Meeting w o
—
Aloha Council Members,
Mahalo for your service to our community! I am submitting testimony re Bill 22—creating the Animal Control andrr`}
Protection Agency. "' rr
As Hawai'i County moves forward with Bill 22 and the creation of the Animal Control and Protection Agencyeit's a good
time to reflect on and learn from the past few decades of Animal Control (AC) operations, as well as current operations
under the Hawai'i County Police Department(HPD). It also helps to understand the source of mistrust, held by many
community members, regarding the new Agency creation and its operations going forward. This mistrust stems from
decades of mismanagement;and yes; a broken animal care and control system.
Prior to HPD taking over AC operations, the services were contracted out to vendors. For several of these years, the
euthanasia rate was unacceptably high -way out of line with not only Industry, but also moral standards. And, now,
with HPD responsible for operations, we are all aware of the issues of inadequate service, and lack of performance and
progress. I don't need to reiterate details, as a large portion of the community made that clear last October. The
unprecedented number of complaints received by Council Members and signatures on our Petition made it evident that
not only is a change necessary, but also,that our AC situation is not'typical'.
We are now facing another County-run AC operation . . . and, that, itself, begs for accountability, effectiveness, and
transparency right off the bat. Why wouldn't it?
While some in our community believe the current animal situation in our County is just a 'sign of the times' -that this
problem exists everywhere-there are many others that truly know otherwise, and realize that promoting the mentality
that'there's nothing extraordinarily wrong here' is actually part of the problem. It does not move the needle forward;
it's also reminiscent of a victim mentality.
How does one explain that annual Intakes went from approximately 12K/year down to 2K/year when HPD took over AC
operations? Is that happening everywhere? What about Open-Admission shelters being totally closed to the
public? Closed to strays, owner surrenders, and families looking for their lost pets? Is that happening everywhere? Not
responding to calls regarding abandonment, cruelty, and neglect situations. Everywhere? Don't blame a staffing
shortage . . . the recruiting attempts certainly leave MUCH to be desired. But the shelters are in need of desperate
repair. County approved a$2M CIP for these repairs over a year ago! Still not done. Community Spay/Neuter
(S/N)? Nope, community S/N is not Animal Control's mandate . . . so,they're not going to do it. Wow. Sorry, but we
have a broken system! Call these issues 'misinformation' if you wish . . . it doesn't matter. I know better and I want
better for the animals and people of our community.
It is disappointing to see a recent increase in euthanasia rates on the current Shelter Activity Reports, and in the already
high level of complaints regarding 'no-response' from AC on calls from the community seeking assistance with strays and
cruelty/neglect situations. If I'm not mistaken, Bill 22 has not yet passed, and HPD AC is still responsible for the
operation for at least four(4) more months. Not only is this further downturn of performance indicative of a larger
problem with the County's ability to handle AC duties effectively, it intensifies the mistrust from the community.
Comm. No. "� I
1 Ref.To: l Oma I
Ref. Date MAR - 8 2023
Fortunately,we have another opportunity with the Animal Control and Protection Agency which would be created
through Bill 22. We CAN and HAVE to do better, or we'll continue the status quo—which would be reprehensible. I
encourage the administration to address the current downturn in service levels and responsiveness in the short-term
while Bill 22 is being implemented. I encourage the administration to carefully recruit, investigate and hire the Agency's
Administrator role. I encourage the administration to use local community and national experts to design the Agency's
strategic plan, policies, and procedures. Anything less is not doing nor trying hard enough.
As a member of this community who voluntarily works every day to help move the needle forward, I believe it is my
responsibility to support our animal control agencies. But it is equally important for the animal control agency to
reciprocate that support by addressing the concerns of the public they serve and providing EVERY opportunity to help
the animals . . . especially since those opportunities are available to us.
Mahalo,
Lori Johnson
Hawai'i Island Pets Alive
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