HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0193.002 2024-2026Mayor, Council Members & County Management Team
2025 Session
County of Hawai'i
To the Honorable Kimo Alameda, Mayor,
To the Honorable Heather L. Kimball, District 1 Council Member,
To the Honorable Jeniffer "Jenn" Kagiwada, District 2 Council Member,
To the Honorable Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, District 3 Council Member,
To the Honorable Ashley Lehaulani Kierkiewicz, District 4 Council Member,
To the Honorable Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder, District 5 Council Member,
To the Honorable Michelle Galimba, District 6 Council Member,
To the Honorable Rebecca Villegas, District 7 Council Member,
To the Honorable Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba, District 8 Council Member,
To the Honorable James Eustace, District 9 Council Member,
VOLUNTEER TESTIMONY
Name: Greg Baker, MBA, CCM
Hearing Date: Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
REQUEST: CAT POPULATION MANAGEMENT FUNDING
Aloha Animal Alliance, 501C3 Non-profit requests County of Hawai'i funding to establish Cat
Management Pilot Program and more.
IN SUPPORT
Introduction
1. My name is Greg "Pu'uwai Aloha" Baker, a resident of 23 plus years of the Big Island of
Hawai'i, Puna district, in Kalapana & Kaimu.
I am one lucky haole mainlander who became best friends with Puna Keli'iho'omalu and
became friends with his father, Uncle Robert Keli'iho'omalu plus the entire extended ohana that
includes the Ka'awaloa's, Kealoha's, Kuahiwinui's, Kahaloa's, Quihano's, Ku'uamo'o's, and
Kaho'okaulana's. I was given so much by all of them and it is important to me to honor these gifts
and contribute back to our island ohana (my kuleana).
My Hawaiian name was given to me by a dear friend, Uncle Treva who was full Kanaka Maoli. He
shared that it meant 'my heart is an infinite spring of alohathat I still consider big shoes for me to
grow into.
My love for everything here in HawaT is deep, and over the past five years my awareness of the
challenges our community cats face is both tragic and deeply sad.
1 am deeply involved in the cat rescue community and volunteer at the Aloha Animal
Alliance MASH High Quality High Volume Spay and Neuter (HQHVSN) clinics in Ocean
View.
I completed a college certificate program in Community Cat Management (CCM) from the
University of the Pacific, similar to an Animal Shelter Management program. This was taught
by Stacey LeBaron, a leader in the nationwide Cat community. My degree in Accounting and
MBA in Healthcare along with over a decade in corporate finance have helped me to develop
good practical critical thinking, which is unusual for a Cat Supporter!
I combine my love and passion for helping these animals with a strong foundation in
science -based decision making and use of best practice approaches.
Testimony.
Hawai'i County is sitting at a critical moment in our history to either;
• Do nothing and continue to have unmanageable cat populations that are destructive,
OR
• Begin to invest now in determining what works to manage our cat population islandwidel
If you do nothing now, then you have made a clear choice to have impossible and even more serious
challenges tomorrow.
Definition of Community Cats: Free Roaming Cats that include ferals, strays, lost, and dumped that are
owned by the community and the community is responsible for them.
Here is the two basics or foundation of Cat Population Management;
1. Community Cats are SOURCED from PET CATS.
a. The first step is to get as many pet cats fixed as possible!
b. Do everything possible to support cat owners to be able to keep their pets and protect
them from harm.
2. Targeted Fixing (TNR) of Community Cats combined with Cat Colony Management.
a. Focus efforts to fix an entire colony all at once to stop new kittens from appearing and
stabilize the population,
b. Manage the Cat Colony with feeding, needed care, and get new cats fixed asap,
c. Check if any cats in the colony are socialized, if so then get them adopted.
NOTE: Fixing and Managing the Colony MUST happen together
to successfully stabilize the population!
The Cat Management Program as prepared by Aloha Animal Alliance meets and exceeds current best
practices in the industry established over the past three decades that are confirmed with all the needed
scientific studies which I have studied.
I have worked closely with both Lauren Foo, Lisa Lane Cardin, and Dr. Foster and can confirm we are
especially blessed to have these folks here on island with their expertise.
I strongly urge each of you to consider approving this funding request at this critical moment of cat
population management here on Big Island. This is an important opportunity for our island to benefit from
their collective wisdom and passion to take the first steps to 'make a difference' that we desperately need.
Mahalo nui loa for your kokua of the popoki here on hawai'i nei.