HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.225 2024-2026From: Ann E. Sarli
Sent: Sunday, July 6, 2025 3:11 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: RE: "Amend Chapter 4, Article 3, of the Hawai'i County Code to prohibit the feeding
of feral or stray animals on County -owned property."
TESTIMONY RE : "Amend Chapter 4, Article 3, of the Hawaii County Code to prohibit
the feeding of feral or stray animals on County -owned property."
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Good Afternoon Council Members and Members of the Public,
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I am a retired attorney and administrative law judge. I would like to alert tF-ie
Council to the legal and community repercussions of passing the bill as
written (without the proposed amendment).
There are hundreds of County residents, Hawaii residents, who feed and trap,
spay and neuter and vaccinate these cats on a regular, systematic basis. Their
goal is to reduce or eliminate the stray cat population on the Island. Most will
continue to feed the colonies, and to trap, spay and vaccinate these
cats. They will not let these animals starve or die of thirst. Under this Bill,
these cjtizens will be regularly ticketed and ultimately jailed for contempt, for
violation of court orders. Many of these people are elderly retirees. Down the
Line, we can expect to have community outrage over the treatment of these
citizens. w
There are other repercussions we can expect immediately. Of course, there
will be thousands of cat and kitten corpses. The county will have to pay for
Location, removal and destruction of the bodies. Cats and kittens will make
their way onto roadways, like Queen K, and people's homes, looking for food
and water, causing accidents and swamping homeowners. Starving cats will
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kill hundreds of birds. Disease will spread among the cats, and without
spaying and neutering they will breed. We may end up with more cats then the
controlled population we now feed. Comm. ,"
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1 Ref. Davey . _
The simple solution is to reject the bill or amend the bill as requested, and let
these dedicated people solve the stray cat problem on the Island.
If Bill 51 moves forward, we respectfully request that the Council amend the language
to clearly state:
"Approved caretakers under county -recognized community cat management programs
shalt not be in violation of this ordinance. "
Mahalo,
Ann Sarli — 73-4341 Kaihlo Place Kailua Kona
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