HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.230 2024-2026Testimony in opposition to Bill 51 -Abby Simmons
TO: Hawaii County Council- Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
RE: Opposition to Bill 51- Prohibiting Feeding of Feral Animals on County Property
DATE: July 8, 2025 o
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Aloha Chair and Council Members,
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My name is Abby Simmons and I am submittingthis testimony in strong opposition to fill
51, which proposes to criminalize the feeding of feral animals on county property. Why they
bill may be intended to protect native wildlife, it would severely undermine Hawaii Island's
most effective, humane, and community -supported strategy for reducing feral cat
populations: Trap -Neuter -Return -Manage (TNRM).
0 TNR is Effective Population Control
TNR programs have a well -documented history of reducing feral cat populations through
sterilization and managed care:
• On Hawaii Island, AdvoCATS has spayed/neutered over 30,000 cats since 1999.
These efforts prevent thousands of births annually and reduce the number of kittens
and sick animals on our streets (AdvoCATS).
• In Waikoloa, after TNR and feeding were halted, the managed cat colony at Queens'
Marketplace rebounded from 100 to nearly 200 cats, many sick and malnourished —
demonstrating how abrupt bans can reverse progress.
• Global and national studies echo these results:
• TNR in Rome reduced median colony size by 31 % in just -two years (Natoli et al..
2006).
• A targeted TNR campaign in Florida led to a 66% drop in shelter intake from the area,
(Levy et al., 2014).
Feeding Supports, Not Hinders, TNR
Feeding is a critical tool in feral cat management:
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Testimony in opposition to Bill 51 -Abby Simmons
• It helps gain cats'trust, making it possible to trap and sterilize them.
• It reduces roaming and aggression, cutting down on nuisance behaviors and
disease.
• Studies show that welt -fed cats are up to 5 times less likely to hunt birds and wildlife
(Barratt, 1998).
Without feeding, caregivers cannot continue TNR, and colonies become unmanageable.
Removing feeding accelerates suffering, increases wildlife predation, and removes the only
public health infrastructure managing these cats.
TNR Reduces Public Health Risk
Toxoplasmosis is often cited in justification of feeding bans, but:
• Well-fed, sterilized cats have much Lower toxoplasmosis infection rates.
• In California, fed colony cats were 79% less likely to carry T. gondii than unfed ferals
(VanWormer et at., 2013).
• Programs like AdvoCATS also vaccinate and deworm cats during sterilization,
further reducing public health risks.
0 TNR is Cost -Effective
TNR costs $60-$70 per cat, often subsidized by nonprofits.
Catch -and -kill programs cost upwards of $100 per cat, must be repeated, and face
constant replenishment from dumped or breeding cats.
Hawaii County recently allocated $50,000 to Aloha Animal Alliance for a structured TNRM
program that includes feeding stations, sterilization, and monitoring (Hawai`i County Res.
140-25).
Criminalizing feeding would directly undermine the County's own investment and derail
progress.
a Community Opposition to Bill 51
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Testimony in opposition to Bill 51 —Abby Simmons
• TNRM is supported by 85% of cat caregivers across Hawaii (Ward Research Survey
for HSUS).
• Colony feeders overwhelmingly want fewer cats, not more —they work everyday to
achieve that through sterilization and adoption
• The 2023 Waik6loa protest against a feeding ban drew major public support under
the rallying cry: "Stop starving the cats"
EJ The Better Path Forward
Bill 51 penalizes the very volunteers who are working for a solution. A better approach
would be to:
• Permit designated feeding zones tied to sterilization and monitoring.
• Enforce anti -abandonment laws and consider mandatory spay/neuter for pet cats.
• Expand TNRM with county partnerships, not criminalization.
I urge you to vote NO on Bill 51.
We can protect native wildlife and reduce the cat population without cruelty, without
division, and without punishing good-hearted people. TNRM works, and with your support,
it can work even better.
Mahalo nui loa,
Abby Simmons (she/her)
Volcano Resident
Citations & Sources
• AdvoCATS Hawai `i
• Natoli et al., 2006 (Rome TNR Study)
• Levy et al. 2014 Florida TNR Shelter Study)
• Barratt, 1998 — Predation by House Cats
• VanWormer et al.. 2013 — Toxoplasmosis in Cats
• Ward Research Survey (HSUS�
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