HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.260 2024-2026Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Monday, July 7, 2025 8:08 AM
maryellen tuttell
Council Testimony
RE: Amend Bill 51
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From: maryellen tuttell
Sent: Saturday, July 5, 202512:38 PM
Subject: Amend Bill 51
I oppose Bill 51. if the bill moves forward m, I request the following
amendment:
"Approved caretakers under county -recognized community cat
management programs shall not be in violation of this ordinance."
Without this clarification, you risk confusing the public, discouraging
participation, and undermining a promising solution before it has a
chance to deliver measurable outcomes.
There are hundreds of County residents, Hawaii residents, who feed and
trap and spay and neuter 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 and spay
cats. They will not let these animals starve or die of thirst. These
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citizens will be regularly ticketed and ultimately jailed for contempt, for
violation of court orders. Many of these people are elderly
retirees. Down the line, you can expect to have community outrage over
the treatment of these citizens.
There are other repercussions you 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. Disease will spread among the animals, and without
spaying and neutering they will breed.
The simple solution is to amend the bill as requested and let these
dedicated people solve the stray cat problem on the Island.
Mahalo!
Maryellen Tuttell
76-877 N Manu O Ku Pl
Kailua Kona
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