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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.305 2024-2026.J From: Jody Brissette c,o Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 11:56 AM To: Council Testimony p -G Subject: Bill 51 D am writing in opposition to Bill 51. As written the bill is overly vague and introduces animal cgeltyo be committed "Under the guise of Law". For decades the public and non profits have assisted with feral cats on the island. They have fed, neutered/spayed and provided medical services. People who moved to Hawaii that are wealthy have led the charge to remove feral cats along with "groups" that claim the cats are a threat to the Nene and other wildlife. These cats have been fed and have become accustomed to being fed, have lost their interest in hunting birds or Nene as people have claimed they are doing. Stopping the feeding and caring for the cats will only bring actions and disease that the county claims to be trying to avoid. What will the county do then? Spend more money on combating yet another avoidable situation? Soon after the removal of the feral cats etc will be hearing from the very people behind HB51 that now rodents have now overrun county parks and pose a grave health threat to the people of Hawaii, who in turn will once again pay higher taxes to fix a situation the council created. The bill authorized the trapping of said cats. Where will they be released or yet, will they be euthanized under the cloak of "relocating". How will the county cover this cost? Another expense for hard working taxpayers, while feeding the cats was done by non profits who raised money from willing citizens. Who will be authorized to trap, who will monitor them to ensure the animals are being treated humanely? The bill FAILS to address this matter in a manageable way, it does however promote unmanaged consequences that will result in the county or should I say the taxpayer to remain reactive rather than proactive is which the many non profit groups have approached this situation. Ironically Bill 51 is justified by the dangers cat/cat food have over the Nene,but no one has mentioned that the Nene population explosion is not really attributed to conservation rather than the mass relocation of Nene to the Big Island from Kauai at the expense of $18,000 per bird. This relocation was done under a similar disguise that HB51 uses. For the good of the Nene. No one talks about the fact that there were ZERO Kauai bird strikes involving the Nene. Yet, the relocation was predicated on this myth. Just as HB 51 is predicated on a myth. Comm. E oL0O✓. J Pei. T©: . R Ref. Dde A - 2 i 202 -