HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.357 2024-2026From: David Lambrecht
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2025 2:14 PM o o
To: Council Testimony C'
Subject: Opposition to Bill 51 r �:
CO
Members of the Hawaii County Council, UJ
The following letter expresses opposition to any potential ordi`anEe
that would criminalize the feeding of cats, including abandoned
kittens and cats, on Hawaii County property. While the concerns that
may lead to such a proposal are understood, especially regarding the
management of free -roaming cat populations, criminalizing
compassion is believed to be inhumane and counterproductive to
effective animal management.
The Council is urged to consider and support humane and effective
alternatives such as Trap -Neuter -Return (TNR) programs. TNR
involves humanely trapping cats, sterilizing them, providing
necessary veterinary care, and returning them to their colonies. This
approach has proven to stabilize and reduce cat populations over
time by preventing further reproduction. Furthermore, TNR has been
shown to improve the health and well-being of the cats while also
reducing nuisance behaviors, leading to better coexistence within
communities.
Criminalizing the feeding of cats is not an effective solution to
reducing cat populations. It can have the opposite effect by making it
more difficult to trap cats for sterilization and scattering colonies,
making population management efforts more challenging. Feeding
bans are difficult to enforce and can lead to unintended
consequences, including starvation and increased visibility of cats as
they search for food.
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Adopting policies that focus on humane strategies like TNR would
demonstrate Hawaii County's commitment to animal welfare while
effectively addressing concerns about community cat populations.
Organizations, such as the Maui Humane Society, have publicly
opposed feeding bans for these very reasons and advocate for the
proven benefits of TNR programs.
The County Council is implored to reject any ordinance that would
criminalize the feeding of cats and instead support humane and
effective measures like Trap -Neuter -Return to manage community
cat populations in Hawaii County.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Mahalo,
Dave Lambrecht
P.O. Box 690, Kapaau, HI 96755
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