HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.377 2024-2026From:
janice glennie
Sent:
Monday, July 21, 2025 12:46 PM
To:
Council Testimony
o
Cc:
Villegas, Rebecca; Kagiwada, Jennifer, Kimball, Heather
Subject:
Bill 51 inhumane, .pointless, unworkable
cc—,
—
r:)—<
Aloha council members,
This will be long but hopefully
helpful testimony. L
__
As I write'it, my little feline rescue, Cleo, rubs up against me. Bill 51 will prevent kitties like her from being
homed, while causing needless suffering and death to their kin. But that's only one reason why Bill 51 is a
"punish the humans who give a hoot" bill.
I've spent most of my life helping to protect our oceans and its creatures. My head isn't in the sand about
the negative issues associated with feral cats, diseases, and predation. (The reason Cleo stays indoors.)
What small bit I've contributed to rescuing and helpingto reduce the abandoned/feral pet population as
recently as this month is real and deserving of respectful consideration, as are countless other stories of
good samaritans who've done the same. And, if wee being honest, who's done more harm to our
native species and nearshore waters than humans (a noteworthy example being our illegally
substandard wastewater treatment plants)?
Bill 51 negates worthy views, science, and experience. The deep flaws of the bill (if passed without
serious amendment or the death of it) will 1) insure further extreme suffering for ownerless cats, 2) cause
unnecessay and painful death to said animals, 3) will punish humans whose hearts guide and drive
them to do what's pono when it's (literally) sitting in front of them and, 4) do very little to solve the
problem. If Bill 51 is going to be handled by a county unprepared and unwilling to enforce most existing
rules from speeding to land use, then "hello seashore cat colonies!". Why would anyone expecta good
outcome from Bill 51 when there are no alternatives for where cats can be fed, humanely captured
and sheltered, and no money, no legal backing, or support from an agency (e.g., this council) to find
a better alternative? What the public is asking is thatyou to come up with do -able, clear alternatives
other than trapping, poisoning or shooting innocent cats and fining people who care.
Bill 59 could be about humane proaction and solutions, including support for creating sanctuaries
forferal cats. Sancuary specifics would include:
how to humanely get strays to sanctuaries.
clear information of what will happen once the cats are there.
Those parameters wouldn't come from politicians or people who've never helped address the issue, but
would originate from professionals, other jurisdictions around the country (or globe), and people on the
ground (not certified but knowledgable from experience or willing to figure it out). In fact, the idea of
creating sanctuaries has been promoted to the county and others for years by local veterinarianys� and
al
1 Comm. ✓
Ref. To:
— fti 11
Ref. Dat
other community advocates, yet this council forges on, giving a nod to a bill that uses incomplete
information to create hostile and community -dividing, expensive, unwieldy non -solutions that will
encourage the pervasive hateful treatment of innocent creatures who otherwise might be wonderful
pets. In so doing, Bill 51 also helps bring our society to an even lower ebb by legally supporting the
increasingly trendy hate vibe that already exists in this picture.
This bill isn't about agreeing to disagree. Lives are at stake including the sea creatures and native birds
we care about, and the cats who innocently cause harm. It's not a one-off that I rescued a mother cat
and her 3 kittens on county land, because I've fed and rescued others on county land over the
years. Understand that there was no way they could've been humanely and successfully rescued if
it had been a legal infraction for me to feed them. And it was a good thing those cats were fed there
and then, because if they hadn't been, there'd be a new, out-of-conrol colony with in a month like is
happening at other places where individuals and agencies can't keep up. Without caring community
volunteers (and even tourists who were a huge help in rescuing "Annie" and her kittens), more
kittens would've been born by the ocean, demanding and destroying even more resources.
I've spent many hours and years working to help address environmental issues related to protecting
Hawai' is ecosystems and wildlife. At the same time, I've also tried to help solve the different but related
challenge of increasing cat population that has endless facets, nooks and crannies — not unlike.
homelessness. Both homelessness and feral animal control require an open mind and beating heart. Bill
51 is inhumane and is —not being hyperbolic --like saying homeless people shouldn't be fed on county
property because they're shitting everywhere causing potential death to nearshore organisms. Is the
solution not to feed them?
And big picture: thinking of the harm the feds are inflicting and will inflict on humans and all of the
creatures on this planet, I wonder where there is to turn other than to our local leadership; but what does
the public do when those leaders don't hear information that could help all the creatures and people at
the mercy of those hateful, undemocratic rules, because it seems that, so far in this case, most of you
guys aren't listening? Without do -able, county -supported options, supporting Bill 51 is dead wrong.
Mahalo to Ms Kimball for trying, but her amendment is unwieldy and doesn't realistically solve any of the
bill's issues. I'm a working person who knows how to network as do many people who help or have
helped stray cats when they came into their lives. I'm not going to become a certified feeder, yet the
value of helping cats, even if it's one small part of one's life, can and continues to exponentially help
reduce the cat. population.
Ms Kagiwa's amendment is also well-meaning and mahalo for her vote against the bill. Many people
hope that the longer the bill isn't enforced, the better. But postponing implementation of this useless,
heartless legislation isn't enough.
Bill 51 embodies what I learned in the long struggle to protect Kohanaiki decades ago: that most
agencies and companies kick the can down the road using lame excuses that allow them to avoid
coming up with solutions that clearly, effectively, and humanely address society's problems —solutions
that they, in fact, have a kuleana to help solve. That's what this council will be doing if this bill is passed.
The pono thing for you all to support is tabling or killing Bill 51. Mahalo for deeply hearing the views and
experience of your constituents so you don't knowingly and avoidably kick a problem into someone
else's life and space.
Best regards,
Janice Palma-Glennie
Kailua-Kona