HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.434 2024-2026From: Michelle Barbe
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2025 7*48 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Fwd: Oppose Bill 51
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Subject: Opposition to Proposed Ban on Feeding Cats on County Propert
Bill 51
Dear Members of the Hawaii County Council,
I am writing to respectfully express my strong opposition to any proposed
legislation that would make it illegal to feed cats on county property.
The vast majority of these cats were not born in the wildlife they were
abandoned or dumped by people who, for various reasons, could no longer
care for them. This is a human -created issue, and it deserves a humane and
responsible solution, not punishment directed at those who are trying to help.
Across our island, privately funded, volunteer -led groups and individuals
have stepped up where resources are scarce. These compassionate people
give their time, money, and energy to trap, spay/neuter, medically treat, and
feed these cats. Many of these cats are already sterilized and pose no threat of
further reproduction. Banning feeding on county property would not only
endanger these cats by depriving. them of food and oversight, it would also
undermine the hard work and success of these community -led Trap -Neuter -
Return (TNR) efforts.
Feeding bans do not solve the root problem they only push it out of sight,
where it grows unchecked. Without consistent care, sterilized cats may
scatter, become malnourished, and even die slow and painful deaths from
treatable conditions. Additionally, unmonitored areas could become home to
new, unsterilized cats, thereby reversing progress and increasing long-term
costs for the county.
Comm. No.
1 Ref. To:
Fief. Date L 2 .13 2025
The humane and effective solution is to support the work of these volunteer
caretakers. With county cooperation rather than criminalization together we
can continue reducing cat colony populations over time and ensure the cats
that are here live out their lives with dignity.
Please consider the long-term impact of this decision, both on the cats and on
our community. These caregivers are not the problem; they are a crucial part
of the solution.
Sincerely,
Michelle Barbe
408-930-5199
13-979 Kahukai St, Pahoa