HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0283.514 2024-2026P /CowdI
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From:
advocate@mail.actionbutton.org on behalf of Katryana Hanley-knutson �
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<advocate@mail.actionbutton.org>
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Sent:
Monday, July 21, 2025 8:24 PM
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To:
Council Testimony
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Subject:
Bill 51 - STRONGLY OPPOSED
To Mayor Kimo Alameda and the Hawaii County Council:
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I call on you to REJECT BILL 51 in its current form and instead take action that reflects our island's values
of compassion, community, and kuleana.
BILL 51 GETS IT WRONG!!
Criminalizing cat feeding won't solve the problem — it amplifies it:
Starving cats doesn't make them vanish; it drives them into sensitive ecosystems, increases disease,
leads to more kittens, and intensifies community conflict.
This approach punishes caregivers instead of addressing underlying causes — and it makes our island
less humane.
We understand the goal is to protect native wildlife. But Bill 51 ignores both the root causes and the real
solutions. We urge you, Mayor Alameda, to course -correct— and join us in supporting humane,
effective, and proven strategies.
THE REALITY ON THE GROUND
Families across our island face:
Spay/neuter costs they can't afford
Veterinary care that's out of reach
Pet -averse rentals, forcing people to give up animals
Trying To Feed their pets despite rising living costs
When families surrender pets — often dumped at transfer stations, parks, or shopping centers —what
emerges is labeled "community cats." These cats aren't feral monsters —they're lost, dumped, or
abandoned — and we need to fix the broken system behind it.
OUR SOLUTION: TWO -PRONGED ACTION
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Drive compassionate caretakers underground
Increase dumping of unwanted pets
Undermine trust and momentum gained by years of volunteer efforts
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Waste County resources enforcing an unenforceable law
Ultimately produce more suffering —for cats, wildlife, and our community
WE STAND FOR ALOHA -BASED SOLUTIONS
Rather than criminalize care, let's uplift the work already underway by the following organizations:
AdvoCATS, Aloha Animal Alliance, Advocats Hawaii, Action 4 Animals Hawaii, CatSnip, Feed the Kitty,.
Good Karma Spay & Neuter, Jungle Cat Ladies Sanctuary, Kahu Popoki - Care For Our Cat Ohana, KARES
Hawai'i, Rainbow Friends, Volcano Cat Sanctuary, and others —
ALL working together to roll out these humane solutions across the island.
SIGN THE PETITION —AND JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Together we can:
Stop the cycle of abandonment
Keep families and pets united
Reduce cat colony size over time — while protecting wildlife
We can solve this — but not with Bill 51.
Mayor Alameda, we urge you: reject this bill and stand with us — our'ohana, our cats, and our island
values.
With aloha,
Your fellow resident of Hawaii Island.
This message was sent by Katryana Hanley-knutson via ActionButton, on behalf of Kahu Popoki - Care
For Our Cat Ohana. Please reply to Katryana Hanley-knutson at katryanahk gmail.com.