HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0054.020 2000-2002 April, 2001
dear HIHS hoard 14~Ilember,
am a resident of Ildllin~esota, and will become a Hawaii resident this fall when I move to
l~llaui. I was on the dig Island for 6 weeks last winter and tried to volunteer at the
Waimea shelter. The first letter in this packet describes my experience at the shelter.
Other letters in this :packet are mostly from residents of the Waikoloa and Waimea
communities. The :photographs are of the Waimea and Kona shelters. I am writing to
you now because, despite a community protest resulting in public testimony at the
county counc'sl on February 21, and despite genuine efforts by the comma-pity since
then to help improve conditions for animals at the Waimea shelter, conditions are
reportedly similar to before the community 'sntervention and progress toward
improvement seems stalled out.
Grayson Hashida conducted a volunteer orientation with 6 community residents on
February 29. One volunteer, IVlarilyn VonCramm - 883-1158 - was eager to begin
helping but has been waiting for over a month to be contacted by HIHS and given the go
ahead. ~'her~ she inquired as to why, she reported to me that she was told her
references didn't have phone numbers which was not true. Sra1y volunteer application, a
large packet in a s~anila envelope seat from ~diinnesota was "not received", according to
Grayson when ical-led to foi-low up two weeks after it was sent. I challenge this 'body to
contact Greg Timm~l {885-5.958}, veterinarian in Waimea, who came to the Waimea
Open Flouse on February 24 offering- to be helpful to I~HS in a variety of ways
according to Grayson's report at the volunteer orientation February 2g lvly expectation is
that he has not been contacted. Some of the cats at Waimea have been there for at
least 2 months without exercise and little stimulation. I recently contacted Grayson at
bona offering to adoption fees for these nice animals so they might find homes
more qu'sckly. I was turned down and given the reason that HIHS didn't want to show
favoritism of some animals over others. After being there so long, why haven't these
cats at least been moved to Dona where they .are more likely to be adopted?
In the meantime a local resident - Ferol IC®lons, 883-8051 -reportedly recently stopped
by the Waimea shelter and found conditions there as bad as before our community
intervention -the facility was reportedly dorty, some animals reportedly without food and
or water, cat litter boxes filled over with urine and feces. Co~?vn. NQ, ~ 2.0
File No. N 1
Fief. T'o:_
C - .S . 2 A Ref. n~tP _.~~Q~..::.T.
I~amela Warner ~d. C.
25145 Glen Load
Shorewood,
1~11n. 55331
952-474-5381
.
~c: County council finance committee members
am challenging this board to have the courage to review carefully the letters and
pictures in this packet and conduct your own investigation. When Grayson Hashida
appeared before tl~e county council with a brief testimony on February 21, he indicated
to the council that since volunteers were now interested in helping at the Waimea
shelter the situation could get taken care of. Check the tape -it's public record. Why
would he say that if he didn't believe the Waimea shelter was not up to an acceptable
standard? Why would he not qu'sckly put into place the volunteers ready to work?
challenge you to ask your fri-ends in the 11Vaimea area to drop by the shelter
unannounced during public hours and see what they find. I challenge you to contact
some of the comrr~unity residents whose letters appear in this packet.
Your love for animals and someone's belief in you have allowed you the privilege of
serving on the board of I-lll-~S. ~`he animals at the Waimea shelter need you now.
'lease help them.
tI ,
V LL ~t,«..l-Jr' Gd 1. L'11.J_.~
l
I~mela Warner ~d.
25145 Glen Load
Shorewood,
l~ln. 55331
952-474-381
,
cc: County council finance committee members
.