HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0022.068 2004-2006 Page 1 of 2
Robello, Alfred
From: Josephine Keliipio [Josephine@poidogs.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 11:42 PM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Reed Flickinger -WHT; Lilian Beaufrere
Subject: Bill 4/Draft 5 -Recommendation -Penalties for making malicious complaints
Dear County Council Members,
Remember Dana Simons? He is the guy from Sunset View Terrace who, along with
his pal, Jean Gray, testified about their neighbor's 6 barking dogs at the public
hearing held at the Kona Sheraton on March 17, 2005. Pua tings, no? In fact, their
miserable story was so believable, that some of you even tried to provide
suggestions of how to remedy their situation. The West Hawaii Today was also
fooled by these clowns and published their sad sob stories in a front page article on
March 18th without even attempting to get "the other side of the story."
I happen to know Mr. Simons and ever since his neighbors with the dogs moved in
next door to him last year, he has told me on more than one occasion that he
would do whatever it took to make his neighbors get rid of their dogs. Pretty nasty
thing to say, eh? The two or three times that I stopped over at his house to "hear"
what he was talking about, I heard NO dogs barking. Not a one!
After reading WHT's severely biased article on March 18th and remembering what
Mr. Simons had told me last year, I decided to visit the dogs' caretakers to offer
my support, invite them to testify at the public hearing in Waimea on March 22nd
and encourage them to keep involved with Bill 4, Draft 5 regarding Animal Control.
It is very important for you to know that the 5 dogs (the sixth dog was a temporary
boarder) in question are cared for and loved by two very responsible guardians.
The dogs live INDOORS and are not tied up in the backyard as many of you might
have thought. Since the dogs sleep INDOORS at night and since both guardians
are gainfully employed at daytime jobs, there is no way that the dogs would
be allowed to bark continuously all night. No way. Of the half dozen times that I
have been to this home since March 18th, the dogs have only barked for a few
seconds upon my approach to the house and have immediately relaxed in silence
while I was there visiting. I believe that Mr. Simons and Ms. Gray were both being
extremely dishonest and malicious in their testimony on March 17th. Speaking of
malicious, I noticed that the Bill 4, Draft 5 along with the old law, fails to penalize
people (like Simons and Gray) from making malicious and fraudulent complaints.
How come?
Mr. Simons was quoted in the WHT as saying that, "he used to approach the
owners about the vocal dogs but he doesn't anymore because it creates tension."
But according to Rick and Tim (the dog's guardians) Mr. Simons Z,l.~$
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4/ 11 /2005
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has apparently been playing a big role in contributing toward the "tension" as
follows: i) He has sent the Dept. of Health inspector to inspect their backyard
twice for dog doodoo. 2) He has asked the building inspector to stop Rick and Tim
from installing a bamboo screen on their newly built rock wall after he had
originally agreed to let them erect the screens. 3) He has removed a surveyor's pin
placed in his driveway by a licensed surveyor who revealed to Rick that Mr. Simon's
driveway was illegally built on Rick's property. Amidst all of the "tension building"
that Mr. Simons has been working on, he has not once called the humane society or
the police about the "vocal dogs." I wonder why? Could it be that his issues are
more personal and not really dog-related? So how does Bill 4, Draft 5 protect dogs
and their guardians from being maliciously preyed upon by vindictive people like
Mr. Simons?
In closing I want to add that on Monday, March 28th, I parked my car two lots
down from Mr. Simons house in order to carpool to the Task Force meeting on
Animal Control with Rick. The meeting was held in Waimea. When I returned from
Waimea after 10 pm, got into my car and drove it home 2 miles away, I noticed
that my right front tire was flat. The next morning, Rick called me to say that two
of the tires on John's truck (he is a temporary boarder at Rick's house) were also
flattened. All 3 tires were punctured in the sidewall with a sharp object (like an ice
pick) meaning that the tires were destroyed and had to be replaced. There were six
cars parked in this general location and only 2 of our cars were targeted. ONLY
TWO. We have filed criminal reports with the Police Dept. listing the obvious
suspect.
It is important that you include a section in the law which penalizes people making
malicious and fraudulent claims and complaints. A $1,000 penalty is very
reasonable.
Mahalo,
Josephine Keliipio
76-168 Royal Poinciana Drive
Kailua-Kona, Hi 96740
4/11 /2005