HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0022.088 2004-2006
Murashige, Laura
From: l_ARANN SASAKI (larannm@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 9:17 PM
To: counci (testimony@co. hawaii, h i. us
Subject: animal legislation changes
Concerns shared by many.....Please consider theses
issues for improvement. Especially the cruelty matter!
-Section 4-Z2, article 4 mandates a 48 hour holding
period for impounded stray dogs, but mentions nothing
about cats. Currently the holding period for cats is
24 hours. It usually takes at least 24 hours for an
owner/feeder to notice if a cat is missing. Please
request that this 48 hour holding period be mandated
for cats as well
-The animal redemption fee is proposed to be raised
from $10 to $25. You may or may not know that when
notified by the HIHS of the holding of an ear tipped
(i.e.nuetered cat), this redemption fee that we must
pay is hardship enough after the $65./$50. invested in
neutering the animal. Please request that this fee
should be waived for AdvoCats because they have
voluntarily and with private {not county) funds and
volunteer labor, undertaken a job which should be
under the domain of the HIHS, but due to a lack of
resources, these animals are euthanized unnecessarily
because it is the "cheapest" option. (This is a 150%
increase in the redemption fee, which comes out of
pocket from [he person who redeems the cat and tries
to find its rightful owner.)
-Penalties for cruelty to animals which mentions dogs
and cats have been raised, which is a good thing,
however, Section 4-29, regarding "Injury or poisoning
of dogs", should be reworded to include cats as well.
We are well aware of the rash of cat poisonings and
the hangings of poisoned feral cats at Honokohau
Harbor last year. Cats should be included along with
dogs in BOTH measures A and B.
-most of the ordinance and fee changes award the
lowest tier of fees to animals with microchips. There
are problems with microchipping that council members
may be unaware of in that the chips can move
internally and are not foolproof for identification.
Also, it is difficult ,and sometimes impossible to
scan a terrified, aggressive animal (which may be that
way only because it has been traumatized). I believe
this "fee bias" to encourage microchipping is
inappropriate.
- certain factions of dog owners have raised the issue
at hearing about licenses for cats. Nuisance dogs can
be specifically tied to their behaviour i'e'
continuous barking, aggression, attack, and in This
category, licenses help trace owners. This is totally Z Z• ~8'
impractical, and unreliable to require licenses for Comm. No.
1 Ref. To: CIM'~
Ref. o'^