HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0937.017 2004-2006
June 19, 2006
To: Mayor Kim, Chair Hige, and County Council Members:
I Oppose Bill 301 - An ordinance amending Chapter 4, of the Hawai'i County Code 1983, (2005
Edition), Animals.
I cannot believe council has the time and nerve to introduce Article 4, Cat Registration, in Bill
301, in our lovely, rural island community. What on earth could Jacobson be thinking when he
put forward this article. This is purely nonsense.
Cats are companion animals and are part of our families. People living here on the island
struggle working two and three jobs to make ends meet. Now you are asking them to pay a fee
to keep their pet "a beloved member of their family' Cats are vitally therapeutic for the elderly as
verified by the fact that most nursing and retirement homes allow seniors to have a cat in their
unit. The elderly are on a fixed income.
Many families love having the cats at their homes, ranches, farms, and places of business for
rodent control. Can you imagine not having cats to control the rat and rat off spring population,
Tell me folks, would you rather have a well controlled (spayed and neutered) colony of cats in
your neighborhood or have rats chewing the wires in your car, eating the food in your pantry,
chewing through your screen doors or scampering through your bedroom at night while you are
sleeping.
Why would you limit people to having only 4 pets per household. This is America. I thought we
were still a free country. Next thing you will be introducing legislation to limit the number of
children families can have.
Lastly, collars on outdoor cats is inhumane and abusive. The safety of the cat is jeopardized
when you use any form of collar. Tags can get caught on fences, lava rocks, under brush and
bushes which can result in the cat being strangled. Our island terrain puts them in extreme
harm's way.
I cannot believe any council member with common sense would ever want their name attached to
this senseless Bill, in particular Section 4-19, Registration Fees for Cats. Be wise and delete it
immediately.
Judy Kocon
76-6246 Alii Drive
Kailua-Kona, HI
329-3902
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