HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0937.038 2004-2006
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Mitchell, Megan
From: Murashige, Laura
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 8:39 AM
To: Mitchell, Megan
Subject: FW: Opposition to Bill 301
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Mertvago [mailto:mertvago@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 10:35 PM
To: Higa, Stacy
Subject: Opposition to Bill 301
Dear Council Members,
I am writing because I do not support Bill No. 301, Article 4, Section 4-19, Registration
fees for Cats; Section 4-20, Issuance of registration and tag for cats and Section 4-21,
Proof of sterilization and micro-chip implanting.
If cats are microchipped, the HIHS already has a complete list ofALL microchipped
animals, including dogs, cats, rebbits and birds, in their microchip registry. If the
animal is already microchipped and listed with the HIHS, this proposed registration
with tags is totally redundant.
The $4 or $10 fees proposed can't begin to pay for the personnel required to run such
a program. It's fiscally unsound.
Is the county prepared to hire "cat police" to enforce this cat registration or are the
already overworked HIHS staff supposed to do this, too?
Most cats in this county are mousers and ratters, thank goodness. Wearing collars
with tags would make it virtually impossible for the cats to do their rodent-control
jobs. Rodents have excellent hearing and a cat might as well be wearing a bell as a
tag.
Of course, there's the problem of collars on animals outside, It's very easy for a cat to
get caught on obstacles while wearing a collar and people buy the cheapest collar,
which is certainly not the break-away variety. I'm sure finding a dead cat caught upon
an obstacle isn't a pet owner's dream come true and this unpleasant picture will keep
many from bothering with registration and/or collaring their cats. And if they did buy
the break-away variety, they'd be regularly having to get new tags as the tags would
be hanging on the collar that's hanging on the obstacle after the cat is gone.
Another issue is TNR for abandoned cats and their offspring. It's my understanding
that the County Council adopted a resolution some time ago advocating TNR
(Trap/Neuter/Return (Release) as the only workable and acceptable way to deal with
abandoned cats and their offspring. This proposal flies in the face of that resolution.
Comm. No. q3
Ref. Toffee
6/20/2006 j;ef. Date 6
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The H/HS already has in place a system whereby people who desire to ha ve their cats
lD'd can get numbered tags.
We believe these sections of the bill are ill-conceived for the above stated reasons.
We would, however, support that all non-microchipped animals reclaimed from the
HIHS be microchipped and entered into the microchip data base before release to
their owners, at the owner's expense.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mahalo,
Peter & Ludmila Mertvago, Kona
6/20/2006