HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0765.016 2016-2018THE HUMANE SOCIETY ��-
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To: Honorable Chair Eoff, Hawaii County Planning Committee members >;
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In Support Of: Bill 112
Date: March 13, 2018 2:00 p.m.""
Testimony By: Keith Dane, Hawaii Policy Advisor, The Humane Society of the"United States
On behalf of The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS), the nation's largest animal protection organization,
and our members and supporters in Hawaii County,'l appreciate the opportunity to submit this testimony in support of
Bill 112, which would require anyone owning more than four roosters to keep enclosures that house them at least 75
feet from property lines. This common sense ordinance will reduce nuisance and protect the public health, safety, and
welfare of the communities of Hawaii County.
The HSUS is familiar with the nuisance that these operations generate, and have seen first-hand that this is not simply an
issue of urbanites being unaccustomed to the sights, sounds, and odors common to rural areas where livestock are
commonly kept. In Hawaii and across the country, much of the input we receive opposing these operations is from
people who have raised livestock and horses for years, and who aren't bothered by the occasional crowing of a rooster.
The circumstances in our county are extreme, with some neighborhood backyards housing hundreds of fighting birds in
close proximity to their neighbors, thus completely compromising the quality of life in these communities. Homeowners
have noted declining property values and difficulty finding buyers for properties located in areas where gamecocks and
fighting pens can be seen and heard — even from inside their homes.
The unregulated keeping of roosters for fighting is also a great risk to public safety and welfare. Cockfighting is
associated with human violence, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and other violent crimes. As rooster breeding thrives
in our communities, so, too, do these activities, making our once -stable neighborhoods unsafe and uninviting.
The detriment of unregulated gamecock keeping is further magnified by the threat of the spread of disease. Individuals
who raise roosters for fighting keep dozens and even hundreds of birds and bring them together to one location for
scheduled fights. The congregation of this many birds in one area creates an ideal environment for the spread of
dangerous diseases, like avian flu and exotic Newcastle disease. Notably, the handlers are also at risk, as they come into
frequent, sustained contact with their birds during training and fights. Indeed, the World Health Organization and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture have implicated cockfighting in the spread of the highly lethal bird flu virus from poultry
to humans through contact with blood, feces, and droplets of fluid. This threat would greatly endanger any legitimate
poultry or egglaying operations on Hawaii island.
This bill will help ensure that Hawaii County is not vulnerable to these serious risks, and the many more that come with
unregulated rooster -keeping. I respectfully ask you to pass this legislation.
Keith Dane
301-312-1489
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