Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0396.030 1998-2000 oct. v, Zooo To Aaron Chung Chairman and Finance Committee Recev~n From Ginger Towle, West Hawaii Humane Society nR1°----~~ ~ a°~~ - Dota Sub~ect Animal Control ~r~~~l ~ -I Gouny Cound) P f~ I have been requesting a complete Performance Review for some time now as required by the County Charter. One has never been done. Many people have sent in testimony to the Legislative Auditor. I would request that these letters be forwarded to the Council for their review. Hawaii Island Humane Society stresses they are educating the public, however, not citing dog owners when their dogs stray or bite someone is not working. The whole community, island wide, is fed up with the lack of proper animal control. I have had 3 people tell me it's not a problem any longer, they just shoot the dogs, dispose of the body and no one knows where they went. Two of these people live in regular neighborhoods. Recently there was a community fair at Keauhou shopping center, West Hawaii Humane Society had education material available for the public. I have given you each a packet of some of our handouts. I also had copies of Chapter 4 for anyone who wanted a copy of the County Animal Control laws. Education really starts with the young, and most often a child will get a parent to comply with the laws more readily than an animal control officer. I have been asked to bring my educational material and join the "Friends of the Library" at their table at Borders. I am working with the Health Dept in Kona. Hawaii Island declined to get involved. A burro was hit on the highway and Hawaii Island Humane Society was called. They said they'd be out the next day. A lady in Wailkoloa called H.I.H.S. about a cruelty to a cat that had been torn apart etc. They said they'd be out the next day! Michael Obrien was bitten on the thigh, reported it directly, in person, to Waimea shelter. A week later the same dog tried to get him while he was in his truck. Do not know if a vicious dog notice was ever given. The humane society officers "talked to the dog owner." There were other complaints regarding this dog. Two weeks ago there was a large ad in the paper announcing that Hawaii Island Humane Society would be at Keauhou Shopping Center and have animals to adopt. I dropped by, as did many others looking for the animals. Hawaii Island Humane Society was a no-show. I found out that the girl that was to do this program quit that week. It seems the powers that be decided that there would be no more shelter pets and they adopted out Princess the cat who has been there 6 years or so. Another employee was so upset about this decision and voiced her objection and was fired. $q(~ 030 C<rmm. No. F`ile No. R V Ref, Tos, p Ref. Date ~ 1 32000 I have to stress that the police department is understaffed and they are constantly called instead of the humane society for animal control, in fact the humane society seems to think that it is the police as well as the humane society that are responsible. It is not the police department's job. They do not carry animal control citation books and Harry Takahashi spelled out their responsibility in 1992. The large divided cat area in Kona is not used as intended. There is no way you can easily transfer frightened cats from a carrier into a stainless steel cage without loosing many of them. They need to be let out in an area to calm down and it may take a day or two and that is what the large cages were for!! Annie Servito left $30,000.00 specifically for the Kona cats and a cat facility was going to be built. Madelyn Barrea was planning it before she quit. Madelyn left and that is the end of the project. Where's the money?? The money had been left to the Kona Humane Society, W.H.H.S had worked with Annie, and we did not protest H.I.H.S. getting the money as long as it went for the purpose intended. Hilo shelter closes at 5:30P.M. Kona closes at 3:30P.M., except one night until 6:OOP.M. and the Kona shelter is closed Sunday and Monday, Hilo is closed only Sunday now. Opening at 8:OOA.M. in Kona is no help to the working public Also having the public in the shelter when you're trying to clean and moving animals around is not practical or safe. There needs to be a complete perFormance review done by someone who is familiar with animal control and sheltering animals and writing contracts. Telling an agency to use their proposal for their contract just doesn't do the job!!