HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0396.023 1998-2000 ~1` RKEIVED
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P.O.Box i U85 ®PAHOA ®HAwAU, 96778 ®(808) 9656626
August 24, 1999
Aaron Chung Finance Committee Chair
Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
RE: ANIMAL CONTROL AUDIT
Deaz Mr. Chung:
The Puna Outdoor Circle would not ordinarily become involved with
this issue, except that the population explosion of feral dogs and cats has had
a major impact on our native bird and invertebrate populations. In
"Hawaii's Extinction Crisis: A Call to Action" published jointly by DLNR,
US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii we read:
"The main threat to Hawaii's surviving native species and natural
communities is the destructive effect ofnon-native species introduced to the
islands by people."
As an animal lover I have availed myself of the spay/neuter coupons
to do my part in controlling the population of cats. However, as a person on
a small, limited income, I have noted that the coupons do not save me all
that much money, and there have been times when I could not afford them.
As a result, I have been the unwilling cause of more litters. While I pride
myself on fmding good homes for every single one of those kittens, I must
admit that perhaps those kittens had litters of their own which I must take ~ 013
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some responsibility for. Had the coupons been more affordable, those
kittens would never have been. Therefore, I urge the Council to consider a
plan which reduces the price of coupons for those on limited incomes.
I have also experienced times when I had more than two cats to fix,
but the public is limited to two coupons per household. As a result, some
cats did not get fixed in time due to financial constraints. Result: more
kittens.
I have been told by Humane Society workers that the limiting of
coupons to 2 per household, the value/cost of the coupons, and the issuance
of a limited total number of coupons by the Society are all due to the limited
amount of money which they receive from the County. Considering that the
populations of dogs and cats can increase geometrically, the more we do
now to curb the numbers, the less we'll have to deal with in the future. I
therefore propose the following:
• Increase the appropriation to the Hawaii Island Humane Society for the
spay/neuter program.
• Implement a special program for low income residents (work out the
logistics for this) to allow a lower coupon cost. Perhaps asking the
Department of Human Services to include special coupon applications
in their regular mailings to their clients -this might assure that the low
income qualifications are met.
• Allow people to purchase as many coupons as they need to fix all their
animals.
The method of getting coupons has improved in recent years: we used
to have to wake up at 4 am to stand in line for hours at the shelter, some-
times in the rain, to get the coupons. I thank the Society for improving their
distribution method, which makes it easier for the public to do the right
thing. Removing obstacles always helps.
I also wish to commend the Society for adding new holding facilities
at the shelter, so that animals can stay longer, giving them abetter chance
to get adopted into a loving family. I would like to see the society do more
outreach to help these animals find homes. Many people will not adopt from
the shelter because they are required to pay for spay/neuter, license, etc. If
the society would have "Adoption Specials" in which adoption from the
shelter included the coupon, etc. for the minimal cost of the license. more
people would adopt. "Give Mom Warm, Fluffy Love" might be a theme for
such an event tied in with Mothers Day. Other holidays such as Christmas,
Valentine's and Father's Day also lend themselve to this type of promotion.
Thank you ,your Committee and the Council for giving the
community an opportunity to share ideas and raise concerns. I hope that the
Legislative Auditors office takes the above into consideration in its study.
With aloha aina,
Rene Siracusa
President
PUMA OUTDOOR CIRCLE