HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

159

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE EstablishMENT OF A VOLUNTEER-RUN, NO-KILL ANIMAL SHELTER.

 

WHEREAS, according to the Humane Society of the United States, between six and eight million dogs and cats enter animal shelters in the United States yearly and three to four million of them are euthanized due to illness, injury, or the inability to find adoptive homes; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the outdoor population of cats on Oahu is slowly being controlled through a volunteer effort known as trap, neuter, release, and manage; and

WHEREAS, many of these volunteers and others have established small micro-shelters for abandoned animals in their own homes; and

WHEREAS, even with these volunteer efforts, many cats remain uncared for, often in areas that endanger other species, especially ground nesting birds; and

WHEREAS, many people who can no longer keep their pets for various reasons think that releasing them into an area where other animals live is a good solution, not realizing that this is extreme cruelty to the pet and disruptive to the area in which it is released; and

WHEREAS, even if taken to the Hawaiian Humane Society, these abandoned animals cannot be guaranteed a place to live out their lives with the hope of eventual adoption; and

WHEREAS, the sight of sickly or dead abandoned pets is disturbing at the very least to many people; and

WHEREAS, part of the problem is that there is no place to take cats and other animals in need of a safe place to live long-term with the chance to be adopted into caring homes; and

WHEREAS, with the help of volunteers a no-kill sanctuary for abandoned cats and other animals could be established and run; and

WHEREAS, with Hawaii's warm climate, if a small parcel of unused land in an area isolated from native animals and human populations could be located and fenced, and a shelter built, many of these animals could safely and humanely be taken care of for life or until adopted; and

WHEREAS, most of the work to establish such a sanctuary, including fencing and building a shelter could be done by volunteers; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is requested to work with the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and volunteer groups specializing in animal rescue and sanctuary, such as the Hawaii Cat Foundation, to find a suitable area that can be used to provide a home for some of these abandoned animals and work with the volunteers to establish a no-kill animal shelter; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR and DOA work with these volunteer groups to establish a system by which volunteers could take responsibility for the care of these animals and their adoption, when possible, in return for a no-cost long-term lease of unused public property; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR is requested to report the progress of this effort and its recommendations to the House of Representatives no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005, including:

(1) A description of the proposed land area to be provided;

(2) Plans for improvements, including a fence and shelter area; and

(3) The number of volunteers available and whether more volunteers are needed both for the initial building and the continual care of the animals to be placed on the property;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, and the President of the Hawaii Cat Foundation.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Limited admissions animal shelter; feasibility study