REPORT TITLE:
Feral cats


DESCRIPTION:
Creates a task force to oversee the management and control of
feral cat colonies in the State.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1985
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO FERAL ANIMALS.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the State continues
 
 2 to face an overpopulation of feral cats.  These cats include tame
 
 3 cats who have been abandoned by irresponsible owners and the
 
 4 progeny of these cats who are often unsocialized to human
 
 5 contact.  Historically, many people have tried to trap and remove
 
 6 these cats, often to the detriment of the cats.  These methods
 
 7 have not proven successful and the problem persists.  A
 
 8 comparatively new method called trap/neuter/return, or TNR, has
 
 9 been used successfully in many countries and in other states and
 
10 cities in the U.S.  This method consists of a dedicated volunteer
 
11 caretaker quickly trapping the animals for sterilization.  No new
 
12 litters will result, and the colony size will decrease in time
 
13 due to natural attrition.  Neutering also stops behavior that
 
14 human neighbors find objectionable, such a urine spraying,
 
15 fighting, roaming, and late night yowling, because they no longer
 
16 compete for mates.  Once all the animals in a colony are
 
17 sterilized, they remain in the group for life, fed and monitored
 
18 by the caretaker.
 
19      Managed colonies also enable necessary veterinary care,
 
20 which ensures healthier animals.  Managed care results in cats no
 

 
Page 2                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 more likely to transmit disease to humans or other cats than a
 
 2 pet cat.  There is no cost to the taxpayer for this service as it
 
 3 is performed by volunteers and through donations.  In addition to
 
 4 being considered by many as ethically preferable to euthanasia,
 
 5 similar TNR programs in the nation actually have resulted in
 
 6 substantial savings to the taxpayer through subsequent lower
 
 7 costs for animal control.
 
 8      Many volunteer groups exist on Oahu and in the other
 
 9 counties which have an impressive track record for putting TNR
 
10 into effect and supporting the effort.  Outstanding examples on
 
11 the neighbor islands include Kona's Advocates which has
 
12 sterilized two hundrd twenty cats since incorporating in March
 
13 and the Feline Foundation of Maui also active in the TNR program.
 
14 Two organizations on Oahu are the Hawaii Cat Foundation, in the
 
15 forefront of the TNR practice on that island with five thousand
 
16 cats neutered to date, and the newly formed Abandoned and Feral
 
17 Cat Friends working tirelessly to stabilize additional colonies.
 
18 Both of the Oahu organizations work in conjunction with the
 
19 Hawaiian Humane Society which progressively for many years has
 
20 aided the managed cat colony caretakers by providing free
 
21 spay/neuter surgery and inexpensive identification for feral
 
22 cats.  Due to this program and the caretakers a number of areas
 
23 on Oahu are stabilized, which now contain distinct cat colonies
 

 
Page 3                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 consisting of well cared for, healthy, neutered feral cats.  The
 
 2 impact of these colonies on the public is minimal in comparison
 
 3 to the impact of the uncontrolled populations of feral cats in
 
 4 existence prior to the caretaker's intervention.  It is the plan
 
 5 of many of these volunteers to continue the TNR program until it
 
 6 is no longer needed.
 
 7      Recently, the vector branch of the department of health
 
 8 proposed rules and has held hearings on them which would in
 
 9 effect bring the TNR program to a complete halt.  These rules
 
10 forbid feeding any feral animal on public, and some private land.
 
11 While the goals of the department are laudable and must be
 
12 addressed, it appears that such draconian measures may not
 
13 accomplish the department's goals.  In addition, interested
 
14 parties such as the various humane societies and other welfare
 
15 organizations did not have a chance to provide input into the
 
16 drafting of the proposed rules until the final hearing stage.
 
17 Because of this, the entire TNR program seems to have been
 
18 overlooked by the department as a viable alternative.
 
19      Based on the success of the TNR program and the enormous
 
20 volunteer efforts provided by those concerned with cats' welfare
 
21 and their impact on the public, the purpose of this Act is to
 
22 delay the adoption of any rules relating to feral cats until a
 

 
 
 
Page 4                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 task force can be convened to discuss the issues involved and
 
 2 propose alternatives to a feeding ban.
 
 3      SECTION 2.  There is established a temporary managed cat
 
 4 colony task force in the department of health for administrative
 
 5 purposes to address the trap/neuter/return program as a solution
 
 6 to health concerns raised by cat overpopulation.
 
 7      The task force shall include representatives from all four
 
 8 counties and at a minimum shall include:
 
 9      (1)  At least one volunteer representative of every
 
10           interested not-for-profit organization whose purpose is
 
11           to:
 
12           (A)  Provide for the care and control of feral cat
 
13                colonies;
 
14           (B)  Promote the welfare of animals generally; or
 
15           (C)  Provide low cost or free spay/neutering services
 
16                for caretakers of colonies;
 
17      (2)  Representatives of government agencies involved in
 
18           public health; and
 
19      (3)  At least five feral cat colony caretakers in addition
 
20           to the above.
 
21      No later than August 1, 2000, each agency and nonprofit
 
22 organization shall appoint its own representative to the task
 
23 force.  Those representatives shall then solicit names of feral
 

 
Page 5                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 cat colony caretakers to volunteer to sit on the task force and
 
 2 shall select five of these based on their knowledge of the TNR
 
 3 program and ability to serve on the task force.  The task force
 
 4 shall elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary from its members
 
 5 at its first meeting.  Until the election, the representative
 
 6 from the Hawaiian Humane Society shall act as temporary chair
 
 7 with administrative powers only.  
 
 8      The task force shall address cat-related health concerns.
 
 9 It shall immediately survey, in general terms, the managed
 
10 colonies already present in the State including a census of cats
 
11 in the colonies.  As much as possible, it shall keep track of new
 
12 colony formation including the number of cats in the area prior
 
13 to sterilization, the number of cats sterilized, the steps taken
 
14 for new cats which appear in the colony, and any health issues
 
15 which might occur.  No identifying information shall be collected
 
16 without the caretaker's consent.  The task force shall also
 
17 monitor all complaints called to the vector control branch which
 
18 are directly related to cats and public health, including those
 
19 relating to feral cats in colonies and not in colonies, and
 
20 domestic cats, keeping all complaints in at least those
 
21 categories with a summary of each complaint and its resolution.
 
22 In addition, each complaint summary shall include the name of the
 

 
 
 
Page 6                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 complainant if known and the geographical location of the problem
 
 2 complained of.
 
 3      In addition to its work with feral cat colonies, the task
 
 4 force shall suggest methods to improve public education or other
 
 5 methods to stem the practice of dumping unwanted animals in
 
 6 public areas.  If the public continues to release unwanted
 
 7 animals into these areas, colonies will continue to form and new
 
 8 animals will join existing colonies just continuing the cycle.
 
 9      The task force shall submit interim reports to the
 
10 legislature thirty days prior to the beginning of each
 
11 legislature for the first four years unless its work is completed
 
12 sooner; provided that it shall submit a final report thirty days
 
13 prior to the beginning of the legislature following the
 
14 completion of its work but in no case later than thirty days
 
15 prior to the beginning of the 2006 regular session.  Each interim
 
16 report shall outline the task force's progress toward finding
 
17 solutions to alleviate the public impact of feral cats.
 
18      SECTION 3.  The department of health shall not adopt any
 
19 rules relating to feral animals, and any such rules already in
 
20 effect at the time of the establishment of the task force shall
 
21 be put in abeyance, until the managed cat colony task force has
 
22 completed its discussions and made its recommendations.  
 
23      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
24 
 
25                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________