REPORT TITLE:
Feral cats


DESCRIPTION:
Creates a task force to oversee the management and control of
feral cat colonies in the State. (HB1985 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1985
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
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.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 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 hundred twenty cats since incorporating in March
 
13 and the Feline Foundation of Maui, also active in the TNR
 
14 program.  Two organizations on Oahu are the Hawaii Cat
 
15 Foundation, in the forefront of the TNR practice on that island
 
16 with five thousand cats neutered to date, and the newly formed
 
17 Abandoned and Feral Cat Friends working tirelessly to stabilize
 
18 additional colonies.  Both of the Oahu organizations work in
 
19 conjunction with the Hawaiian Humane Society which progressively
 
20 for many years has aided the managed cat colony caretakers by
 
21 providing free spay/neuter surgery and inexpensive identification
 
22 for feral cats.  Due to this program and the volunteer
 
23 caretakers, a number of areas on Oahu are stabilized, which now
 

 
Page 3                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

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

 
 
 
Page 4                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  (a)  There is established a temporary managed
 
 2 cat colony task force in the department of health for
 
 3 administrative purposes to address the trap/neuter/return program
 
 4 as a solution to health concerns raised by cat overpopulation.
 
 5      Members of the task force shall include:
 
 6      (1)  Representatives of all interested government agencies
 
 7           and departments, including but not limited to:
 
 8           (A)  The department of health;
 
 9           (B)  The department of land and natural resources;
 
10           (C)  The county parks departments;
 
11           (D)  The United States Department of Agriculture;
 
12           (E)  The National Park Service;
 
13           (F)  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
 
14           (G)  The various branches of the armed forces;
 
15      (2)  Representatives of animal welfare organizations,
 
16           including but not limited to:
 
17           (A)  Animal Rights Hawaii;
 
18           (B)  The Hawaiian Humane Society;
 
19           (C)  Hawaii Cat Foundation;
 
20           (D)  Abandoned and Feral Cat Friends;
 
21           (E)  The Feline Foundation of Maui; and
 
22           (F)  Advocats of Kona;
 

 
 
 
Page 5                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (3)  Representatives of environmental organizations such as
 
 2           the Audubon Society;
 
 3      (4)  Representatives of property owners and managers,
 
 4           including but not limited to:
 
 5           (A)  Condominium association owners; and
 
 6           (B)  The Commercial Property Managers Association;
 
 7      (5)  Persons with scientific expertise, including but not
 
 8           limited to:
 
 9           (A)  A representative of the Hawaii Veterinary Medicine
 
10                Association;
 
11           (B)  An animal behaviorist; and
 
12           (C)  A public health specialist with knowledge of
 
13                zoonotics;
 
14      (6)  No fewer than five cat colony managers selected from a
 
15           list of volunteers of colonies where the TNR program is
 
16           in place;
 
17           and
 
18      (7)  Other persons interested in and expertise on feral cat
 
19           overpopulation issues.
 
20      No later than August 1, 2000, each agency and nonprofit
 
21 organization shall appoint its own representative to the task
 
22 force.  Those representatives shall then solicit names of feral
 
23 cat colony caretakers to volunteer to sit on the task force and
 

 
Page 6                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 shall select five of these based on their knowledge of the TNR
 
 2 program and ability to serve on the task force.  The task force
 
 3 shall elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary from its members
 
 4 at its first meeting.  Until the election, the representative
 
 5 from the Hawaiian Humane Society shall act as temporary chair
 
 6 with administrative powers only.  
 
 7      (b)  The task force shall:
 
 8      (1)  Address cat-related health concerns;
 
 9      (2)  Immediately survey, in general terms, the managed
 
10           colonies already present in the State, including a
 
11           census of cats in the colonies;
 
12      (3)  As much as possible, keep track of:
 
13           (A)  New colony formation including the number of cats
 
14                in the area prior to sterilization;
 
15           (B)  The number of cats sterilized;
 
16           (C)  The steps taken for new cats that appear in the
 
17                colony; and
 
18           (D)  Any health issues that might occur;
 
19      (4)  Monitor all complaints called to the vector control
 
20           branch that are directly related to cats and public
 
21           health, including those relating to feral cats in
 
22           colonies and not in colonies, and domestic cats;
 
23           provided that all complaints shall be kept in at least
 

 
Page 7                                                     1985
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           those categories with a summary of each complaint and
 
 2           its resolution; and
 
 3      (5)  Suggest methods to improve public education or other
 
 4           methods to stem the practice of dumping unwanted
 
 5           animals in public areas.
 
 6      No identifying colony information shall be collected without
 
 7 the caretaker's consent.  Each complaint summary shall include
 
 8 the geographical location of the problem complained of, and other
 
 9 information necessary to address the problem and work towards a
 
10 solution.
 
11      (c)  The task force shall submit:
 
12      (1)  An interim report to the legislature thirty days prior
 
13           to the beginning of the regular session of 2001
 
14           outlining the task force's progress toward finding
 
15           solutions to alleviate the public impact of feral cats;
 
16           and
 
17      (2)  A final report to the legislature thirty days prior to
 
18           the beginning of the regular session of 2002.
 
19      (d)  The task force shall cease to exist on June 30, 2002.
 
20      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.