STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2392

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2247
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2247 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FERAL ANIMALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a temporary
managed cat colony task force to address health concerns related
to the feral cat population.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health, Animal Rights Hawaii, AdvoCATS
Inc., Alley Cat Allies, Hawaiian Humane Society, Oahu Cat
Caretakers Coalition, Animal CARE Foundation, West Hawaii Humane
Society, and twenty-one private individuals.  Testimony in
opposition was received from the Board of Land and Natural
Resources and Hawaii Audubon Society.

     Your Committee finds that the State continues to face an
overpopulation of feral cats.  These cats include tame cats that
have been abandoned by irresponsible owners and the progeny of
these cats which are often unsocialized to human contact.
Historically, many people have tried to trap and remove these
cats, often to the detriment of the cats.  These methods have not
proven successful and the problem persists.

     A new method called trap/neuter/return (TNR) has been used
successfully in many countries and in other states and cities in
the United States.  This method consists of a dedicated volunteer

 
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caretaker pulling free-roaming feral cats into colonies and
gaining their trust through daily, consistent feeding which then
enables the caretaker to trap the animals for sterilization.
Once all the animals in a colony are sterilized, they remain in
the group for life, fed and monitored by the caretaker.

     This measure is intended to rationally and humanely address
the current public health problem of feral cats.  The task force
will address the TNR as a solution as well as cat-related health
concerns.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying the
membership of the task force to reflect a more balanced
representation of persons and organizations having an interest
and expertise in feral cat overpopulation issues.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2247, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2247,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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