LIHUE — The Kauai Humane Society’s executive director says a proposal to increase dog license fees is “fair and equitable across the board to all people that own dogs.”
The change would help narrow a gap between the cost of services the nonprofit provides to the county and what it receives from the council, said Penny Cistaro.
“We’re looking at bringing in over $100,000,” she said.
But as it stands, the bill introduced by the Kauai County Council last week could be costly for hunters.
“Where is the freedom in the United States going?” hunter Michael Ornellas said at a council meeting Wednesday, when the bill cleared first reading.
Bill 2490 would increase a two-year license fee for unneutered or unspayed dogs to $50 from $6, and for altered dogs to $15 from $2.
The bill would also delete a current exemption that allows licensed hunters to pay $6 for their first dog and $2 for each additional dog, regardless if any of them have been fixed.
Robert Cremer Jr., who also testified Wednesday, said it would cost an average hunter with 20 hunting dogs about $500 a year to register their animals.
Cremer said the bill was unfair for hunters and that the Humane Society was targeting them.
Cistaro said Friday the bill has nothing to do with being unfair to hunters or breeders.
“There is no intent to discriminate against or for someone,” she said. “It’s our choice to own a dog, and if you choose to own a dog these are the costs that are associated with it.”
If anyone owns six or 10 dogs and don’t hunt, she said, they also don’t get any kind of deal.
“We need to pay into the licensing program, regardless of what we do,” Cistaro said.
Earlier this year, during budgetary reviews in the council chambers, there was a discussion on increasing fees for services, and the council was supportive of it, according to Cistaro.
She said KHS did not discuss the fee changes with hunters.
“The community, with the exception of the feedback that was given at the council hearing, has all been positive,” said Cistaro, adding she has not received calls from hunters since the bill was introduced.
The bill’s next step is a public hearing Aug. 14.
“I have spoken with council members on this issue and I’ll be there for public hearing and I’ll entertain comments and discussions with anyone about it,” Cistaro said.
The proposal also includes a schedule of penalties related to dogs picked up by KHS officers. Cistaro said this fee is currently nonexistent.
“There is no charge if someone’s dog is running at large, comes in to the shelter, and the owner comes in and picks it up,” she said. “The county is subsidizing irresponsible pet-ownership by not charging a penalty fee.”
If the dog that is picked up by KHS is unaltered, then it costs the owner $6 for the license, while the costs to KHS include driving-time to pick up the dog, then processing it at the Puhi facility, where it is vaccinated, examined, housed and fed — all without charge to the owner, Cistaro said.
The proposed penalty schedule is “placing the fees back on the person that is responsible for the cost,” she said.
Under the proposal, an altered and licensed dog picked up by KHS staff would cost $20 for the owner on first offense, and incrementally increase to $35 on fourth and subsequent offenses.
Penalties would be $30 to $45 for altered and unlicensed dogs, $40 to $55 for unaltered and licensed dogs, and $50 to $65 for unaltered and unlicensed dogs.
Those costs, Cistaro said, are reasonable.
“We are much less expensive than other communities,” she said. “There are communities that charge $150 for a unaltered dog and require a microchip, which is another $45 charge.”
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or lazambuja@thegardenisland.com
