Kudos to the cops
Many, many thanks to all the men and women involved in breaking the meth ring strangling Kaua‘i and victimizing many of our friends and neighbors.
Thank you and e pili mau na pomaikai ia oe (May blessings cling to you always.)
Mahalo,
Mary Mulhall, Kapa‘a
Cat fee is insane
To: Kaua‘i County Councilmembers; Mirah Horowitz, director of Kauai Humane Society; letters@thegardenisland.com
Re: $90 feral cat fee
For the last 32 years, our family has lived next to the jungle in Puhi, where I have humanely caught many dozen feral cats.
For years the Kaua‘i Humane Society has done an excellent job receiving very sick cats with parasites and ailments. When the stray cats were picked up by their truck, I always would express my appreciation, and the staff would often say “thank you for helping to control the excess cat population.” Unfortunately, this service is not available now.
Our endangered native-bird population is in trouble with many introduced ailments, and they are further threatened by aggressive, hungry, stray cats. This is why I humanely trap cats and bring them to the humane society.
Recently I have attempted to drop off feral cats, only to be confronted with a fee of $90. This fee of $90 is outrageous, and not what local residents should have to pay. The fee is simply NOT PONO.
I understand the humane society receives a grant from Kaua‘i County of approximately $1,000,000+ per year. I also understand that they need to balance their books and cut back on services. Every year we pay county taxes and are very disappointed with the new, excessive fee.
Living next to a jungle, we often have aggressive, unhealthy cats in our car port on the hunt for food. Unfortunately, native birds are part of their diet.
Please give thought to deleting the excessive fee of $90 for dropping off a feral cat. This fee is deterring residents from bringing feral cats to the humane society, which is not a humane way to treat the stray cats and our native-bird population.
Mahalo for your time and attention.
Steven R. Soltysik, Puhi
I concur. Makes no sense. You brought the animal in. It is not your responsibility but you do it. The poor feral cats out there.
I brought this issue to the attention of the community, the mayor, and the County Council back on November 25 in a Letter to the Editor (“HS policy not fairly applied” — https://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/11/25/opinion/letter-for-monday-november-25-2019/). I received responses from a couple of County Council members that they would look into the situation, but it appears nothing has changed.
This remains an absolutely unacceptable situation. Cat owners have created this feral cat problem, and it is cat owners that should foot whatever the bill is for addressing the problem. To put it on the backs who are trying to be responsible citizens IS NOT OK.