UPDATE:
The Hawai’i County Council has amended Bill 51 so it is no longer a blanket ban on feeding community cats, and a TNR program is under consideration. See our update here.
ORIGINAL:
At its meeting TOMORROW, July 23, the Hawai’i County Council will officially vote on Bill 51, which will BAN the feeding of stray and feral animals, including community cats, on property owned or otherwise managed by the county.
This is urgent: Alley Cat Allies is calling on advocates in Hawai’i and beyond to speak out NOW to stop this cruel bill from passing. Urge the council members to REJECT the proposed feeding ban on community cats:
Take action here if you live in Hawai’i
Take action here if you are not a resident of Hawai’i
Community cat advocates in Hawai’i County and beyond are dismayed at this proposal, which would criminalize compassion, leave cats who are accustomed to relying on feeding without that support, and make it impossible to carry out humane, effective approaches like Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
Cat feeding bans are ineffective and penalize the people most willing to help cats and their community. To cut off food from cats who are used to receiving regular meals is cruel in itself—but does not mean the cats will go away. Cats are territorial, bonded to their surroundings, and will not disappear simply because caring individuals can no longer legally feed them.
Instead, these cats will roam further to find other food sources that are a byproduct of human habitation and activity. As a result, cats will become more visible in the community.
Additionally, feeding bans interfere with TNR programs because organized feeding is a necessary part of the process. If caregivers are prohibited from feeding, trapping cats is far more difficult, which ultimately leads to fewer spays and neuters taking place. As a result, this proposed law is counterproductive to Hawai’i County’s goal of addressing the community cat population.
Alley Cat Allies urges Hawai’i County to embrace a humane and effective approach that improves both cats’ lives and the community—and TNR is that approach.
Act to Save Community Cats
Alley Cat Allies submitted written testimony in strong opposition to Bill 51. And now, we are rallying people across the United States to join us and demand that the feeding ban be dropped from consideration.
Thank you to all who have already taken action on behalf of Hawai’i’s community cats. Please share the actions linked above with friends and family; the more voices speaking out together, the greater our impact will be.