On Feb. 4, 2022, a bill in the Hawaiian House of Representatives, HB1987, proposed that ALL feral cats in Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, plus HALF of the feral cats in Oahu, be POISONED TO DEATH by the end of 2025.
The reason? Feral cats are considered partly to blame for reducing the population of some of Hawaii’s native birds and other wild animals.
HB1987 promoted “Curiosity and Eradicat feral cat baits,” which are being used to kill millions of feral cats in Australia. The bill incorrectly called this slow poison “humane.”
The GOOD news is, HB1987 has been rejected for now, because enough caring people like you expressed their outrage.
But the cats are still in extreme danger. The bill’s supporters claim it was “misrepresented by opponents” and “vow to keep fighting,” according to KITV.com, a Hawaiian news channel. The bill’s author, Rep. Patrick Branco, said: “I wish that trap, spay and neuter programs work, but they just don’t. Perhaps there are other options, but we must immediately reduce the population to make sure that we can take care of our birds.”
Please email Governor David Ige, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee Mark Hashem, and/or Chairman of the Finance Committee Sylvia Luke to demand an innovative solution – truly HUMANE population control for these defenseless cats!
Feel free to use or edit the sample text below:
To [Governor Ige, The Honorable Mark J. Hashem, or The Honorable Sylvia Luke]:
I care deeply about cats, so I was horrified that mass killing of Hawaii's feral cats by slow poison was seriously considered in HB1987 in February 2022. I’m relieved that this bill did not pass, but I’m worried that similar bills may be proposed.
Please do not support ANY bill that proposes the killing of feral cats.
The Hawaii Invasive Species Council is charged with finding “new” and “innovative” ways to preserve Hawaii’s native wildlife.
Please allow Trap-Neuter-Return programs to continue, and provide the Hawaii Invasive Species Council with funding for the purpose of humanely developing nonlethal, oral, nonsurgical sterilization for Hawaii's feral cats as soon as possible.
Thank you.
__________________
Email: Governor David Ige
Chairman Mark J. Hashem (Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture)
Chairwoman Sylvia Luke (Chair of the House Committee on Finance)
Ending terrible cruelty like this is why 600 Million Dogs exists.
Developing the Spay and Neuter Cookie will make it possible to end mass killings of dogs and cats, once and for all.
Together, let’s make it happen!
Sincerely,
Amy Moore
Volunteer Coordinator
600 Million Stray Dogs Need You
Developing permanent birth control pet food to end the pet overpopulation crisis.
What we do and why we do it
At 600 Million Dogs, we’re working to develop permanent, safe, inexpensive birth control food that only needs a one-time administration.
A food that could be given just one time, and it will safely prevent reproduction for the rest of an animal’s life.
The millions of homeless dogs and cats killed each year need this.
The problem is that this type of birth control food is still in the R&D stage, and the drug companies are not working on it.
We’re determined to develop this very much needed birth control food, even though we’re a small grassroots organization.
In short, we're working on a permanent solution to this global problem.
We've made important progress but we need full-time scientists to finish the job, and this is why we need your help.
If you would like to support our work to develop permanent birth control food, please make a tax-deductible gift of any amount.
Your gift will make a tangible impact ... and the animals will be forever grateful.
Please read our website at 600MillionDogs.org to learn more.