(US-HI) Dozens speak out on bill calling for regulation on animal euthanasia
Planet Jerry
Reported by: Taizo Braden
Email: tbr...@khon2.com
Published: 11/14 6:01 pm
Updated: 11/14 6:06 pm
A hotly contested bill at the City Council Thursday addressed the issue of animals being euthanized at the Humane Society after being turned in.
Council member Tom Berg wants the public to be notified a day before the animals are killed.
The Hawaiian Humane Society says the cost would be into the millions.
Bill 57 asks for what supporters say is a simple thing.
"This would require the animal control contractor to inform the public of animals to be destroyed at least 24 hours in prior to the destruction time," Berg explains.
The City's animal control contractor is the Hawaiian Humane Society and they say that if the bill passes they would incur a significant increase in costs.
"Decisions are made each calendar additional notification will require additional holding capacity we estimate the cost capital improvements to be one million dollars,"says Linda Ross of the Hawaiian Humane Society. "Add to that the holding time for the sterilization which could be $600,000 so we used the $1.84 million annual operating costs."
But many of the more than 30 people who testified at the hearing had ideas that they though would keep cost for the Humane Society low.
"Just one word - Facebook. The Humane Society has Facebook pages and those can be updated in an instant," says Cathy Goeggel of Animal Rights Hawaii.
The council passed the bill on to a third and final reading before it will be passed or rejected at the end of this month.