WAIPOULI — Gov. Linda Lingle spoke yesterday at the Kaua‘i Humane Society’s annual luncheon, marking her first visit to the Garden Isle since the infamous Superferry meeting in September. The small crowd of Humane Society supporters inside the ResortQuest Kauai
WAIPOULI — Gov. Linda Lingle spoke yesterday at the Kaua‘i Humane Society’s annual luncheon, marking her first visit to the Garden Isle since the infamous Superferry meeting in September.
The small crowd of Humane Society supporters inside the ResortQuest Kauai Beach at Makaiwa offered a decidedly warmer reception than the protesters outside — something that did not go unnoticed by the governor.
“While this is not as big as the crowd I spoke to last time I was on Kaua‘i, it’s a little friendlier,” she said.
Pet-friendly legislation
Lingle was invited to talk about legislation she supported to protect Hawai‘i’s pets, including a change to provide felony-level punishment for animal abuse. The law, passed earlier this year, increases the maximum penalty for pet cruelty to a Class C felony with a fine of up to $10,000 and five years in prison. Lingle also addressed a new law that requires owners to pay for care of animals in protective custody as well as legislation that allows pets to stay with their owners at emergency shelters during natural disasters.
“So much has happened for animals since Lingle has been in office,” said Dr. Becky Rhoades, executive director of the Kauai Humane Society.
Rhoades recalled that Lingle, while mayor of Maui County in the ’90s, recruited her help in improving the Valley Isle’s programs — which Rhoades said bucked tradition. “She was the first and only mayor I’ve ever had want to learn about animal control,” she said.
Both cited the elevation of pet abuse to a felony crime as the year’s greatest accomplishment. The law followed on the heels of Kaua‘i’s most “tragic animal neglect case ever,” according to Rhoades. Last December, 20 hunting dogs were found starved and caged in Anahola — three dead and 17 in poor condition. Rhoades credited staff with rehabilitating and re-homing most, noting that the perpetrator, Steve Cummings, is still serving his six-month sentence in jail.
“People who mutilate or harm animals are the type of people who would do it to humans and sometimes it’s the first step,” Lingle said of the law’s importance.
Cited as another accomplishment was a 2006 law to incorporate pets into disaster preparedness planning. The Kauai Humane Society is the island’s only pet-friendly shelter at the moment, but Rhoades said she is working with Civil Defense to expand the plan and the options for pet owners on-island.
Looking forward, Lingle told The Garden Island that she takes cues on animal-related legislation from the humane societies, and likely the big focus will be on ironing out the disaster preparedness plans. A bill up for consideration this year would offer tax incentives to residents who build a “safe room” in their home, thus alleviating pressure on the state to provide emergency shelter for families and their pets.
Lingle also praised the Kauai Humane Society for its participation in the recently launched direct release quarantine program, whereby qualifying pets can meet their owners in Lihu‘e. Since the Lihu‘e release program’s inception five months ago, 47 pets have flown directly to Kaua‘i.
The governor’s speech had a lighter tone, and the speech was not short on laughs. Lingle talked about her own cats, one from the O‘ahu Humane Society and another she rescued outside a hotel in Hilo. Incidentally, her three cats appeared in Cat Fancy magazine’s November issue.
She only briefly broached the Superferry issue by recognizing Department of Land and Natural Resources personnel in attendance who had trained ferry staff on how to protect sea birds. The birds, attracted to bright lights, are known to circle vessels until they tire and can end up on the boat.
KHS financials
Rhoades didn’t shy away from the challenges of 2007, saying this was the first negative financial year since she joined the organization. The Humane Society’s income for fiscal year 2007 (July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007) totaled $1,718,701, while the expenses were $1,834,429.
Auditor and Certified Public Accountant Carl Williams told the room that the bottom line is not on pace with previous years, but net assets continue to allow the organization to operate and develop new programs. He said the nonprofit is in a “strong liquid position” for moving forward into the future. Williams also pointed to the nonprofit’s spending ratio, as more than 90 percent of funding is channeled into programs and services.
“That’s a huge plus when you can tell a donor that less than 10 percent goes to administrative costs,” Lingle said. She cited the Kaua‘i nonprofit’s creative fundraising, government partnerships and spending ratio as its strengths. She also noted the shelter’s diversity of revenue sources, including its thrift store in Lihu‘e, which raised $301,549 in sales this year.
During fiscal year 2007, the Kauai Humane Society adopted out 1,055 pets. In addition, it rescued 143 injured animals, conducted 315 cruelty investigations, and responded to 2,447 stray animal calls as well as 693 feral chicken concerns.
For more information, contact the Kauai Humane Society at 632-0610 or visit www.kauaihumane.org
• Blake Jones, business writer/assistant editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or bjones@kauaipubco.com
KHS fiscal year 2007 stats
Adoptions
Dogs: 476
Cats: 549
Other: 30
Field Services
Injured animal rescues: 143
Cruelty investigations: 315
Stray cat and dog response: 2447
Feral chicken concerns: 693
Animal arrivals
Cats: 3,107
Dogs: 1,826
Other: 1,643
Lost pets reunited
Dogs: 632
Cats: 117
Financials
Total income: $1,718,701
Total expenses: $1,834,429
