• Humane Society doing good work • Slow down on Waioli • Laws are clear regarding service dogs • Cats deserve our protection, not hate • The true purpose of ‘Tropic Care’ • Cats taking toll on bird population Humane Society doing good work Mahalo
• Humane Society doing good work • Slow down on Waioli • Laws are clear regarding service dogs • Cats deserve our protection, not hate • The true purpose of ‘Tropic Care’ • Cats taking toll on bird population
Humane Society doing good work
Mahalo to Kauai Humane Society for all the good work they do for our island’s pets. I am grateful for all the hard working, animal loving workers who only want the best for all the good cats and dogs (and more) that come into the shelter. I have adopted three cats and four dogs from KHS over the course of the past 25 years and am eternally grateful for the good care they provided the animals before they were able to come and brighten my family’s life.
No-kill shelters keep the pretty “no-kill” title by being picky about what they take in. If an animal comes to them sick or injured they say, no, and hopefully that animal is not then abandoned but taken to a public shelter that turns no animal away. Yes, they may then euthanize the animal based on its condition, that’s the sad side of stepping up to the role of caring for uncared for animals.
The key is continued education, starting at a young age so kids know how important it is to spay and neuter pets. KHS offers discounted spay and neuter services as well. I’ve taken a few strays that have made their home with me for these services as well. Don’t let negativity get you down KHS, you’re doing great, much appreciated work!
Kiana King, Koloa
Slow down on Waioli
Waioli Road in Eleele is not a dragstrip. There are posted speed signs of 25 mph. There are many people (old, young, handicapped and tourists) that walk up and down the side of the road to get to Eleele Shopping Center area and to the shops at Port Allen. Both locals and tourists speed through that stretch of road, including vendors, big rigs and The Kauai Bus.
The stretch of road is an accident waiting to happen. Mayor Carvalho and DOT should look into adding speed bumps or dips onto the road to slow drivers down.
There is a preschool and a clinic in the area, too. Shouldn’t a school zone and or clinic zone be put in fronting the school and clinic? Let’s not wait for someone to be seriously injured or die there.
Howard Tolbe, Eleele
Laws are clear regarding service dogs
I realize that Kimo’s column in Monday’s Forum was meant to be humorous. However, all readers should be aware that the law regarding service dogs very clearly states the following (copied verbatim from the DOJ’s Disability Rights Section ADA website):
“A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken.”
This means any dog in places of public access, regardless of how it is presented by its human, does not have the right to soil or otherwise cause a disruption to others, and the staff has every right to have the dog removed (even when it means making an unscheduled landing for a flight).
In addition, Kimo refers to needing a note from his doctor to confirm his disability; yet the ADA specifically states in the same section:
“Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog …”
The legal definition of a service animal is stated as follows:
“Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”
On the other hand, a service dog, as defined by the ADA, makes a distinction between a PSD and an emotional support dog in the same law:
“Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”
The law, as revised in 2010, is clearly written to avoid confusion, yet many are unaware of the wording. The paragraphs I put in quotes are copied directly from the federal government’s website. However, the italics are mine. The state of Hawaii also passed an updated version of this law to directly comply with federal laws.
Lucy Miller, Lihue
Cats deserve our protection, not hate
It has come to my attention Kauai may annihilate the feral cat population on the island. As a frequent visitor to the beautiful island, this is distressing. I believe the TNR method would be much more effective, humane and kind.
These cats deserve our help — not our hate. They did not have a choice in being feral, and I believe that as humans, we have the responsibility to protect and advocate for these sweet animals as much as possible.
Larissa Andersen, Las Vegas
The true purpose of ‘Tropic Care’
We are now asked to see military recruits in camouflage working in the community, in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, as normal.
The purpose of Tropic Care is claimed to be “training” for military as part of the Innovative Readiness Training program. The key word here is innovative. Every year we are seeing more innovative ways to “keep us safe,” which amounts to conditioned acceptance of military and police expansion.
Those “helping” the community in military garb need to understand, this is inappropriate use of the military. Your job is to not be deployed on domestic soil. You are taking part in the continued build up of a police state. When the military is fully deployed on American soil, please ask, who will keep us safe from the Pentagon? For those who think this is wild conspiracy theory, the fact is the fact. “Normal” is being redesigned right before your eyes, and the result is you now accept that the role of the military is management of American citizens. Perhaps for once, preventive medicine is called for. Downsize the military, downsize “readiness” for the top/down approach and build up the immune system of local community.
This would bolster true national security. Let’s ask, what would eliminate need for rapid response? Answer might be, a strong local community, not a needy one conditioned to wait for Big Brother’s “help.”
Ray Songtree, Hanalei
Cats taking toll on bird population
Our property used to host up to 16 Pacific golden plovers who every year flew all the way from Alaska to breed and raise their young on Kauai. Over the past several years their number has declined. This year there were only a few and some of the young ones disappeared long before their migration date. We attribute the decline in these charming little birds to a few feral cats who exercise their claws and teeth in favor of birds in spite their full tummies from fresh bowls of cat food served nightly on our lanai. Catching, neutering, and then releasing them back to a property that serves as a nesting ground makes no sense. It takes only a few years to decimate a precious bird population. Chickens don’t kill birds, but cats certainly do. I am grateful that these issues are getting some serious discussion and hopefully action.
Richard Winegar and Wendy Winegar, Kilauea
