In December of 2009, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) released their annual report which ranks animal cruelty laws across the US. Hawaii was ranked to be one of the top five states with the weakest laws protecting animals. In a state that thrives in sharing Aloha with each, it's a shame to hear that there is no such Aloha for animals. Since the release of the report, several animal abuse, neglect, and mistreatment issues have surfaced in Hawaii.
Hawaii is a special place to live with many beautiful animals that can only be found here, such as the Newell's shearwater. The Newell's shearwater is a native, endangered seabird that nests particularly on the mountains of Kauai and feed at sea. The birds and their young heavily rely on moonlight as they travel between the two. However, every year the population decreases because the birds are confused by man made lighting. Andrea Erichsen, the Kauai Seabird Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Coordinator since 2005, claims that this has been an on-going problem for over 30 years. On September 09, in US District Court, Kauai County pleaded guilty to contributing to the decrease of 60% of the shearwater population. The county was commended by Earthjustice for taking responsibility, but the situation only proves that there is a lack of laws protecting animals and poor enforcement of current laws that do.
In June, an employee of a Waimanalo puppy mill came forward to report terrible conditions for dogs on the farm. Some of what he reported included filthy kennels with inadequate space and dogs who were ill and neglected. Hearing this, Last Chance for Animals investigated and found the mill to be storing unsold animals in containers like products and using female dogs as breeding machines in tight, unsanitary spaces. This sparked an outrage in the state and moved local pet stores to come forward with information on unlicensed breeders who were illegally selling animals to pet stores. When the issue became public, it also caught the attention of Senator Clayton Hee. Hee has publicly admitted that Hawaii's laws regarding animals need to be greatly improved and enforced. He plans to work on creating laws to regulate puppy mills and allow animal inspectors to enforce those laws. Currently, Hawaii has absolutely no laws on puppy mills and animal inspectors have to ask permission to inspect the property.
With news from the past three months alone, it is more than apparent that Hawaii's animal laws need improvement. Visit the Hawaiian Humane Society's website for different ways you can help in your community! Help show Aloha for Hawaii's animals!
In June, an employee of a Waimanalo puppy mill came forward to report terrible conditions for dogs on the farm. Some of what he reported included filthy kennels with inadequate space and dogs who were ill and neglected. Hearing this, Last Chance for Animals investigated and found the mill to be storing unsold animals in containers like products and using female dogs as breeding machines in tight, unsanitary spaces. This sparked an outrage in the state and moved local pet stores to come forward with information on unlicensed breeders who were illegally selling animals to pet stores. When the issue became public, it also caught the attention of Senator Clayton Hee. Hee has publicly admitted that Hawaii's laws regarding animals need to be greatly improved and enforced. He plans to work on creating laws to regulate puppy mills and allow animal inspectors to enforce those laws. Currently, Hawaii has absolutely no laws on puppy mills and animal inspectors have to ask permission to inspect the property.
With news from the past three months alone, it is more than apparent that Hawaii's animal laws need improvement. Visit the Hawaiian Humane Society's website for different ways you can help in your community! Help show Aloha for Hawaii's animals!
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