Hawaii looks to make harsher penalties for dumping pets

HONOLULU (AP) — Alongside throngs of lounging tourists on Hawaii’s pristine beaches live other creatures that enjoy relaxing in the sun: feral cats. Thousands of the wild cats have made their homes in colonies across the state, and the growing population is causing concern.

In response, lawmakers are introducing a bill to crack down on animal abandonment. The bill would make deserting animals a petty misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000. If the animal suffers death or substantial bodily injury, the penalty would be increased to a misdemeanor with fines up to $2,000.

Thousands of unwanted pets are abandoned throughout the islands each year, which animal rights groups say could hurt Hawaii’s native wildlife.

“For those of us doing rescue, animal abandonment is a regular part of our lives,” said Alicia Maluafiti, president of Poi Dogs & Popoki, an animal rescue organization on Oahu.

Hawaii’s current law is one of the weakest in the nation, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Right now, people in Hawaii who dump their unwanted pets face a petty misdemeanor with a $50 fine. But in other states, animal abandonment is classified as a misdemeanor or even a felony, the organization said.

However, the most recent draft of the bill provided an exemption for animals released under a “population management program,” which means cats or dogs could be released if they’re spayed or neutered.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed that part of the bill. Because there are so many feral cat colonies, pet owners may be more likely to abandon unwanted animals because they think someone else will care for their pet, said Suzanne Case, the department chair.

Supporters of the bill say Hawaii’s native species are also threatened by cats and dogs living in the wild. Nearly 28 percent of all threatened and endangered species in the U.S. are in Hawaii, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.