A 61-year-old Ocean View man was arrested Tuesday and dozens of dogs removed from a Ka‘u property as the result of a months-long animal cruelty investigation.
Alfred Cababag was arrested on suspicion of second-degree felony cruelty to animals and released pending further investigation after the Hawaii Police Department and Hawaii Rainbow Rangers executed a search warrant on his property. There, 53 dogs were reportedly observed with 46 of them being considered “undernourished, and/or injured” and in need of additional care.
The dogs were transported by the Hawaii Rainbow Rangers to an animal shelter in Waimea where a veterinarian will conduct a thorough examination of each dog, according to police.
The search warrant’s execution followed an investigation initiated in December after receiving calls from the public about possible animal neglect in Ocean View.
Cruelty to animals in the second degree is a felony offense if it involves more than 10 pet animals being neglected or abused. The investigation will be forwarded to the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney after a complete evaluation of the animals has been completed.
Tuesday was not the first time Cababag, a Big Island surfer and artist, has had an unmanageable number of canines on his property. In May 2017, the Hawaii Island Humane Society, which held the animal control contract at the time, was called in when a reported 91 dogs were in his possession.
Cababag told West Hawaii Today at that time that he voluntarily surrendered the dogs because it had turned into a dire situation and he was unable to provide them with food or water. The shelter provided him with food and water, eventually removing most of the dogs and placing them up for adoption. No charges were filed in connection with that incident.
Police encourage the public to report any suspicion of animal neglect or abuse by calling the department’s nonemergency number at (808) 935-3311.