Aloha Animal Alliance urges countywide, data-driven cat-management strategy and help-desk pilot

HILO, Hawaii — Aloha Animal Alliance presented a multi-pronged plan to the Communication Reports and Council Oversight Committee on Sept. 2 that aims to reduce community-cat populations through expanded access to spay/neuter services, a centralized help desk, caretaker certification, data tracking and targeted trap-neuter-return-management (TNVRM).

Lauren Turnbull Fu, co-founder and president of Aloha Animal Alliance, told the committee the group invested in durable field infrastructure, training and a software system to track sterilization and follow-up. "We invested in durable tools, traps, trail cams, microchip scanners and medical supplies," she said, and described a focus on tracking and verification so the county and nonprofits can see results over time.

The Alliance recommended reallocating existing island-wide animal-related spending—estimated in the presentation at about $10 million annually among public and private actors—toward four pillars: access to care, reduced shelter intake, community engagement and a comprehensive information hub. The group proposed a countywide program that would prioritize targeted sterilization (sterilize a colony to roughly 85–90% before moving on), expand low-cost clinics, operate a help desk to direct households to services, and reserve impoundment as a last resort.

Several public testifiers supported humane, community-based approaches. Sylvia Dolina of Aloha Animal Advocates said a cat-management program would "train, certify, and regulate" volunteer efforts to produce consistent results. Sheila Brown and William Brown described local trap-neuter-return work and said sustained follow-up and transport or low-cost options for owners are needed to reduce abandonment and dumping.

Council members and Alliance presenters discussed trust-building, Bill 51 (which affects feeding on county properties) and the need to coordinate with the Department of Land and Natural Resources on sensitive wildlife areas. Alliance leaders said a program that combines outreach, predictable low-cost sterilization and a data system would allow animal-control resources to focus on field responses and shelter operations.

The committee voted to close File 447 after the presentation; council members also encouraged continued collaboration with county administration, animal-control agencies and community feeders.

What's next: Alliance leaders said they will continue outreach, expand spay-and-neuter clinic capacity and make their software and training materials available for the county to consider as part of next year's budget and program planning.