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Senate committees back spay‑neuter special fund after broad testimony from conservation and animal‑welfare groups
Summary
After extensive public and expert testimony, joint Senate committees recommended passing SB1023 with amendments to create a spay and neuter special fund to reduce pet overpopulation; conservation groups supported funding but flagged trap‑neuter‑release (TNR) language as ineffective for reducing landscape populations.
Senate committees on Agriculture and Environment, Transportation, Culture and the Arts, and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs heard hours of testimony on Feb. 5 on SB1023, a bill that would establish a spay and neuter special fund to reduce pet overpopulation and free‑roaming cats.
The measure drew support from a cross‑section of conservation groups and animal‑welfare organizations while also prompting scientific questions about TNR (trap‑neuter‑return) programs. Chelsea Arnott of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council told the committee, “I don't foresee this bill doing a reduction in cats on the landscape, but I think it's a, a helpful measure and just wanna highlight, you know, no re release, trap neuter…
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