FW: [FeralCatConcerns] URGENT ALERT: CATS SLATED TO BE GUNNED DOWN BY RAMBO CONSERVATIONISTS

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Feral Cat Concerns [Feral_Cat_Concerns]Tuesday, 31 October 2000 08:57feralcatconcerns Subject: [FeralCatConcerns] URGENT ALERT: CATS SLATED TO BE GUNNED DOWN BY "RAMBO CONSERVATIONISTS"

URGENT ALERT: CATS SLATED TO BE GUNNED DOWN BY "RAMBO CONSERVATIONISTS" Immediate phone calls and letters are needed to stop - hopefully beforeit begins - the wholesale roundup and coldblooded slaughter of feral catsof the Kawainui swamp located in Kailua, Hawai`i. The State of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources (aka DLNR)has scheduled a public hearing on their plans to, in effect, "declarewar" on any and all so-called "invasive species" that are "taking over"the island. In Hawaiian terms, this means all mammals except for theHawaiian Bat, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, and a few choice birds -becausethey are the only animals allegedly present before human contact. Theeffort is akin to trying to return Manhattan to the natural state it wasin prior to human contact. The current primary residents of the swamp land are feral cats who havebeen looked after for years by compassionate caretakers who have beentrapping, then spaying, and neutering the felines, feeding them everyday,and looking after their medical needs. Trap, neuter, and return is theonly effective and humane method of feral cat population control.DLNR, on the other hand, plans to trap the cats, and in all likelihoodlet them go for days in the blistering heat in metal cages without foodor fresh water. Then they want to effectively execute a canned hunt bysticking the barrels of .22 caliber guns in the cats' faces and blowingtheir heads off while still in the traps. Although, sometimes they missand hit their bodies, and the cats then languish bleeding to death therein the swamp -still alive and suffering for the short time they haveleft. The irony is that if they kill the cats in the swamp thesurrounding unneutered and unspayed cat colonies will move in andreproduce faster than DLNR can kill them, and then their "fragile swamp"will be at far greater risk than it is in now. Additionally, neighborhood cats from nearby residences may very well diehorrible deaths just because they don't understand what "No Trespass"signs mean. Other species are also at risk of similar -or worse deaths, both in thisswamp and throughout Hawai`i at the hands of the blood thirsty"conservationists". They have all sizes of traps, all kinds of poisons,many types of guns, and even planes to blanket questionable toxicchemicals across large areas to kill Hawai`i's animals. They also havelots of duck decoys so their hunter friends can be included in theslaughter of innocent animals, all in the name of waging "The War onInvasive Species" - all "invasive species" -except for humans, who areby far the biggest reason for declining amount of habitat and dwindlingnumbers of native species. Contact DLNR today! Tell them that gunning down feral cats will NOT savethe environment, and that trap, neuter, and return is the only humane andeffective method of feral cat population control!Chairman Tim JohnsOffice of the ChairpersonKalanimoku Bldg.1151 Punchbowl St. Rm 130Honolulu, HI 96813phone: (808) 587-0405fax: (808) 587-0390homeboyAlso, please contact Hawai`i's Governor Ben Cayetano and tell him thatblowing off kitties' heads is an unacceptable "state conservation plan",and politically unwise.Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano Executive Chambers Hawaii State Capitol Honolulu, HI 96813 phone: (808) 586-0034fax: (808) 586-0006e-mail: govAnd contact the Hawaiian Humane Society and urge them to protect Hawai`i's animals by publicly opposing this so-called war on invasivespecies, and by enforcing state anti-cruelty laws.President of the BoardHawaiian Humane Society2700 Wai`alae Ave.Honolulu, HI 96826phone: (808) 946-2187fax: (808) 955 6034pburns (put attn. to Pres. of Board)For more information on "trap, neuter, and return" please, see:Alley Cat Allies http://www.alleycat.org______________YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.