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Our
Positions on Issues Relating to Animals
The Hawaiian
Humane Society is dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond and the
humane treatment of all animals. In support of its mission and work as
an animal welfare organization, the Hawaiian Humane Society embraces the
following principles:
PREAMBLE
The Hawaiian Humane Society teaches and promotes humane treatment for
every living creature in the belief that each one has an intrinsic value
and that each contributes to the quality of life. The Humane Society believes
that compassionate and responsible care toward animals develops compassionate
and caring humans, and that condoning violence toward animals desensitizes
people toward all living creatures — both animals and people.
ANIMALS
AS COMPANIONS
The Society believes that companion animals fare best when people make
a well considered decision to accept the responsibilities of ownership
and a commitment to provide them with proper life-long care and quality
of life.
The Society
opposes giving animals as prizes, in raffles or contests, or sales of
animals in an environment which encourages an impulse decision, in the
belief that the animals are likely to go to homes ill-prepared to accept
or support them. It supports efforts to help owners learn proper care,
training, and respect for their animals.
Pet owners
should respect and adhere to all animal-related laws, make sure their
animal’s emotional and physical needs are met, and that their behavior
makes them a welcome member, rather than a nuisance in our neighborhood
and community. The Society encourages and recommends that cat owners confine
their cats to the home or a suitably sized cattery for the animals’
safety.
ANIMALS
AS ENTERTAINMENT
Wild animals have well-established psychological, behavioral and environmental
needs. The Society believes that when these needs cannot be met, the animals
should not be used. For these reasons, the Society believes that wild
animals should not be used in entertainment such as circuses, shows and
exhibits. The Society is opposed to animal contests that cause neglect,
abuse or exploitation of animals when the welfare of the animals is not
a priority. These events have a desensitizing effect, causing people to
be unsympathetic to animal suffering and condoning animal abuse as an
acceptable form of entertainment.
The Society
works actively to prevent any practice that might produce pain, stress,
injury or death to any animal in activities such as advertising, rodeos
and circuses.
ANIMALS
IN EXPERIMENTATION
The Hawaiian Humane Society believes the use of animals for experimentation
should be permitted only when there are no feasible alternatives and then
only when the experiment is believed likely to produce new and substantial
information. Laboratory practices should eliminate stress and suffering
to the greatest degree possible. The Society supports inspection, enforcement,
and upgrading of pertinent laws governing the use of animals in research,
testing and teaching that will ensure that their physiological, psychological
and behavioral needs are met.
The Society
supports the Hawaii law that prohibits procurement of animals for experimentation
from shelters. Animals used for experimentation should be obtained through
facilities dedicated to breeding a species for that purpose, and such
facilities should be held accountable for the care of the animals in conditions
fulfilling both physical and behavioral needs.
The Society
advocates that education for all individuals involved with research animals
shall include courses in ethology, ethics, manipulative procedures, anesthetics
and laboratory animal care.
ANIMALS
RAISED FOR FOOD/SLAUGHTER
The Hawaiian Humane Society supports the enforcement and strengthening
of current laws and the implementation of humane standards for animals
in every phase of animal-based food production. The Society opposes "factory
farming" or any other practice that results in animals being viewed
as and treated as machines. Because of the potential of inhumane slaughter,
the Society opposes the slaughter of any animal except by a certified
slaughter house.
ANIMAL
FIGHTING
Practices such as cockfighting and dog-fighting cause acute suffering
and physical harm to animals and desensitizes both children and adults
to the value of life and should be eliminated. Such organized and willful
abuse of animals is contrary to the values of a humane, aware and caring
society. The Humane Society condemns and opposes all such "blood
sports."
ANIMAL
TRAINING
The Society supports methods that use positive reinforcement and rewards
to train animals. We strongly discourage the use of physical or psychological
punishment for misbehavior or behavior modification.
BIRD POPULATION
CONTROL
The Society advocates humane methods of bird control, which include roost
area modification, birth control, proper disposal of garbage and waste,
no feeding policies and appropriate planning in the construction of new
buildings. The Society is opposed to the use of poisons, compounds or
methods that cause suffering in controlling bird populations.
CLASSROOM
PETS
The Society does not support keeping animals in the classroom unless each
animal has an owner committed to the proper and life-long care of the
animal.
EUTHANASIA
The Hawaiian Humane Society’s goal is to successfully address overpopulation
and to have euthanasia performed only when it is the only alternative
to end an animals’ suffering. We consider quality of life paramount.
We do not believe indefinite confinement, isolation or indiscriminate
placement is in the best interest of companion animals. For animals that
are suffering from irreversible disease, injury or other infirmities,
those that pose a safety threat, or those for which a caring home cannot
be found, euthanasia is the most humane alternative.
The Hawaiian Humane Society advocates the guidelines in the "Report
of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia of 2000," and believes that each
agency should choose a proven humane method performed by a professionally
trained and certified staff.
HUMANE
EDUCATION
The curricula of all Hawaii schools, from preschool through the 12th grade,
should include humane education programs and the teaching of kindness
and respect for all living things. Humane education should continue into
adulthood with programs focusing on the duties and responsibilities of
ownership and the care of animals.
HUNTING
AND FISHING
Trophy hunting and trophy fishing exploit animals solely for entertainment
and are contrary to the values of a humane, aware and caring society.
Hunting animals solely as trophies or for recreation should be prohibited.
The method
used for any hunting should be the one that provides the quickest death.
When hunting dogs are used, they must be under the control of their owner
at all times and be trained not to injure or be injured by the animal
being hunted.
PET OVERPOPULATION
Pet overpopulation is a community-wide issue that requires community-based
solutions. Through community collaboration, the Society advocates the
three-fold strategy of legislation, education and sterilization to effectively
address this critical issue.
The Society
believes that all companion animals should have a home. To ensure responsible
pet ownership, the Society advocates spay/neuter and pet identification.
It encourages training and preventative medical care to eliminate pets
being given up because of behavior and health problems. The Society strongly
opposes casual breeding.
The Society
believes that people taking full responsibility for their pets is essential
for eliminating pet overpopulation. Those responsibilities include having
realistic expectations about the animal’s needs and their likely
relationship with the animal. The responsibilities also include controlling
breeding; providing ID; providing training and preventive medical care
to eliminate pets being given up because of health or behavior problems;
accessing community resources to help eliminate problems which might cause
an owner to give up a pet; and finding a new home for the pet or bringing
it to the Society if the owner can no longer keep it.
The Society
advocates and promulgates responsible pet ownership and educates the community
on pet owner’s responsibilities.
PET VISITATION/SERVICE
ANIMALS
Use of companion animals to help people with special needs can foster
bonds beneficial to both people and animals — including sight and
service animals, therapy animals, and those making pet visitations. The
Society supports programs that provide positive benefits to both animals
and humans.
PETS IN
OUR COMMUNITY
The Society views the human-animal bond as beneficial and therapeutic,
and advocates that responsible owners should be allowed to have animals
in apartments, condominiums, rental units, residential care facilities,
and in public places such as parks and beaches.
QUARANTINE
The Society is committed to keeping rabies out of Hawaii and the most
effective and humane means for accomplishing this should be pursued. The
Society advocates for a system that can safely eliminate or minimize the
time animals spend in quarantine and cause the least disruption to the
human-animal bond.
SALE OF
PETS
The Society believes that the breeding, importing and sale of pets should
only be done if responsible breeding guidelines to ensure a healthy animal
are followed AND that there is a surety of placing the puppy or kitten
with a responsible owner.
The Hawaiian
Humane Society opposes animal procurement practices that exploit the novelty
appeal of various animals at the expense of their well-being and that
encourage impulse purchases without ensuring that the buyer is well equipped
and knowledgeable about providing proper and humane care.
The Society
supports development and promulgation of humane standards for the care,
display, transportation and sale of animals.
The Society believes that exotic or wild animals are not appropriate companion
animals and should not be sold as pets.
Pet Shops
The Hawaiian Humane Society is opposed to the sale of animals through
pet shops and similar outlets. At pet shops, supplies of animals are often
obtained from mass-producing breeding facilities or are inhumanely captured
from the wild; animals are considered a commodity and the welfare of the
individual animal is not a priority; most provide no education about the
special needs of each animal, nor do they offer any health guarantees
or follow-up after the sale.
We object
to practices by the majority of pet shops which encourage the perception
that breed registries are a guarantee of quality.
Animals
As Gifts
The Hawaiian Humane Society believes that animals should be placed as
lifetime companions, and opposes the adoption of an animal as a gift for
an individual who is unaware of the adoption. Each circumstance is unique.
Pets should be chosen according to the expectations and lifestyle of the
new "family," as well as the animal’s individual needs.
Novelty
Pets
The Hawaiian Humane Society opposes the sale or purchase of novelty pets
such as chicks, ducks and reptiles. In addition, we are against giving
animals as gifts, such as rabbits at Easter. The majority of these animals
are acquired on impulse by people who may be unprepared to meet the animal’s
special needs. As a result, many such animals suffer immediately from
lack of proper care, while others suffer as their short-lived novelty
value diminishes.
Puppy
Mills
The Hawaiian Humane Society believes that puppy mills are a cruel exploitation
of dogs. The female dogs are little more than breeding machines and are
usually condemned to a life of isolation in a dirty, cramped cage with
inadequate food and veterinary care. Even if the living conditions are
adequate, the indiscriminate breeding of dogs adds significantly to the
pet overpopulation problem.
Puppies produced
in puppy mills are more prone to disease due to poor nutrition, inadequate
medical care and the stress of being shipped long distances at a young
age.
Puppy mill
breeders generally ignore the behavior traits or physical problems of
the parents. Through irresponsible breeding practices, congenital disorders
or undesirable and sometimes even dangerous behaviors are passed on to
the puppies.
STERILIZATION
The Hawaiian Humane Society supports the sterilization of pets and believes
that not only does it have an impact on stemming pet overpopulation, but
that altered pets live longer, healthier lives and make better companions.
We endorse
prepubertal (8 weeks of age) spay/neuter of dogs and cats, the further
development of alternative methods of sterilization, and legislation that
mandates sterilization when appropriate.
TRAP,
NEUTER, RETURN AND MANAGEMENT (TNRM) OF FERAL CATS
The Society supports responsible TNRM as a method to control feral cats.
While the Society believes that all cats deserve a home with an owner
and is working towards that end, we recognize that Hawaii has a significant
number of homeless cats. Many of these cats were once socialized, but
have since become feral.
There are
many strategies to address feral cat populations, one of which is TNRM.
TNRM can be an effective strategy when responsible cat colony caretakers
maintain their colonies by obtaining the property owner’s agreement;
ensuring colonies are in a safe environment; locating colonies away from
protected animals; sterilizing all members of the colony; removing kittens
and newly abandoned, socialized cats; keeping records of cats in the colonies;
providing necessary veterinary care and microchip identification; ensuring
that feeding areas are free of rubbish, and otherwise maintaining the
colony so it does not become a nuisance to others.
UNNECESSARY
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
The Society opposes unnecessary surgical procedures that are painful,
distressing or restrictive to the animal; performed for cosmetic purposes
or to disguise natural imperfections; and done for the convenience of
the owner without regard to the interest of the animal.
WILD ANIMALS
The Society supports efforts to end needless and cruel destruction of
wild animals.
When all
other avenues have been exhausted and there remains a demonstrable need
to kill wildlife, it should be performed by responsible individuals using
methods that result in an instantaneous death without suffering for animals.
ZOOS AND
AQUARIUMS
The Hawaiian Humane Society believes that zoos and aquariums should exist
for conservation, preservation and propagation of endangered animals and
for educating the public about them, not as casual entertainment. We believe
that under most circumstances, wild animals should be permitted to exist
undisturbed in their natural environments. We oppose the capture of animals
from the wild for use in zoos and aquariums, except when necessary for
the propagation of endangered species.
For animals
in a zoo or aquarium environment, the Society seeks the kind of care and
confinement that does not inflict stress or suffering, and supports the
placement of animals in natural settings consistent with their need for
safety, sanitation, and their physical and behavioral needs. Action should
be taken to prevent the breeding of a species whose placement in a humane
environment is not guaranteed.
Updated
Feb. 2004.
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