Working together and engaging Hawai’i Island community members, animal welfare groups here are dedicated to raising awareness and saving lives.
Some say in ancient Hawaiian culture, individuals with animal companions were not referred to as owners but rather as their pets’ kahu, meaning protector, guardian, or honored attendant. In essence, someone was entrusted with the safe keeping of something precious, something cherished.
For nearly 60 years, the non-profit Hawaii Island Humane Society (HIHS) with locations in Kona (the 12-acre HIHS Animal Community Center – a one-of-a-kind in the state) and Keaau, has taken on the role of kahu for animals in need of loving homes. Since then, additional non-profit rescue organizations have been established to help lighten the load and that of the county’s animal control agency.
“Today, we are in crisis, with all island shelters and rescues full. The situation is beyond the abilities of just one organization and all animal welfare entities here deserve community support,” Lauren Nickerson, CEO, HIHS, says. “Our mission is to prevent cruelty to animals, eliminate pet overpopulation, and enhance the bond between humans and animals, with the operational cost of both facilities now at $6,000 daily.”
HIHS funding is provided through year-round donations and two major annual fundraising events: Tropical Paws at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai each March and the Putts for Paws golf tournament at Mauna Lani Resort each July.
While cash donations are always needed, individuals can help in many other ways. Volunteering at one of the locations, fostering an animal, and giving dog food and other supplies to the HIHS Pet Pantry for families in need, are among them.
In addition to its Pet Pantry, HIHS services include free or low-cost spay/neuter, lost and found assistance via Petco Love Lost software, and counseling assistance to keep animals and their family together rather than re-homing.
HIHS “Field Trips for Shelter Dogs” is a favorite program, offering individuals a fun way to help a dog in need. Lauren says it gives dogs shelter breaks and helps them meet potential adopters as participants are provided with gear for the day, including branded “adopt me” backpacks and bandanas.
“Research shows that even just a few hours out of the shelter promotes relaxation, reduces stress and improves dogs’ behaviors,” she says.
The center opened in August 2021 and is one of the nation’s most progressive and comprehensive animal care facilities – and there’s more to come! Later this year, the Anne Barasch Ryan Animal Hospital will open on-site.
“Construction is complete, we’re now just waiting for our certificate of occupancy. In the meantime, we’re working on furnishing the building and staffing,” Lauren says.
The facility’s diagnostic equipment will include the island’s first animal CT scanner. It will also provide medical care, including in-take examinations, for shelter animals. She says the future vision is to provide veterinary care for pet owners who can’t afford it and for newcomers to the island waiting to get established at a vet clinic.
“There’s an extreme shortage of vets here and across the nation. Many clinics no longer accept new clients and maintain large waiting lists. The number of schools currently providing veterinary degrees is insufficient – only 40 in the United States,” Lauren says.
HIHS is a limited admission facility, meaning the only time euthanasia is considered is for humane reasons, not lack of space. It currently maintains a 98.4% live-release rate, according to Lauren.
Among the additional Hawai’i Island organizations providing lifesaving animal welfare work are: Aloha ‘Īlio Rescue, AdvoCATS Hawaii, and the new Aloha Animals Alliance established in February.
Hawai’i Island native and lifelong dog lover Daylynn Kyles founded Aloha ‘Īlio Rescue (AIR) on her 1-acre property in Keaau as an LLC in 2010, and it became a 501c charity in 2016.
“I wanted to do something that made a difference to our island community and its animals. My motivation was, and continues to be, to stop overpopulation and euthanasia of homeless dogs. I want to bring awareness to our community and find solutions to problems that have existed here for far too long,” she says.
Today, her 15-member staff and numerous volunteers routinely care for up to 150 adoptable dogs, both on-site and in foster homes (AIR provides fosters with dog food, medical care, and medicine) and successfully secures more than 700 adoptions a year.
Community services include spay/neuter, medical fee assistance, and a K9KauKau Corner providing food for owners needing help feeding their dog(s). Dog and cat food drives with convenient drop-off locations in Kona and Hilo are also sponsored. According to Daylynn, an amazing 15,000 pounds of food were provided each month in 2023.
Continuing to grow its programs, services, and space, AIR received a $100,000 state grant just this month for operational costs with specific programs, and in June the group was gifted an 8.5-acre parcel in the Waiakea area of Hilo by a generous anonymous donor. An estimated move-in date is five to six months, as some repairs and retrofitting are needed. A campaign fundraiser for that project will be announced soon.
While based on the east side, AIR cares for homeless dogs throughout the island. It sponsors adoption and fundraising events in Hilo weekly and monthly in Kona. An online silent auction is held each November, and donations are accepted year-round.
AdvoCATS Hawaii, an all-volunteer 501c non-profit in Kailua-Kona, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and director Cindy Thurston estimates the group will have spayed/neutered some 30,000 abandoned or feral Hawai’i Island cats from 1999 to the end of 2024.
“We are committed to humanely controlling the island’s homeless cat population and preventing the spread of feline diseases through what’s known as the Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) process,” Cindy says. “We are a resource for anyone – and that’s just about everyone on Hawai’i Island – with homeless cats in their neighborhoods.”
And while many believe most homeless cats are feral (wild, never having had any human contact) Cindy says what she and other volunteers primarily deal with are former companion pets abandoned by their owners.
“We’re a transitory community. Many people move here, adopt cats, and then dump them when they leave the island,” she says.
AdvoCATS is committed to finding solutions by offering two spay/neuter clinics monthly in Kona and once every two months in Ocean View. Individuals may help through monetary contributions, food donations, volunteering to feed cats at one of the many spayed/neutered colonies and volunteering to foster.
Aloha Animals Alliance was created this year by long-time Kona resident Lauren Turnbaugh Foo to support the work of the new Hawai’i County Animal Control and Protection Agency, as well as coordinating services and programs provided by existing animal welfare organizations.
The bottom line, she says, is developing community-based programs to keep animals out of island shelters that are seriously overloaded, leading to many homeless pets being euthanized.
To help identify the most critical issues and explore solutions, the Hawai’i Animal Care Task Force was formed, with open community meetings held in five island locations during the summer of 2023. A council meeting to announce the Aloha Animals Alliance's relationship with the new Animal Control and Protection Agency is expected this month.
For more information go to HIHS.org, AlohaIlioRescue.com, or AdvoCatsHawaii.org. For Aloha Animals Alliance, contact Lauren at 808.990.7776.
Today, we are in crisis, with all island shelters and rescues full. The situation is beyond the abilities of just one organization…
Research shows that even just a few hours out of the shelter promotes relaxation, reduces stress and improves dogs’ behaviors.
There’s an extreme shortage of vets here and across the nation. Many clinics no longer accept new clients and maintain large waiting lists.
We are a resource for anyone – and that’s just about everyone on Hawai’i Island – with homeless cats in their neighborhoods.