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Turning into The Hepper Guy of Maui
New Regulation, New Issues
How You Can Lend a hand
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While you take into accounts Hawaii, you invariably image glowing blue water, sun-kissed sandy seashores, luxurious motels, and plush rainforests. However hidden in the back of this idyllic veneer is a facet of this tropical paradise you most likely aren’t conscious about: a stray cat inhabitants, part one million sturdy.
Given Hawaii’s geographical isolation, this staggering choice of feral pussycats has originated wholly from the creation of cats from the mainland, and is now one of the vital biggest feral cat populations within the world1. Irresponsible possession and abandonment have allowed the inhabitants to blow up, main no longer simplest to the struggling of the cats in query but additionally to the decimation of local flora and fauna.
Organizations just like the Maui Humane Society paintings tirelessly to regulate those overwhelming numbers, however, as is frequently the case, there by no means appears to be sufficient cash or other people to make a big sufficient dent on this reputedly insurmountable drawback, one thing one Maui resident, Mike Willinsky, determined to do something positive about.
Turning into The Hepper Guy of Maui
Symbol Credit score: SaveMauiCats.org
No stranger to animals in want, Mike began volunteering with animal rescue organizations at a tender age. When he moved from Los Angeles to Maui in 2006, he assumed that issues could be a bit quieter. It took simply two nights for this phantasm to be shattered via the illusion of a mom cat and her two kittens at his door.
Mike wasted no time getting again into cat rescue mode. “I quickly realized Hawaii was years behind in terms of animal rights and support. We urgently need more resources and consistent public messaging to create real, lasting change.”
This can be a harsh truth that almost all cats at the island don’t make it previous their first yr because of a mix of hunger, dehydration, highway injuries, and planned killing via people. In spite of this, the tom cat inhabitants continues to upward push, which is why Mike and his non-profit group, Save Maui Cats, are on a undertaking to make use of the ‘Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage’ (TNRM) strategy to take on stray cat numbers.
Symbol Credit score: SaveMauiCats.org
The TNRM manner is extensively considered a more practical, to not point out humane, solution to convey feral cat populations beneath keep an eye on. Seize or cull tactics frequently lead to inhabitants explosions as diminished cat numbers and higher sources result in reproductive booms and migration of people from different spaces. In contrast, TNRM encourages steadiness inside colonies while steadily decreasing the choice of breeding cats. Socialized cats and kittens are rehomed as pets, however the majority are returned to their colonies as soon as they have got been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped to permit simple id of handled folks.
By means of July 2023, the volunteers of Save Maui Cats have been taking good care of round 450 sterilized cats throughout 72 places each and every night time. In August 2023, fatal wildfires devastated the island, and 150 cats have been misplaced. These days, the group continues to seem after 300 cats over 32 places. In spite of going through impediment after impediment, Mike stays devoted to the purpose.
Symbol Credit score: SaveMauiCats.org
“I do this because no one else is — and because these animals deserve better. We don’t take days off — not for illness, injury, or even during natural disasters. These cats depend on us.”
New Regulation, New Issues
Now Mike faces but every other devastating blow, this time within the type of a brand new legislation.
Handed in early August via the Hawaii County Council, Invoice 51 prohibits the feeding of feral animals—together with cats—on county belongings. Set to take impact January 1, 2026, the invoice imposes escalating fines on violators and is framed as a public well being and environmental measure.
“Maui and Hawaii are tourist paradises, but people won’t keep coming if they see starving cats dying in the streets,” mentioned Mike. “Our work reduces suffering, controls the population, and actually prevents the exact problems tourism officials are worried about. But this bill ties our hands—and in doing so, it risks making the island less welcoming for everyone.”
He issues to the failure of a an identical initiative on neighboring Kauai: “They spent $1.3 million trying to eradicate all stray cats—including fixed ones—and killed 12,000. Within two years, 10,000 were back. Rescuers were asked to step in again—many refused. They didn’t just fail; they set themselves back by decades.”
Against this, the good fortune of the Lanai Hepper Sanctuary is an ideal instance of a hit and humane feral cat control. House to round 700 cats, the sanctuary has change into one among Hawaii’s most well liked customer locations.
Save Maui Cats is urging involved vacationers, animal fans, and Maui citizens to touch Hawaii’s tourism and govt leaders and ask them to fortify humane, efficient answers over damaging insurance policies:
Hawaii Tourism Authority: hawaiitourismauthority.org
Maui Guests & Conference Bureau: mauivcb.org
Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr.: mauicounty.gov
How You Can Lend a hand
Mike receives no fortify from nationwide animal welfare teams. His efforts depend completely on donations, native volunteers, and his personal checking account.
“We have devoted nearly half a million dollars and sacrificed 2 decades of our lives making a difference. Through our passionate and dedicated work, we have helped fix thousands of cats and have helped stabilize West Maui, but we need your help now to continue.”
Please take a look at SaveMauiCats.org and please proportion. Even a bit lend a hand could make an enormous distinction for such a lot of.
Function Symbol Credit score: SaveMauiCats.org
