Many states have laws that require animal shelters to obtain a license, meet minimal operating standards and undergo regular inspections. Hawaii is not one of them.

That’s something to keep in mind as the Hawaiian Humane Society shelters more than 300 dogs — some of them ailing and undernourished — that were seized Thursday from a private animal shelter in Makaha, animal advocates say.

“We need much greater oversight,” said Inga Gibson, Hawaii policy consultant with the Humane Society of the United States.

Gibson said there are no state or federal laws in Hawaii that regulate animal shelters, boarding and grooming facilities, dog breeders or pet stores.

It’s a situation that can lead to substandard conditions and abuses that can persist under the radar for years, she said. That appears to be the case in Makaha, she added.

She said she was not surprised to hear that the Friends for Life shelter was in trouble. She said her office has received a number of complaints about the facility because of the number and condition of the animals there.

She said her attempt to look the place over was denied when she was told the facility was undergoing renovations. Others have been denied access with similar excuses, she said.

When the Hawaiian Humane Society and the Honolulu Police Department investigators raided the Friends for Life shelter Thursday, they found dogs were covered in feces and urine, and stuck in overcrowded cages.

Officials said feces and urine were in water bowls and food dishes, while rats and mice were feeding from open bags of rotting food. There were filthy dogs with festering skin conditions, rancid food and a powerful stench throughout the property, they said.

During medical evaluations, dogs were found with parasites, skin disorders, open wounds and sores. Some were malnourished and starving, while others were in critical condition and sent to veterinary clinics for emergency medical attention.

Officers arrested a 60-year-old man on one count of second-degree animal cruelty. The man, who lives on the Farrington Highway property and helps run the shelter, was released later in the day.

Hawaiian Humane Society spokeswoman Suzy Tan said the shelter has been on animal control investigators’ radar for some time.

“We had received numerous complaints in the past but was not permitted on property and did not have enough evidence for a search warrant until now,” she said.

Good intentions gone bad

Friends for Life is a nonprofit registered with the state as a no-kill animal rescue shelter. The organization was incorporated in 2007 and has completed annual filings for every year since then. Nonprofit records indicate that the shelter operates on a minimal budget.

The owners could not be reached for comment, but a number of people, volunteers and friends have come forward to defend the shelter.

One of them is Curtis Kropar, executive director of Hawaiian Hope, a nonprofit that provides technology services to nonprofits. He said he’s working with Friends for Life to establish a computer tracking system for its animals.

Kropar said he has visited the shelter on several occasions and came away impressed with the facilities and the leadership, which he called “awesome.”

He said it sounds like Friends for Life is being treated unfairly.

“It’s a dog rescue,” Kropar said. “People drop off banged-up and damaged animals there all the time. You’re going to find dogs in bad condition. It’s what they do. What do you expect to find?”

He added, “I can guarantee you, if I had seen anything horrible, there is no way I would work with these guys.”

Blossom Aona, a volunteer who works three days a week at the shelter, said Friends for Life is a “no-kill” outdoor shelter that doesn’t turn away any dogs, even if they are in poor condition.

But that’s part of the problem, said Gibson of the Humane Society of the United States. There’s a point when accepting animals exceeds a facility’s capacity to administer adequate care, she said, and it appears that point was passed some time ago at Friends for Life.

Gibson said being a “no-kill” shelter should mean limited admission with a greater responsibility for when to say no to more animals and when to get help if needed.

Stephanie Ryan, president and founder of the Oahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said her shelter follows a “no-kill” philosophy and refuses to take animals when there’s not enough room. Oahu SPCA, she said, also maintains a full-time veterinarian, staff and clinic.

“Some shelters just don’t have the resources for that,” Ryan said.

It’s a problem across the country, Gibson said. Shelters open with good intentions, only to find they are unable to keep up financially.

“They don’t have the resources to properly care for the animals, and they end up doing a disservice to the animals,” she said.

Running an animal shelter should not be done on a shoestring budget, Gibson said. There are many practices and procedures a shelter must follow to maintain the health of its population — and it isn’t cheap, she said.

For example, tick and flea prevention runs about $20 a month for one dog. For a shelter with 300 dogs, like Friends for Life, that’s $6,000 a month.

The Humane Society of the United States urges those who want to help animals and operate a rescue shelter to first consider either volunteering at an existing shelter or operating a foster network, where animals are placed in homes that can handle them.

As for shelters like Friends for life, Gibson advises people to be wary.

“There are a number of red flags. Some of the biggest are not allowing access to the public and having no hours posted for when it is open to the public,” she said.

A shelter should be as transparent as possible, with anyone considering adoption or surrendering an animal for adoption being able to visit at any time during regularly posted hours, she said.

Gibson said she hopes the state Legislature takes note and considers enacting a more comprehensive law that regulates the activities of commercial breeders, animal rescues and pet stores.

Ryan said, “There should be minimal standards to make sure the health, safety and welfare of the animals are maintained.”