Hopes high for Leeward side Humane Society

For many of us in the animal rescue business, we work for love. We make a commitment of our own time, money and resources to care for the animals that society has forgotten.

And while the toll on our lives is often financial, it is the emotional one that leaves us struggling for solutions. We see firsthand the abused, neglected, abandoned and homeless animals, so we feel compelled to help.

While we have organized as nonprofits, we are small organizations that rely on volunteer networks.

Kittens found in a storm drain. The stray dog living at Kuuloa Beach Park. A pregnant mommy cat ready to give birth. The pit bull and the beagle running down Fort Weaver in the middle of rush-hour traffic. The aging grandmother who passed away, leaving behind 15 feral cats. If we don’t help them, who will?

The decision by the Hawaiian Humane Society (HHS) to open a second facility in West Oahu makes sense, since more than 60 percent of the animal control calls come from our side of the island. Officers will be able to respond more expeditiously to cruelty calls. Leeward and Central Oahu residents won’t have drive 25 miles to Kaimuki. And lost and found animals will be more quickly reunited with owners. It’s win-win for the entire island, but we have high expectations: Fewer animals will be euthanized and people will get the help they need.

The driving force for the animal welfare community is saving lives. And that is why our small nonprofits get so many calls. People avoid the HHS because it euthanizes kittens under 2 pounds; cats with upper respiratory infection (a cold); dogs with mange; cats with ringworm; old dogs, old cats, and of course, pit bulls and feral cats.

But it’s not all HHS’ fault. Too many pets, not enough homes and not enough space equals a high euthanasia rate.

I believe that HHS is going in the right direction. While I don’t place the entire weight of animal welfare on its shoulders, HHS is the 800-pound gorilla. It raised $18 million to build its facility and got 5 acres donated, valued at more than $1 million. With access to those resources — the kind that no other animal welfare nonprofit could imagine — it’s time to hold HHS to a higher standard.

We hope that it commits to trap-neuter-return as a compassionate solution to our feral cat problems; educates owners about options to surrendering pets; improves the lost-and-found reporting process so that pets can be reunited with owners; keeps the microchip identification data base current; resumes animal pickup so that people are not dumping animals on the side of the road or in our beaches and parks; and makes it easier for other animal welfare groups to work with it.

Reducing the euthanasia rate on Oahu will take a village. While I can’t speak for the rest of the animal welfare community, I am willing to do my share. But we need peace of mind knowing that it won’t be business as usual at HHS.