i L i n d . n e t

I must not have been paying attention the day that the mayor approved formation of the Department of Cruel, Unusual, and Just Plain Mean Punishment.

How else to explain the homeless policy reported in Sunday’s Advertiser?

After getting out of the housing business, the city’s homeless policy now seems to be something like this:

1- Destroy their homes.
2-Kill their animals.
3-Sell their children into slavery.

Actually, they seem to have settled for two out of three.

Reading the Advertiser story was painful, but it was silent about the outcome. If those pets are considered unsuitable for adoption because of age, temperament, or illness, they are euthanized. It’s what the Humane Society does. So any homeless person whose dog is seized and who lacks transportation to town or the $60 hostage fee faces the prospect that their animal will be killed.

That’s really kicking people when they’re down.

Aloha from your city government!

It starts, according to the police officers quoted in the story, with a mind-boggling bind.

HPD Major Michael Moses:

“There is the issue of loose dogs, and some people have been attacked. Some say they’ve been bitten. And, of course, others are concerned about the health aspects — dog feces, and fleas and all that stuff.”

Okay. You shouldn’t let your dog run loose.

But then there’s community policing officer Michael Kahikina, who says that if a dog is restrained (as in NOT LOOSE), that is illegal and grounds for seizure.

Kahikina said the law provides for people to walk their registered dogs in a park. But once a dog is chained to a stake or is otherwise restricted to park grounds, it is in violation of the law.

So if your dog is loose, it will be taken. And if your dog is chained, it will be taken. Heads we win, tails you lose.

And just what is the authority under which the dogs are being seized? The city ordinance pointed to in the story appears at Section 10-1.2(9) of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu.

Applicable penalties established by law are contained in Section 10-1.6, which involves police issuing a citation and, in a few circumstances, making an arrest.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), any person convicted of a violation of any section or provision of this article shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500.00 or by imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

There’s nothing here about seizing animals, turning them over to the Humane Society, and looking the other way if they are then killed as a matter of policy.

I expect that the city prefers taking people’s dogs instead of making arrests because if you arrest someone, they have the right to an attorney. And you know how those attorneys are, always worrying about rights and legalities. Better to just seize the dogs because you know people don’t have the personal resources to defend their rights. That’s why they’re homeless in the first place.

Why are police the first line of offense against homelessness? Why don’t we send social workers? Loose dogs a problem? How about donating free leashes? Fleas a problem? Let’s pass out flea collars. Dog feces a problem? Let’s make doggie bags available and show people how to property dispose of them. How about some dog obedience training? Simply, how about a little compassion? Certainly it would cost far less than this ongoing program of police sweeps.