An effort is underway to discourage visitors from traveling to Hawaii Island (also called the Big Island), led by Priscilla Presley, widow of Elvis Presley.
It’s due to a new Hawaii law that makes it illegal to feed stray or feral animals on county property on Hawaii Island. That includes all animals, such as cats, chickens, pigs and goats.
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“There is no excuse for inhumane treatment of any island animal,” Presley said in an announcement released by the Aloha Animal Advocacy Association last month. She said she will boycott visiting the island and will encourage others to do the same, calling the law “inhumane” as it shows “lack of compassion and ugliness.”
“If Elvis was alive today, he would be totally against that as well,” Presley also told Civil Beat. “I’m definitely going to spread the word, what’s happening over there.”
Bill 51 was introduced by the Hawaii County Council in July with the intent to help protect the Hawaii Island’s indigenous species by controlling other non-native populations. At the same time, it has stoked an already heated debate in Hawaii over how to address the state’s feral cat population, which is considered a threat to native bird species.
“A person may not feed or attempt to feed a stray or feral animal on property owned, leased, rented, managed, or operated by the County,” the bill reads, adding that it does not prohibit a person to trap or seize the animal.
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People convicted of feeding feral animals will be fined up to $50 for the first violation and up to $500 for subsequent ones, according to the bill.
The bill passed in August, despite receiving thousands of opposing testimonies. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda allowed it to become law without his signature, and it is slated to take effect in January 2026.
“The Bill 51, called the Cat Kill Bill, had over 6,000 testimonies in opposition, yet the County Council members voted to pass the Bill to outlaw provision of food and water in managed cat colonies. Twenty-three local welfare organizations and four national animal welfare organizations strongly opposed this Bill throughout the three Council hearing sessions,” the Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Service said in a statement.
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Opponents are concerned about the law’s effects on cats, especially those that have been accustomed to being fed.
Multiple testifiers had the same message for officials, writing, “Starving cats doesn’t make them vanish; it drives them into sensitive ecosystems, increases disease, leads to more kittens, and intensifies community conflict.”
Others said that eradicating cats could harm the environment by letting rodents multiply and that the bill penalizes animal welfare groups, who use food for trap-neuter-return programs.
After the bill passed, Mayor Kimo Alameda said he agrees that feeding pigs, goats, sheep and pigeons should be prohibited because they are not domesticated animals and can survive without supplemental feeding.
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“At the same time, I recognize the concerns raised regarding the prohibition on feeding feral cats,” Alameda said in a statement emailed to SFGATE. “Unlike the other animals listed, feral cats occupy a more complex ecological and community role. It is unclear whether they could adequately sustain themselves through natural predation alone, such as hunting rodents, without additional impacts to local ecosystems.”
“For this reason, I believe it is essential to pair this bill with a stronger commitment to island-wide spay and neuter programs,” he continued. “By expanding access and availability of these services, we can address the root cause of overpopulation in a more humane, effective, and sustainable way.”
The Aloha Animal Advocacy Association said it plans to take legal action arguing that the bill violates the state’s animal cruelty laws. SFGATE reached out for an update but did not hear back before the time of publication.
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Editor’s note: SFGATE recognizes the importance of diacritical marks in the Hawaiian language. We are unable to use them due to the limitations of our publishing platform.
