HAWAIʻI ANIMAL ADVOCACY

Media Kit | 2026

Humane, science-based and accountable solutions for community cats, wildlife protection, public health and public policy

HawaiiAnimalAdvocacy.org
Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi
Media Contact: Greg “Puʻuwai Aloha” Baker, Founder & Spokesperson


1.  ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy (HAA) is a Hawaiʻi-based advocacy organization advancing humane, evidence-based and accountable approaches to community cat population management, wildlife protection, public health and animal-related public policy.

HAA works at the intersection of:

  • Animal welfare

  • Conservation science

  • One Health

  • Government policy

  • Community engagement

  • Electoral accountability

Our work challenges the false choice between protecting native wildlife and treating cats humanely. Hawaiʻi can—and must—do both.

HAA promotes comprehensive, place-based strategies that prevent reproduction, reduce unmanaged cat populations, protect sensitive wildlife areas, improve pet-owner responsibility and require government programs to demonstrate measurable results.

Core principle: Effective policy must be humane, science-based and accountable for outcomes.

 

2.  WHAT HAA DOES

HAA conducts policy research, translates scientific evidence for the public and decision-makers, develops management frameworks and standards, participates in legislative and administrative proceedings, and mobilizes residents around humane animal policy.

Primary areas of work

Community Cat Population Management

  • High-intensity spay/neuter

  • Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return and adoption

  • Professional colony management

  • Prevention of abandonment and unmanaged breeding

  • Monitoring of population and welfare outcomes

Wildlife and Conservation Policy

  • Species- and site-specific risk assessment

  • Evidence-based predator attribution

  • Evaluation of limiting factors affecting wildlife populations

  • Protection of sensitive habitats

  • Outcome monitoring and adaptive management

Public Health and One Health

  • Toxoplasmosis education

  • Reduction of unmanaged reproduction and kitten turnover

  • Sanitation and responsible feeding practices

  • Integration of animal, human and environmental health

Government and Legislative Accountability

  • Review of proposed laws and administrative rules

  • Public testimony and policy briefs

  • Analysis of enforcement, cost and measurable outcomes

  • Candidate education and voter information

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3.  CURRENT HAA INITIATIVES

Coexistence Framework™ 2.1

The HAA Coexistence Framework™ is a place-based model for managing cats across three different environments:

PET ZONES
Prevent abandonment and unmanaged reproduction through accessible sterilization, identification, retention support and responsible pet ownership.

COMMUNITY ZONES
Reduce community cat populations through targeted sterilization, adoption, professional colony management and measurable population monitoring.

WILDLIFE ZONES
Protect sensitive species and habitats through exclusion, buffers, targeted intervention, habitat management and evidence-based conservation measures.

The framework recognizes that one policy cannot appropriately govern every cat in every location.

Conservation Science Compliance Standard™

HAA promotes minimum evidence and accountability requirements for wildlife-management decisions, including:

  • Reliable predator identification

  • Species- and site-specific evidence

  • Distinction between observed predation and population-level impact

  • Evaluation of all significant limiting factors

  • Defined objectives and measurable conservation outcomes

  • Monitoring before and after intervention

One Health Alignment Standard™

HAA evaluates whether animal and wildlife policies account for the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment—including waste systems, water quality, sanitation, reproduction, disease transmission and community behavior.

Professional Community Cat Management Standards

HAA is developing a comprehensive management standard intended to raise community cat colony care from an informal activity to a disciplined, measurable and professionally accountable practice.

HAA 2026 Election Center

HAA provides Hawaiʻi County voters with information about County Council candidates’ positions on humane animal policy, community cat management, wildlife protection, public accountability and evidence-based decision-making.

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4.  THE ISSUE — AT A GLANCE

Hawaiʻi’s Central Challenge

Hawaiʻi has substantial populations of owned, abandoned and unowned cats, uneven access to veterinary care, continued unmanaged reproduction, inadequate abandonment prevention and growing conflict around native wildlife.

Too often, public discussion begins only after cats have entered a community, park or sensitive habitat. The result is crisis-driven policymaking focused on feeding restrictions, punishment or removal rather than prevention and population reduction.

What does not solve the underlying problem

  • Feeding prohibitions do not sterilize cats.

  • Enforcement against caregivers does not stop unmanaged breeding.

  • Removal without immigration control can leave space for additional cats to enter.

  • Unfed cats do not simply disappear.

  • Sporadic, low-volume sterilization may be insufficient to overcome reproduction.

  • Wildlife action without reliable predator attribution may target the wrong threat.

  • Programs without population baselines or outcome monitoring cannot demonstrate success.

What comprehensive management requires

  • Accessible pet and community-cat sterilization

  • High sterilization coverage in targeted areas

  • Adoption and kitten-intervention pathways

  • Prevention of abandonment

  • Professional colony management

  • Protection of sensitive wildlife sites

  • Site-specific risk assessment

  • Measurable population and conservation objectives

  • Transparent reporting and adaptive management

The relevant public-policy question is not whether action should be taken. It is whether the chosen action will produce sustained, measurable results.

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5.  MANAGED VS. UNMANAGED CATS

HAA distinguishes between managed and unmanaged cat populations.

Managed cats

Managed community cats are:

  • Sterilized

  • Regularly monitored

  • Provided controlled food and clean water

  • Kept at sanitary feeding stations

  • Evaluated for illness or injury

  • Identified when possible

  • Removed for adoption when appropriate

  • Monitored for newcomers

  • Managed to prevent reproduction and reduce population over time

Unmanaged cats

Unmanaged populations may experience:

  • Continued kitten births

  • New sexually immature cats

  • Greater population turnover

  • Untreated illness and injury

  • Uncontrolled feeding or scavenging

  • Migration between locations

  • Abandonment of additional cats

  • No reliable population or outcome data

Unmanaged cats are the problem. Professional management is part of the solution.

Management does not mean leaving every cat in every location. Cats in sensitive wildlife areas may require different interventions than cats living in residential or commercial community zones.

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6.  KEY FACTS AND POLICY PRINCIPLES

Population management

  • Cat populations grow through reproduction, abandonment and immigration.

  • Sterilization must be implemented at sufficient scale and maintained over time to produce sustained decline.

  • Targeted programs combining sterilization, adoption and monitoring have documented substantial population reductions in specific communities.

  • Population claims should be supported by baseline counts, repeat monitoring and transparent reporting.

  • Pet-cat sterilization and abandonment prevention are essential parts of community-cat policy.

Wildlife protection

  • Hawaiʻi’s native species deserve strong and effective protection.

  • Wildlife declines are often influenced by multiple interacting factors, including habitat loss, disease, invasive predators, food availability, climate conditions and human disturbance.

  • Evidence that an animal interacted with or killed an individual bird is not automatically evidence that it is the primary limiting factor affecting the species’ population.

  • Conservation programs should identify the responsible predator, assess demographic significance and measure whether the intervention improves wildlife outcomes.

  • Sensitive wildlife areas may require exclusion, buffers, relocation or other targeted controls as part of a broader management plan.

Public accountability

  • Humane intentions alone do not guarantee effective results.

  • Conservation intentions alone do not eliminate the need for reliable evidence.

  • Every publicly funded program should define what success means, how it will be measured and when the strategy will be reconsidered.

  • Enforcement should support measurable outcomes rather than substitute for population management.

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7.  PUBLIC HEALTH AND TOXOPLASMOSIS

Toxoplasma gondii is a complex environmental and public-health issue involving cats, prey animals, soil, water movement, food systems, human behavior and wastewater infrastructure.

Cats generally shed environmentally resistant oocysts for a limited period following primary infection, although exceptions can occur. Population turnover is therefore important: continued reproduction introduces new kittens and young cats that have not previously encountered the parasite.

Community cat management can reduce relevant risk factors by:

  • Preventing new kitten births

  • Stabilizing population turnover

  • Removing food waste and maintaining sanitary feeding areas

  • Monitoring illness and colony conditions

  • Reducing the number of unmanaged cats over time

  • Discouraging abandonment

  • Coordinating management around watersheds and sensitive wildlife sites

Toxoplasmosis policy should also consider other environmental pathways, including contaminated soil, runoff, prey species, undercooked meat, cesspools and wastewater systems.

No kittens. Fewer new susceptible cats. Lower long-term environmental risk.

HAA supports One Health strategies that address all material pathways rather than treating one animal population as the complete explanation for a complex environmental problem.

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8.  SPOKESPERSON

Greg “Puʻuwai Aloha” Baker, MBA, CCM

Founder & Spokesperson, Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy

Short bio — television and radio

Greg “Puʻuwai Aloha” Baker is the founder of Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy, a Hawaiʻi-based organization advancing humane, evidence-based and accountable community cat, wildlife and public-policy solutions. He combines hands-on cat-management experience with policy research, financial and operational analysis, public education and legislative advocacy.

Extended bio — print and digital

Greg “Puʻuwai Aloha” Baker founded Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy in response to Hawaiʻi County legislation restricting the feeding of cats on county property. HAA’s public campaign helped mobilize thousands of Hawaiʻi residents around humane and effective community cat policy.

Baker has hands-on experience with Trap-Neuter-Return, community colony care and high-volume spay/neuter clinics. His professional background includes financial planning and analysis, budgeting, nonprofit finance, executive reporting and operational systems.

Through HAA, he has developed the Coexistence Framework™, published scientific and policy briefs, analyzed proposed legislation and administrative rules, participated in government proceedings and created the HAA 2026 Election Center to help voters evaluate candidates’ positions on animal-related public policy.

Areas of expertise

  • Community cat population dynamics

  • Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return

  • Managed versus unmanaged cat populations

  • Professional colony management

  • Spay/neuter program design and accountability

  • Wildlife-conflict mitigation

  • Conservation evidence standards

  • Toxoplasmosis and One Health policy

  • Hawaiʻi animal policy and legislation

  • Feeding-ban and enforcement policy

  • Government budgeting and program evaluation

  • Humane-policy voter engagement

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9.  APPROVED QUOTES

“Protecting native wildlife and treating cats humanely are not competing goals. Effective policy must accomplish both.”

“A feeding ban does not sterilize a single cat, prevent a single litter or stop abandonment.”

“The real choice is not cats versus birds. It is unmanaged populations versus professional, accountable management.”

“Unmanaged cats are a problem. Managed cats are part of the solution.”

“We should measure success by sustained population reduction—not by the number of citations issued or cats temporarily removed.”

“Good conservation begins with identifying the actual limiting factor and measuring whether the intervention helps the species recover.”

“Observed predation is evidence of an event. It is not automatically evidence of population-level impact.”

“No kittens means fewer new susceptible cats, less population turnover and lower long-term toxoplasmosis risk.”

“Aloha must be supported by science, and science must be accountable for outcomes.”

“Hawaiʻi does not need one policy for every cat everywhere. It needs the right management approach for the right place.”

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10.  COMMON QUESTIONS — QUICK ANSWERS

Do cats threaten native wildlife?

Cats can injure or kill wildlife, and sensitive native-species locations require effective protection. The appropriate response depends on the species, location, responsible predator, scale of impact and other limiting factors. HAA supports strong wildlife protection combined with reliable evidence and measurable conservation outcomes.

Does HAA support leaving cats near endangered birds?

No. The Coexistence Framework™ distinguishes wildlife zones from ordinary community settings. Sensitive sites may require exclusion, buffers, relocation, adoption, targeted removal or other site-specific interventions.

Does feeding attract more cats?

Food availability can influence where cats gather, but population growth is driven primarily by reproduction, abandonment and immigration. Feeding should therefore be paired with sterilization, monitoring, sanitation, newcomer control and adoption.

Why not simply remove all the cats?

Removal may be appropriate in particular locations, especially sensitive wildlife areas. However, removal alone does not address abandonment, reproduction outside the site or immigration into newly available territory. Any removal program should include prevention, monitoring and a plan for long-term population control.

Does HAA oppose conservation?

No. HAA supports rigorous, effective conservation. We ask decision-makers to identify the actual threats, distinguish individual incidents from demographic impact, address all important limiting factors and demonstrate that interventions improve wildlife outcomes.

Is TNR always the correct response?

No single intervention is appropriate everywhere. TNR is an important population-management tool in suitable community settings. Adoption, pet-owner support, kitten intervention, abandonment prevention, exclusion and targeted removal may also be needed.

Is feeding a complete community cat program?

No. Feeding alone is not population management. Responsible management requires sterilization, sanitation, monitoring, medical response, newcomer control, adoption when appropriate and measurable population-reduction objectives.

Can community cat management help protect wildlife?

Yes. Preventing reproduction, reducing unmanaged populations, controlling food and waste, monitoring newcomers and keeping cats from migrating toward sensitive areas can form part of a comprehensive wildlife-protection strategy.

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11.  SELECT HAA RESOURCES

Media representatives may request links, copies or background briefings concerning:

  • HAA Coexistence Framework™ 2.1

  • Conservation Science Compliance Standard™

  • One Health Alignment Standard™

  • Scientific briefs and truth sheets

  • Toxoplasmosis and community cat management

  • Cats, birds and extinction claims

  • Predator attribution and wildlife mortality investigations

  • Feeding-ban and removal policies

  • Hawaiʻi legislation and administrative rules

  • HAA 2026 Election Center

  • Candidate questionnaires and policy assessments

  • Community cat population modeling

  • Spay/neuter program evaluation

  • Professional Community Cat Colony Management Standards

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12.  VISUAL ASSETS AVAILABLE

  • HAA logos for light and dark backgrounds

  • Coexistence Framework™ graphics

  • Managed-versus-unmanaged cat graphics

  • Community cat and spay/neuter photography

  • Educational infographics

  • Wildlife and predator-evidence graphics

  • Toxoplasmosis education materials

  • Hawaiʻi policy and election graphics

  • Candidate and voter-impact graphics

Use of HAA graphics or branding should be credited to Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy unless otherwise noted.

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13.  MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy is available for:

  • Television, radio, print and digital interviews

  • Background briefings

  • Legislative and policy analysis

  • Scientific study and source references

  • Community cat population-management context

  • Wildlife-conflict and conservation-evidence analysis

  • Toxoplasmosis and One Health discussions

  • Candidate and election-policy context

  • On-camera or recorded commentary

  • Guest presentations and panel discussions

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Contact

Greg “Puʻuwai Aloha” Baker, MBA, CCM
Founder & Spokesperson
Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy

w.  HawaiiAnimalAdvocacy.org
e.   [email protected]
c.   808.747.4134

SCIENCE-BASED • HUMANE • ACCOUNTABLE

Protect wildlife. Reduce cat populations. Support communities. Measure results.

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