Maui cats get to shelter
By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
PU'UNENE, Maui — A greater number of stray and unwanted cats will have a better chance of finding homes once the Maui Humane Society's new $250,000 facility opens.
Christie Wilson • The Honolulu Advertiser
The 1,936-square-foot building will house more than 100 cats, which is double the capacity of the current cat facility on animal shelter grounds off Mokulele Highway. There will be extra playrooms and outdoor spaces, get-acquainted rooms so cats can bond with new owners, and isolation and examination areas.
Lynn Araki, right, president of the Maui Humane Society Board, and cat attendant Malia Hong are looking forward to the opening of a new, larger shelter for stray felines.
"This will allow us to have more cats and to keep them longer," according to Jocelyn Bouchard, development director for the Maui Humane Society.
The as-yet-unnamed cat facility is expected to open early next year. Yesterday, the Humane Society celebrated with a topping-off party to push for the remaining $90,000 that still must be raised to pay for the project.
There is no particular adoption deadline for how long a cat is kept at the Humane Society before it is euthanized, but happy endings are not the norm.
In the fiscal year that ended June 30, only 772 of the 6,464 cats taken to the animal shelter found new homes. The others, including 4,266 felines considered unadoptable because they were feral cats or too sick or injured to be saved, were euthanized.
The impetus for an improved cat facility came from Lynn Araki, board president of the Maui Humane Society. Araki, her parents and grandmother — cat lovers all — established the Momo and Princess Jasmine Cat House Fund to start raising money for renovations to the current facility.
The fund was named after two cats Araki adopted from the Humane Society.
"They brought so much love to my family and me, we just thought it would be appropriate to start a fund in their loving memory," said Araki, a Wailuku attorney.
Princess Jasmine, a tabby, died of feline leukemia when only a year old. Momo, a half-tabby, half-Siamese, is 4 years old. Araki has since adopted two more felines, Sweetie and Christie.
Longtime Humane Society supporters John and Roslyn Jacobi, who split their time between Maui and Washington state, thought it would be a better idea to build a new facility. To get the ball rolling, the Jacobis put up a $70,000 matching donation.
Donations for the cat facility may be sent to: Maui Humane Society, Cat Building Fund, P.O. Box 1047, Pu'unene, HI, 96784. The names of donors who give $100 or more will be displayed on plaques. For more information, call Bouchard at (808) 877-3680.
Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or 244-4880.
