Owner of seized pets found guilty of theft

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A former Hawai'i Kai woman who has been sparring with the Hawaiian Humane Society over the whereabouts and condition of four dogs was back in Circuit Court yesterday, this time to plead no contest to second-degree theft.

The charge stems from Jan. 26, 2002, when Kagan allegedly spent more than $300 at Kaimuki Dry Goods, then stopped payment on two checks before they cleared.

Circuit Judge Karen Ahn yesterday found Kagan guilty of the theft charge and set her sentencing for March 8.

Hawaiian Humane Society officials opened an animal cruelty investigation in May after police and firefighters responding to a small kitchen fire found more than two dozen animals in Kagan's townhouse. Fourteen animals were returned to her in July, but Humane Society officials said they have been unable to account for four of them.

Reach David Waite at 525-8030 or at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.