Muttville

Week after week, Sherri walked these senior dogs. She watched families pass their kennels without stopping. She saw the excitement when puppies arrived and the resignation when older dogs had been there too long.

She thought about how much love these dogs still had to give. How gentle they were. How they didn't need the constant energy and training puppies required. How they just wanted someone to sit with them, to be near them, to let them matter again.

And she thought about another group nobody seemed to want: senior citizens living alone.

In 2007, Sherri founded Muttville — a non-profit dedicated exclusively to rescuing senior dogs from shelters and finding them homes.

She started in her own house. Dogs in her living room, her bedroom, her kitchen. She posted on social media, reached out to shelters, spread the word that she would take the old dogs nobody else wanted.

The calls started coming.

-- This Week in History, December 31, 2025

Humane Society to open second Oahu location

The Hawaiian Humane Society is opening its second facility — the Kosasa Family Campus at Ho‘opili — on Saturday in Ewa Beach with a grand opening celebration.

After the celebration, families and visitors are welcome to stay and visit with adoptable pets.

The new campus, built at a cost of $30 million on 5 acres donated by D.R. Horton Hawaii, offers a new admissions center, spay and neuter clinic, three dog pavilions, two cat pavilions, a small- animal pavilion, meet-and-greet areas, walkways, and plenty of grassy, open space.

“The Hawaiian Humane Society has always provided services island-wide,” said HHS President and CEO Anna Neubauer in a news release, “but this expansion — the single largest in Hawaiian Humane history — will drastically increase resource accessibility for central and west Oahu residents, support collaboration with new stakeholders and create better outcomes for animals in need.”

She noted that 2 of every 3 West Oahu households report owning a pet, which is the highest percentage on the island.

The new campus — which sits on double the space of the 2.5-acre Moiliili campus — was designed by the Pacific Asia Design Group in consultation with Animal Arts, animal care architecture experts, and constructed by Allied Builders.

It opens about two years after a groundbreaking and blessing ceremony held in May 2021, and after more than a decade of research, planning and a capital campaign to raise $30 million.

Since it was built from the ground up, the Humane Society was able to incorporate design features in accordance with shelter best practices, spokesperson Brandy Shimabukuro said.

That includes open-air circulation, quieter, soft-close kennels, dog kennels with individual drainage, along with play yards and spaces for animal enrichment and exercise — all of which are designed to minimize stress and risk of disease transmission.

The Ginny Tiu Pet Kokua Center will offer resources, including a pet food bank, to help keep pets with their families.

The facility is also outfitted with solar panels, solar tubes, which are ideal for cats who prefer sunshine while in recovery, and a parking lot with several electric vehicle chargers.

There is also a public dog park, which is expected to open sometime in the fall.

“This space is intended to be really inviting,” Shimabu­kuro said. “We want people to come by, and it’s not a transactional experience where you’re just coming to adopt and then you leave. We want this to be a space that people come to with their families and they want to spend the day here.”

The new campus opens at a time when shelters statewide — and nationwide — are at overcapacity as the number of animal adoptions slow and surrenders grow due to economic struggles.

Shimabukuro said many of the society’s rescue partners such as Paws of Hawaii, the Fur Angel Foundation and Hawaii Dog Foundation have found adoptions slowing down.

Even with a recent “Empty the Shelters” event in May featuring waived and reduced adoption fees, the Humane Society continues to be at overcapacity as more people surrender their animals.

There are still more than 100 dogs and dozens of cats available for adoption — and it’s kitten season.

“We’ve been overcapacity almost consistently since October,” Shimabukuro said. “In the history of Hawaiian Humane, we’ve never seen it consistently this bad. Maui is experiencing the same, Kauai is experiencing the same, Hawaii island is experiencing the same. It is nationwide, but especially here in Hawaii, because our cost of living is so high, coupled with inflation.”

Having the Ewa Beach campus will help alleviate the overcapacity at the Moiliili campus, and is ideal to serve the West Oahu community, she said, because residents have often mentioned how difficult it is to drive to town when they have found a lost pet or stray cat.

Both campuses have the capacity to hold about 350 to 400 animals each.

As of Wednesday, about 30 dogs had been transferred to Ho‘opili from the Moiliili campus, according to Shimabukuro, and cats were on the way.

Dogs, cats and other animals will be brought over in phases, but adoptions will be available at the new campus starting Saturday.

Also, the campus will open up in phases as it continues to hire, so not all serv­ices will be available right away. The spay-neuter center is expected to open in the next few weeks. Admissions services, including lost and found, will be offered to the public later this summer.

HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY KOSASA FAMILY CAMPUS AT HO‘OPILI

>> What: Grand opening celebration, with a blessing, keiki interactive area, food trucks, music and more.

>> When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday

>> Where: 91-1945 Fort Weaver Road (corner of Fort Weaver/Old Fort Weaver roads)

The campus will be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Visit hawaiianhumane.org for information.

China upgrades status of dogs

In a newly published list of animals categorized as livestock in China, the country’s agriculture ministry made a surprising announcement tucked away at the bottom of the policy document: dogs are no longer to be treated as mere livestock, but as loyal companions.

“Alongside the development of human civilization and the public’s care toward protecting animals, dogs have now evolved from being traditional livestock to companion animals,” the notice dated April 8 read (link in Chinese), adding that dogs aren’t typically regarded as livestock worldwide.

Around 10 million dogs and four million cats are estimated to be slaughtered and eaten in China every year, according to Hong Kong-based animal welfare group Animals Asia, but the practice is coming under increasing criticism from the country’s growing ranks of pet lovers. In 2016, a group of dog lovers tried to stop a truck that was carrying 320 dogs headed for a slaughterhouse on a highway in Hebei province. They ended up getting into a fight with the truck driver and causing a massive traffic jam.

City Council bill proposes changes for pet dogs and cats (Bill 59)

[2/21/20] Anna Neubuaer, new CEO of Hawaiian Humane Society, on Bill 59.

[1/30/20] A bill allowing the Hawaiian Humane Society to shorten the length of time it must keep a microchipped cat or dog to five days from nine days before deciding whether to euthanize it won final approval from the City Council Wednesday despite lingering protests from advocates of a no-kill policy.

Bill 59 (2019), which won approval 8-0, also would require that all registered pet cats and dogs be microchipped, which the Humane Society believes would make it easier to return lost animals to their owners.

The bill also makes a number of other changes that HHS staff describes as necessary to bring Oahu’s animal ordinance — and its contract with the city — in line with animal welfare best practices nationally. The bill now goes to Mayor Kirk Caldwell, who is expected to sign it. If it becomes law, it would take effect July 1.

The biggest opposition Wednesday continued to deal with the reduction in mandatory minimum hold times to five days for those animals with identification. (Animals without IDs of any sort are subject to only a 48-hour hold period under the current law, and that won’t change under the bill.)

Humane Society officials said 90% of stray animals retrieved are back with their owners in five days. Reducing the hold time would give the animals less stress and allow those not claimed but are healthy to be adopted more quickly, they said.

But critics continued to slam the plan, arguing that it doesn’t give enough time for owners to save their animals. Sharon Williams, vice president of Kat Charities, said her daughter recently found five kittens near their house and turned them into the Humane Society after being assured they would be reunited with their mother, who apparently had been captured the previous day.

Within an hour, Kat Charities attempted to get the kittens back but were told there were none, Williams said. Two days later, “we did hear back and unfortunately all five kittens were euthanized,” she said.

“HHS is a known, high-kill shelter and reducing the number of (hold) days is not going to save lives, it’s going to cost more lives,” she said.

Kasey Carter, the Hawaiian Humane Society’s chief veterinarian, said he could not speak to the specifics of Williams’ account although it appears they were not microchipped and therefore not required to be held nine days.

A five-day hold will help animals that are brought in with injuries more quickly, Carter said. A dog taken to the shelter Tuesday night that sustained two broken legs after being hit by a car could not be helped immediately except for providing it food, liquids and painkillers, because the law says HHS cannot do anything invasive unless it is obvious the animal would otherwise die, Carter said.

Moving to a five-day hold would allow HHS to take ownership more quickly and then administer aide more quickly, Carter said.

Mililani pet shop owner Ricky Baker said he objects to requiring animals to be microchipped. “Laws should not be passed that dictate when medical procedures should be performed on pets,” Baker said.

“Registering a pet with a private chip company can be burdensome and costly, and problematic, especially if we’re talking about puppies that are 12 weeks old,” Baker said.

Pushing for a five-day minimum hold period does not help the pet owners’ perception of the Humane Society, he said. Instead of penalizing owners who lose their pets, he said, the organization should focus more on educating pet owners about the benefits of registering their animals.

Alicia Maluafiti, founder of Poi Dogs and Popoki, urged Council members to discard the bill and work with all the interested parties in coming up with legislation more amenable to the different sides. She said she is encouraged that there appears to be a new generation of pet owners and animal advocates skeptical about HHS’s policies but are willing to work with the agency for improvements that would help the welfare of the animals.

Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, who authored the bill, said current HHS officials acknowledge that some of its previous practices may have been questionable but that it’s doing better under new leadership. Kobayashi inserted language requiring HHS to report its euthanasia numbers although it already does so.

Numbers provided by the Hawaiian Humane Society show the number of dogs and cats that are brought in and subsequently euthanized has dropped significantly since 1993 while the percentage of pets returned has climbed.

Other key provisions of the bill:

>> Gives HHS the authority to spay or neuter dogs brought in as strays three times within a 12-month period.

>> Requires owners of dogs found strayed three times within a year to pay a $30 fee.

>> Raises the mandatory hold fee to $10 a day (after the initial 24 hours) from $2.50 a day. The fee was last increased in 1983.

[12/18/19] A Honolulu City Council committee Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would require registered pet dogs and cats to be microchipped and would shorten the minimum time that strays need to be held by the Hawaiian Humane Society to five days from the current nine.

After winning unanimous approval Tuesday from the Council Parks, Community Services and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, Bill 59 now goes to the full Council for the second of three votes. It will make a return trip to the parks committee for further refinement before a final vote.

Bill 59 is supported by the Humane Society, which contends that the changes bring a more modern and thoughtful approach to animal control laws.

Pet store owners say the measure cedes too much control to the organization.

Current city law says a dog 4 months or older must be licensed and receive a dog tag that costs $10 if the animal is sterilized, $28.50 if not sterilized. The license must be renewed every two years. There is currently no licensing for cats, although the owner of a cat that is expected to spend time outdoors is supposed to be microchipped.

Under the bill, the dog tag system would be replaced by a microchip registration process that would apply to both dogs and cats.

Stephanie Kendrick, public policy advocate for the Hawaiian Humane Society, said a microchip can easily be found for under $25 and that the Kapahulu nonprofit will do it for $20. There would be no need for a renewal, although a change in ownership or ownership information would require an update.

Kendrick said the proposed changes are backed up by research into the best practices for handling animals in sheltered environments. Switching to a microchip-based system on the mainland has led to a spike in pet licenses of as much as 300%, she said.

Councilwoman Kymberly Pine said her constituents are uncomfortable with the reduction in the hold time to five days. Pets are “family to some people,” she said.

Kendrick said “short shelter stays for pets actually lead to better outcomes for them by reducing the time that they’re spending in a stressful environment, which can cause illness and distress.” More important, the shorter hold time means animals not reclaimed by their owners are made available for adoption more quickly.

Under the bill, once minimum hold times are reached, the Humane Society can allow the person who released the animal to the contractor to redeem the animal, offer the animal up for adoption or euthanize it.

Animals with no identification of any sort are subject to only a 48-hour hold period under the current law, and that won’t change under the bill.

Kendrick said nearly 90% of the stray animals with an ID that are brought to the Humane Society go home within five days.

***

12/11/19 - Stephanie Kendrick on Bill 59

12/18/19 - Ginny Tiu on Bill 59

11/27/19 - Alicia Maluafiti on Bill 59

Humane Society protested

[2/19/19] Thirty or so animal rights activists picketed in front of the Hawaiian Humane Society on Monday, alleging that the organization kills animals that are healthy or suffering from easily treatable conditions; violates standard safety procedures and labor practices; and has created a hostile work environment.

The pickets carried signs reading, “Hawaii Humane Society Too Many Are Killed!” and “Too Many Deaths HHS Needs an Audit!” among others.

In a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Bob Armstrong, chairman of the Hawaiian Humane Society’s board of directors, said the organization will bring in “a third party to assess our animal care operations. We understand some former employees have expressed concerns about the workplace and the board will conduct an organizational assessment.”

Many of the people who turned out Monday in front of the Hawaiian Humane Society’s headquarters in Moiliili work with — or run — cat rescue organizations and acknowledged they had no firsthand knowledge of problems at the Humane Society.

But Sarah Worth said she worked at the Humane Society’s admissions desk from Aug. 10, 2017, until she received a termination letter Dec. 24 that said she was being fired “for forging company documents.”

At the same time, Worth said that in the summer of 2018 she created “The Underground Kitten Railroad” out of the Humane Society to save adoptable kittens that Worth said would have been otherwise killed.

“I was saving kittens,” she said.

Hawaiian Humane Society officials had told Worth that no kitten weighing less than 18 ounces could be saved.

“They said it has a very, very small chance of survival, and I believed it for the longest time,” she said.

But Worth has since seen kittens at that weight surviving outside the Humane Society.

Worth also said that the Humane Society’s clinics reuse needles and that employees are forced to be on call 24/7. Worth said she was fired along with another employee who complained that she was under stress for being on call around the clock.

While working at the Humane Society, Worth said she admitted three adoptable kittens and was later shocked “because I found them in the euthanasia room. All three of them.”

When she started asking questions, Worth said she came under scrutiny, “and they started reviewing every intake I would do.”

The Hawaiian Humane Society provided the Star-Advertiser with data going back to 1993 that showed the fewest number of dogs and cats were euthanized in 2018: 1,769 dogs and 9,084 cats.

In his statement Armstrong, chairman of the society’s board of directors, said, “While our euthanasia rates are at historic lows, our goal has always been to reduce euthanasia to as close to zero as we can. This is why we opened our new spay and neuter center in October 2018. Spaying and neutering is proven to reduce the number of unwanted animals and will help us to bring down our euthanasia rates to even lower levels.”

Jana Moore joined the protesters Monday.

After only three months, Moore said she quit her “dream come true” job working in the Hawaiian Humane Society’s development department because of “very low morale and very high turnover.”

“I didn’t work with the animals directly but I have spoken to many, many employees who have and I have seen the pictures and I have seen the videos of healthy adoptable or easily treatable animals that were euthanized,” Moore said. “Personally, I can definitely attest to that I witnessed multiple employees leave, at least half a dozen employees, and several of them cited this very toxic culture and this very hostile work environment for why they left.”

***

Bob Armstrong responds.

The Hawaiian Humane Society protects the safety and welfare of animals in need on Oahu. I am proud to be part of an organization whose employees dedicate themselves to shelter and rescue animals, find families for pets who need homes, and advocate for the humane treatment of animals everywhere.

Recently, critics have accused the Hawaiian Humane Society of conducting unnecessary euthanasia. Nothing could be further from the truth. Over the past several years, our euthanasia rates have reached historic lows, and our protocols and processes are carried out according to strict standards.

*** [3/26/19]

After 16 months on the job, Hawaiian Humane Society CEO and President Lisa Fowler has resigned “for personal reasons,” the organization announced Monday.

Fowler’s resignation followed a protest outside of the Humane Society’s headquarters in Moiliili in February.


Some of the 30 or so protesters carried signs calling out Fowler by name and alleging that the Hawaiian Humane Society kills animals that are healthy or suffering from easily treatable conditions; violates standard safety procedures and labor practices; and has created a hostile work environment.

Fowler will remain on the payroll until April 30 to aid in the transition to new leadership, the Hawaiian Humane Society said in an announcement.

In the meantime, board Chairman Bob Armstrong will serve as interim CEO.

“As board chair, I will step in as interim CEO while we conduct a national search for a new CEO,” Armstrong said in a statement. “Several board members will also be stepping in to offer support and guidance in key areas of our operations during the transition period.”

Following February’s protest, Armstrong said the organization would bring in a “third party” to assess whether the Humane Society was following euthanasia best practices.


At the time of the protest, the Hawaiian Humane Society provided the Honolulu Star-Advertiser with data going back to 1993 that showed the fewest number of dogs and cats were euthanized in 2018: 1,769 dogs and 9,084 cats.

Fowler previously worked on the Big Island as executive director of the Hawaii Island Humane Society.

She joined the Hawaiian Humane Society in 2011 as its director of development, then became its director of operations.

After her predecessor, Pam Burns, died in September 2017, Fowler was named co-interim CEO.
In November 2017 Fowler was named the organization’s president and CEO.

Armstrong thanked Fowler for her eight years of service and said, “We appreciate her many contributions to the organization and her knowledge of animal welfare.”


Fowler said in her own statement, “It has been an honor and privilege to lead this great organization and to be part of the amazing welfare professionals who work there.”

Lisa Fowler

Why is Lisa Fowler, president and CEO of Hawaiian Humane Society, smiling so much these days? Because so many good things are happening to her organization, all of which allow it to satisfy one of its core goals: the continual advancement of the human-animal bond.

Linnelle Takeuchi

It took six days for Hope to let Linnelle Takeuchi pet her. The dog had mothered countless puppies and lived cooped up in a small cage with three dogs for years before being rescued by the Hawaiian Humane Society.

Takeuchi, a 13-year animal shelter volunteer and retired elementary school teacher, slept, ate and worked in the same room with Hope while fostering the timid, fearful mixed poodle that wasn’t used to being bathed, petted or receiving affection.

Takeuchi was supposed to house Hope temporarily while she was being rehabilitated, but ended up adopting her two years ago. The dog, who had been returned twice to the humane society by her adoptive families, was among dozens of dogs seized in 2016 from a puppy mill in Kahaluu.

Pamela Burns

Pamela Burns, president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, died at her home Monday night. She was 65-years-old.

Burns had been on a leave of absence for health reasons at the time of her death, according to an announcement today from the Humane Society.

“We are all shocked and deeply saddened by this loss,” said Bob Armstrong, the Humane Society’s board chairman. “Pam’s passion to improve the lives of both the animals and people of Hawaii was unmatched. She was a leader in the national and international animal welfare movement, the guiding force for the Hawaiian Humane Society for the past 27 years and a treasure in our community… The board, leadership team and staff are committed to carrying on Pam’s legacy by fulfilling the mission and continuing the essential work of the society.”

Burns served as president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society since 1990. During her time at the society, the organization reduced euthanasia, increased adoptions and strengthened prevention and education programs.

She also served as the chairwoman of the National Council on Pet Population. She was a member of Petco’s Independent Animal Care Advisory Council and the Hawaii Association of Animal Welfare Agencies. She also had previously held the position of president of the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators.

***

Pamela Burns, head of the Hawaiian Humane Society, was remembered by former colleagues Tuesday for her contagious compassion for animals and love for the people of Hawaii.

Burns, president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, died at her home Monday night. She was 65.

“Her passion for the organization, for animals and for the entire community was always evident,” Hawaiian Humane Society Board member Pamela Jones said. “She had the ability through her vision and her dedication and excitement … to attract management team members and staff and board members who became just as enthusiastic about the organization.”

The Hawaiian Humane Society said in an announcement Tuesday that Burns died peacefully at her home after taking a leave of absence approximately a week ago for health reasons.

During her time leading the organization, Burns championed the animal welfare movement both nationally and internationally.

“(She) was the guiding force for the Hawaiian Humane Society for the past 27 years and a treasure in our community,” said Bob Armstrong, board chairman of the Hawaiian Humane Society, in a prepared statement. “The board, leadership team and staff are committed to carrying on Pam’s legacy by fulfilling the mission and continuing the essential work of the society.”

Jacque Vaughn, who had worked with Burns for 12 years at the Hawaiian Humane Society, remembers her as a kind leader who invested in the members of the Humane Society.

“She was the kind of person that really helps people grow in the organization,” Vaughn said. “She is a unique character. There was nobody in world like Pamela Burns.”

Burns, born Dec. 16, 1952, was a member of a prominent family of sugar industry leaders. She was the daughter of Ann Walker Burns, whose ancestors were active in Hawaii’s monarchy, and C.E.S. “Frank” Burns Jr., who was former manager of Puna Sugar Co. and Oahu Sugar Co. and later senior vice president for Amfac Inc.

The Hawaiian Humane Society said plans to celebrate Burns’ life and legacy will be announced at a later time.

“Pam was tall in stature and formidable to some as one of the nation’s leading and most respected titans of animals welfare; yet at times there was a sentimentality to her spirit that was soft and heartbreaking,” Vaughn said in a tribute. “She kept a keepsake from her mother in her car. She never missed your birthday. She had the kind of heart in which she’d show up at your grandmother’s funeral. And she always adopted animals that were not really adoptable. That said volumes to me about what she believed in. She was a believer in second chances and that love is deserving to all.”

***

[12/17/23] David Shapiro: Pam Burns’ animal impact well told in elegant book

Vicktory Dogs

[07/10/17]
How the Michael Vick dogs changed animal rescue

[02/01/11]
At the Pro Bowl in Hawaii today, Michael Vick will start at quarterback — an unmistakable benchmark for what has been a rapid, successful and, in some circles, surprising comeback.

A few thousand miles away in the wilderness of Utah, the pit bulls Vick once owned are making a comeback of their own, though theirs has been a much slower climb.

Big Island Dog Rescue

It was always about more than saving dogs.

When Kailua-Kona resident Tasi Autele sat down with his daughter Finnley at the Hawaii Island Humane Society on a recent day and reluctantly told her that some pets never find homes, the girl took the news with a child's faith.

"She went around and talked to all the dogs," said Autele. "She said, ‘My daddy's not going to let anything happen to you.'"

And when Finnley, 4, returned, she looked her father squarely in the eyes and asked, "Right, Dad?"

Autele smiled, squirmed and made a promise he had no idea whether he could keep.

"That's right, sweetie."

Weeks of brainstorming with his wife, Tricia, followed. The couple decided to try to create a program inspired by the Maui Humane Society's Wings of Aloha Transfer Program.

On March 6 three dogs boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Kona to Portland, Ore., bound for the Columbia Humane Society in Sandy. Among the departing was Luke, a shy, placid 4-year-old Cata­houla who had been dropped off during the night at the Humane Society.

The shipment marked the sixth animal that Autele's newly formed Big Island Dog Rescue has placed with the Oregon facility since it started operating at the beginning of February.

"What's going on in the Pacific Northwest is that there is a huge demand and no supply," said Columbia shelter manager Dean Cox, reached by phone. "We bring 40 dogs up in a van load at a time from L.A. What Tasi is doing is easy to manage."

Eventually, Autele would like to transport dogs from overburdened shelters around the state to mainland facilities with high adoption rates.

It's taken a lot of work, and it's going to take more. Autele has maxed out credit cards, and he estimates he's spent 12 to 15 hours a day getting the venture registered and legal, setting up ways for people to donate, and networking between the Hawaii Island Humane Society and the mainland.

It costs about $450 to ship each dog by cargo, so Autele is seeking volunteers to fly dogs as checked luggage to Portland, and volunteers willing to fly back with empty pet carriers.

"The infrastructure is in place now," he said.