Pet overpopulation and animal mistreatment are still pressing issues across the state, with many shelters at capacity, and resources and funding unable to meet the growing demand.
For the Hawaiian Humane Society, the 2026 legislative session could be a path toward stricter animal welfare regulations, harsher penalties for mistreatment, and opportunities for combating animal overpopulation.
Stephanie Kendrick, the director of community engagement at the Hawaiian Humane Society, said Hawaiʻi has had several wins in passing laws that could penalize animal mistreatment, but enforcement and education are still lacking.
“We do not regulate animal-related businesses at all. We have no transparency on who's breeding animals, how many animals they’re breeding, or what kind of conditions they’re being bred in,” Kendrick said.
“We know nothing of that in Hawaiʻi, and as animal law enforcement, we have no right to inspect those facilities without enough proof to get a warrant.”
The push toward more animal welfare laws has been a decades-long battle that often gets shot down at the Legislature after several rounds of public testimony. Kendrick believes the majority of the community wants better animal protections, but strong-willed testifiers in opposition are often hard to beat.
“There is still a very vocal segment of the community that doesn't want to see that happen because, frankly, they don’t want to see their lifestyle interfered with,” Kendrick said. “Not everyone sees animals as sentient beings who deserve our care and protection. Some people still see animals as commodities to be bred and used for profit. Even though it's a minority of people who don't want to see this progress, they're very vocal and they have very strong supporters.”
Another obstacle that welfare bills have to navigate is the specific language and restrictions within each measure.
Some animal lobbyists, including Cat Fanciers of Hawaiʻi Vice President Aisha Aoki, find themselves supporting the intent of the bill, but are unable to agree with the regulations that would be imposed if it were to pass.
“We, as responsible breeders, should not be penalized for problems that we haven't contributed to,” Aoki said. “Our concern is that these statutes are created and only a handful of responsible breeders or pet owners will follow that (while) irresponsible breeders and people will continue to do as they do, and in turn, there will be no change to the actual target issue of overpopulation.”
Bills returning this session range from increasing funding for spay-neuter programs, making sterilization mandatory for imported animals, to clarifying definitions of dog breeders and strengthening abuse penalties.
But a few take a new approach, including a bill that would ban insurance discrimination based on dog breed and another that would ensure any housing built with government funding allows pets.
“If pet owners can't access housing, pets don't have a home, and they wind up in the shelter. It also limits the number of people who can adopt, so it is a life and death issue for animals,” Kendrick said.
Many of the bills supported by the Hawaiian Humane Society will be heard over the next few weeks, and are currently accepting written testimony.
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