23/08/2025
🐾Why Adopt instead of shopping for a pet?🐈🐕
Here are three eye-opening facts about homeless animals on Oʻahu, highlighting both shelters’ efforts and broader community challenges:
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1. Poi Dog and Popoki’s Lifesaving Impact
• In 2024, Poi Dogs and Popoki rescued and adopted out 428 cats and 91 dogs in total.
• All of these animals were microchipped, dewormed, defleaed, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered.
• Not only were all of these animals set up for healthy future, PDP ensured these animals would not further add to the current crisis of abandoned animals or overbreeding.
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2. Oʻahu’s Feral Cat Crisis
• Oʻahu is estimated to have around 300,000 feral cats, a staggering number that poses ecological challenges and strains rescue resources.
• This immense population illustrates the urgent need for expanded TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs and responsible community intervention.
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3. Overcrowded Shelters & Surrenders
• Oʻahu’s animal shelters and local rescues regularly operate at or near full capacity, with many reporting a surge in pet surrenders due to housing restrictions and the island’s high cost of living.
• Lack of pet-friendly rentals is one of the top reasons families give up their animals, making prevention efforts and community support programs more critical than ever.
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These facts underscore both the critical efforts being made by local organizations and the pressing needs that remain—especially around feral cat overpopulation and the human-animal bond in vulnerable communities.
Would you like ideas on how to help—like volunteering, funding, or advocating for policy changes?
