Since July, Karenann Deaner says she has found dozens of cats and kittens dead or dying on her property in Kula, and suspects someone nearby is poisoning them. Over the past four months, she has rescued six cats and buried about 20.
Deaner, who works at a nursery in Kula, told Hawaii News Now that she does not know exactly what is happening but suspects someone close by is deliberately targeting the animals. She has photographed the carcasses as evidence to share with animal control, and she took one kitten to an animal clinic for testing.
Toxicology results on that kitten came back showing traces of ethylene glycol, the same chemical compound found in radiator fluid, according to the outlet's report. Deaner suspects deliberate poisoning, though she has stopped short of saying who she believes is responsible.
Humane Society Investigation Closed for Lack of Evidence
The Maui Humane Society opened an investigation into Deaner's reports, but the case was ultimately closed because of insufficient evidence, the station reported. That outcome left the cause of the animals' deaths unresolved.
It is not the first time Kula residents have raised alarms about suspected animal poisonings. Back in 2018, the Maui Humane Society said it had received four reports of suspected dog poisonings over the prior two years, according to The Maui News. Residents in the nearby Waiohuli community said at the time that at least half a dozen dogs had fallen ill since the previous year, with some dying suddenly for reasons that were never explained. In one of those cases, the paper reported, the dog's owner declined to have the animal tested to confirm poisoning.
How Ethylene Glycol Poisoning Has Been Documented Elsewhere
Ethylene glycol poisoning in cats has been documented in forensic veterinary literature beyond Hawaii. In a case out of South Korea, the Seoul Gangbuk Police Station opened an investigation in December 2023 after dead cats were found in a public park, citing a suspected violation of the country's Animal Protection Act, according to a case report published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Forensic toxicology in that case detected ethylene glycol and its metabolite glycolic acid in the cat's stomach tissue, findings the researchers said, together with kidney lesions, supported antifreeze poisoning as the cause of death.
In Hawaii, legislative history tied to the state's cruelty statutes describes Act 114 as having created the offense of cruelty to animals in the first degree, making it a felony to intentionally or knowingly poison a pet animal when doing so results in serious bodily injury or death, according to records published by the Hawaii State Legislature. Hawaii News Now reported separately that intentional kitten poisoning carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Deaner Urges Others Not to Act Alone
Deaner said she hopes that raising awareness about what she has witnessed will lead whoever is responsible to stop. She has urged anyone in the community dealing with problems involving cats to contact the Maui Humane Society rather than take matters into their own hands.
For now, the cause behind the string of deaths on her property remains unresolved. The humane society's investigation closed because of insufficient evidence.
