Roosters draw
complaints from
Waipahu neighbors

Crowing and illegal cockfights
plague the old plantation town

By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin

Constant crowing from roosters in the area of Awamoku Street and Ted Makalena Golf Course in Waipahu has led to many sleepless nights for some nearby residents.

Within the last three weeks, Annette Yamaguchi, chairwoman for the Waipahu Neighborhood Board, said she received phone calls from three residents on Awamoku Street about another resident who owns "a lot of fighting roosters" that crow from sunrise throughout the day and night.

The noise issue was addressed during a neighborhood meeting at the Waipahu Culture Garden Park last Thursday.

Yamaguchi said district police officers were asked to investigate the problem and to determine whether the resident housing the roosters is in violation of the law of owning more than two roosters per household.

According to Linda Holler, director of shelter operations at the Hawaiian Humane Society, the owner is initially given a warning about owning more than two roosters. If the owner violates the warning, the person will be issued a $50 fine for the first offense.

For the second offense, the owner is issued a $100 fine. If the owner repeats the offense for a third time within a two-year period, the violator can be ordered to a court appearance and be fined up to $2,000, said Holler.

Although police have not confirmed what the roosters are used for, Yamaguchi said the callers have indicated the animals are solely raised for cockfighting.

"People don't have roosters in their backyard unless they have a purpose," said Yamaguchi adding that illegal cockfighting starts sometime between April and June.

Residents of old plantation towns such as Ewa and Waipahu originated from places where cockfighting was legal, she said. "It's been ongoing for a number of years."

However, the population is changing, she said. "It's not a plantation town anymore. People are not so tolerant."

On April 8, police arrested four men involved in a cockfighting game in an abandoned house on Pahu Street in Waipahu. Two men from Ewa were charged with possession of a gaff (a sharp metal spur fastened to the leg of a gamecock) and conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals.

During this time last year, Sgt. Aaron Farias of the Pearl City Police Station said there were a number of complaints of cockfighting occurring on Pahu Street.

"It's kind of a never-ending battle," said Farias.

Despite the number of cockfighting problems that occur, Farias said, noise disturbances from roosters is a common complaint throughout the island.

Police are expected to report to neighborhood board members their findings of the noise complaint at next month's meeting.