Interview! Keoni Vaughn, Executive Director of Lanai Cat Sanctuary

“My job has helped me instantly get to the heart of what I want to do, which is rescue and protect animals that can’t speak for themselves.”

Keoni Vaughn is the Executive Director of the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, where a staff of just six people provide daily care for almost six hundred cats! Prior to working at Lanai, Keoni was the VP and Director of the Hawaiian Humane Society, a group that often found itself working as mediators on the issues surrounding the abundance of free-roaming cats on the Hawaiian islands. The large population is due to constant nice weather and a lack of natural predators. The bulk of Keoni’s time at HHS was spent collaborating with colony care givers and housing associations on how the best way to handle the overpopulation situation.

Keoni was born and raised in Oahu and has worked hard to position Lanai Cat Sanctuary as the number one place to visit in Lanai. He has worked with travel websites to create viral content that has increased awareness of the sanctuary in the area. In fact, 95% of the sanctuary’s donations come from visitors, and a quick commuter plane or ferry ride will bring in tourists for a great day trip visit.

When Keoni was first given the opportunity to work at the sanctuary, he jumped at it, despite Lanai’s remote location and small population of about 3,000 people—and despite limited resources, Keoni was determined to help solve the cat overpopulation issue on the island. He and his team focus attention on where endangered birds live and breed, in order to create the safe environment they need. By using trail cams, along with help from the community, they are able to watch for the colonies and take cats they find to the sanctuary when needed.

Believe it or not, 95% of the cats that come to them from the island have never seen a human before! Keoni feels it’s important to work on socializing these cats, to facilitate the possibility of adoption. Most adoptions they do make happen tend to come from off of the island, and Keoni and his staff work on the cats’ socialization at the sanctuary on a daily basis.

Keoni has also written an article about building sanctuaries in other parts of the country, with tips and ideas for others hoping to do the same. It can be a struggle, Keoni tells us, but he has learned how to be efficient. He gets many requests to build sanctuaries in other parts of the country, but he is adamant about really being able to sit down and evaluate the specific scenario and about starting slow!

For more information, head to lanaicatsanctuary.org.

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