Updates
The Israel Cat Lovers’ Society extends its warmest thanks to Ms. Brigitte Bardot and the Fund she established, for their generous help and donation for the welfare of the street cats of Haifa and its surroundings. The Brigitte Bardot fund enabled us to spay and neuter 460 homeless cats in the Hadar neighborhood of Haifa, thereby preventing the birth of thousands of miserable kittens whose only future would have been to suffer until their early death. Ms. Bardot believes in regulating the street-cat population in order to prevent suffering and abuse, and supports efforts to that end; and that is also the policy of the Israel Cat Lovers’ Society. We applaud the Brigitte Bardot Fund and hope and pray that other funds will join in its efforts, bringing comfort to the street cats of Haifa and its surroundings. Amen.
March 20th, 2012
Plan for Dealing with Animal Abuse – Mynet, Northern Israel, March 3, 2012
In her article “Plan for Dealing with Animal Abuse,” Vered Levy reports on a plan to transfer cases of animal abuse from the police to the Northern region’s general attorney’s office, in order to deal with these cases more efficiently.
Animal Rights Day in the Knesset – February 26, 2012
Animal Rights Day was marked in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) on Feb. 26, 2012, by approving the preliminary reading of four animal-rights bills:
· Reduction of quarantine time for animals that have bitten
· Formulation of an educational program on preventing animal suffering, to be taught in the Israeli state educational system
· Regulation of the supervision of, and limitations on, trades and professions involving animals
· Authorization for inspectors to enter private yards and gardens, shops, “petting areas” and farm areas during unannounced visits for the purpose of checking cases of animal neglect or abuse, without needing a court warrant.
An additional bill to raise the license fee for dogs that had not been spayed or neutered, was passed with a reservation concerning the amount of the license fee.
The Knesset Speaker, Rubi Rivlin, noted during the debate that he himself had become a vegetarian following a visit to a slaughterhouse. MK Avraham Poraz said that he too had been a vegetarian since age 13, and called on the Minister for Agriculture to work towards abolishing the use of battery cages in the egg industry.
Reported by many media: Ynet, NRG, ThePulse, “Israel Today,” and Ha’aretz, 26-29 February 2012.
Wallah! Abuse! – “Wallah!” news portal, February 28, 2012
The article “Dramatic Rise in Animal Abuse Complaints” reports that the number of these complaints has reached around 20 per day. According to Ministry of Agriculture statistics, in 2011 the Ministry dealth with 303 abuse complaints, versus only 204 in the entire period 2008 through 2010.
(Also reported by Daliah Mazuri, “Rise in Animal Abuse Events in 2011,” Ma’ariv/NRG, Feb. 27, 2012).
Spaying and Neutering – MyNet, Beersheba, February 28, 2012
In his article “50% Reduction for Spaying/Neutering Pets in Beersheba,” Ya’akov Levy reports on a campaign by Beersheba’s municipal veterinary department to encourage the spaying/neutering of dogs and cats, by offering reduced fees during the campaign period.
Education – MyNet, January 9, 2012
In her article “New Initiative: Animal Abuse-Prevention Lessons,” Lihi Laufer reports on an initiative to incorporate lessons on the subject in the Netanya school system. The initiative is currently being developed jointly with the Netanya municipality and the Ministry of Education.
Animal rights – Ma’ariv, December 11th
In his article “We Can Help Animals Suffer Less” Meir Swissa criticizes the attitude to animals in the food industry: “We are taught that cows give us milk, and chickens eggs, as part of a mutual relationship, but in fact we reward the chickens with life imprisonment in cages and the cows by branding a number on them and separating them from their calves. We’re so used to the pastoral farm pictures in children’s books that even most of the people who call themselves animal lovers and object to the harm done to them, don’t take the small additional step of refusing to eat them.”
Feeding Cats – Ma’ariv, December 13th
The article “You Can’t Feed Cats in the Ariel Academic Center” reports that the Academic Center instituted a strict no-cat-feeding policy from last week, which applies to all the students, faculty and other staff.
The Ban on Declawing Cats – November 28-29th
From the articles:
“Good News for Cats: Knesset Bans Declawing,” Erez Ehrlichman, YNet, 29th November;
“Cat Declawing Law Passed,” Eric Bender, Ma’ariv, 29th November;
“Cat Declawing,” TV Channel 2 News, 28th November.
On November 28th the Knesset passed the second and third readings of an addition to the Animal Cruelty Act which bans the declawing of cats for non-medical reasons. The bill was introduced by MK Eitan Kabel (Labor Party), head of the Knesset animal-rights lobby, with sponsors from the Hadash, Kadima and Meretz parties.
While operations to amputate other body parts of animals for cosmetic reasons have been illegal since 2001, declawing of cats to prevent them from scratching furniture continued to be allowed. These operations remove not only the claws (which have no nerves and cannot feel pain) but also the tips of the cat’s paws, in order to prevent the claws from growing back. This causes the cat intense pain for several weeks during the recovery period, during which time its paws have to stay bandaged. In addition the cats, like human amputees, are liable to feel phantom pain for the rest of their lives; and they remain impaired, since they need claws not only for defense but also for normal everyday activities such as climbing trees, jumping, and scratching themselves. Laws against declawing already exist in several countries including Great Britain, Finland, Holland, Switzerland, Estonia, Germany, Australia and Brazil.
The ban is not total: declawing is still permitted if necessary for medical reasons, either of the cat or its owner. But even when a cat has to be prevented from scratching, there are humane ways of achieving this end, such as cutting its nails (the part that cannot feel pain) or covering them with plastic shields which can be bought in any pet shop.
Tax on Feeding Cats – MyNet, November 23rd
In his article “Kibbutz Up in Arms about Cat Tax,” Karni Am-Ad reports on a privatized kibbutz whose members pay for the care of the street cats as part of their community taxes.
Tips from the Vet – Walla!, November 22nd
In his column “In the Clinic: Is it Dangerous to Stroke Street Cats?” Dr. Eyal Nachmi’as reveals that street or “backyard” cats very rarely pass diseases to humans.
Food for Thought: Cat-Feeders Make a Spread
Their neighbors might not be crazy about the idea, might even cause problems, but they themselves see it as a mission, no less. Meet the Cat Feeders of Tel Aviv. As one of them, the singer Yardena Arazi, says: “When I see a cat, I see a soul.”
Einat Turas, Maariv, November 8, 2011
For Vered Barak (aged 35), feeding cats doesn’t stop at the doorstep. On cold nights she opens up her house and lets them sleep in it. Even when it isn’t cold, some of them wander in to get their meals. All in all Vered feeds 100 cats, at home and at six feeding stations.
“Since I was a schoolchild I’ve been running after cats with food and bringing injured cats home,” she says. “I started feeding them seriously when I left home at age 20. I couldn’t stand to see them, or any other street animal, suffer.”
Not surprisingly, not everyone approves of Barak’s volunteer efforts. “Tel Aviv is supposed to be animal-friendly, but unhappily people prefer their own lawns to be cat-sterile,” says Barak. “People have lost their humanity. But helping living creatures is more important than having a pretty garden. With my neighbors I don’t have many quarrels, but I come up against all sorts of people on my rounds.
“Lots of people tell me that a cat is a wild animal and can fend for itself, but that just isn’t true: today’s street cats are domestic cats that have been thrown out of homes. People say they bring fleas, but that’s a problem you can solve by requesting a free disinfection service from the municipality. There are even people who tell me they’ll poison the cats.
“For me, helping the street cats is both an obligation and a blessing. One of its great advantages is the boundless love and warmth that they give me, just like little children. But our society isn’t aware and doesn’t care, so the few who do feed street cats are terribly overburdened financially. If more people did it, the burden would be easier.”
And when Barak talks about a financial burden, she means the thousands of shekels she spends each month on food and medical care. “In this last year I’ve spayed or neutered at least 25 cats through the municipality, which is a great help because it’s free,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll be waiting for hours hidden in the undergrowth beside a path, to catch a cat and take it to be neutered. It’s a big investment, but I’ve seen enough kittens dying in the street to know that it’s important.
“I spend all my money on this, and people tell me I’m taking things too far and ask me why I do it. They think I’d be better off spending my money on clothes and shoes and restaurants and entertainment, rather than feeding miserable starving animals.”
Bring a Friend
Although Etti Altman (64), the founder and spokeswoman of “Let Animals Live,” describes herself as basically a dog person, today she feeds no fewer than 40 street cats. “I liked cats too,” she confides, “but I didn’t know them enough. Today I’m totally in love with them.”
For Altman, as for many others, it began with feeding one cat. “And then another turned up, and another, and so on,” she says. “These days I have 40 regular clients. Usually it’s a case of a friend bringing a friend.”
So what’s on the menu?
“I started with cottage cheese, cream or milk, but I began to realize that people food itsn’t good for cats. It isn’t healthy for them and it makes the street dirty. So I started to buy dry catfood, and that’s the only food I give them today.”
She has set mealtimes: seven am and six pm; in the winter she adds a snack at midnight. “They hear my car and they know it’s me,” she says. “As soon as I arrive they’re all over the car. Of course I give them fresh water every day and put the food in separate niches for each cat, so they each have a place to eat and don’t fight.”
Expensive project, isn’t it?
“Absolutely. It costs me over 500 shekels a month just for the food, and in addition I spay or neuter them. Now I’m going abroad and I’m asking my neighbors – the ones who like me and my cats – to feed them for me. It’s a responsibility that never ends.”
What about the neighbors who don’t like them?
“I used to get into a lot of arguments with the neighbors, if they yelled at me I’d answer back. Then I decided to try the “hand of friendship” approach, and it usually worked. Most of the neighbors accepted what I do, there’s one who still sees me as an Enemy of the People. There are also passers-by in the street who tell me that I live in a zoo, there are even those who throw away the cats’ water and food.
“My neighbors ought to be grateful, because of the cats they don’t suffer from mice or snakes or other vermin. Street cats aren’t to blame for being in the street. The problem began when people just abandoned their unwanted cats and they started to multiply uncontrolled. We’re human beings, we’re supposed to be humane, we should be compassionate enough to at least give them food and water. Of course the government ought to provide a budget too, for spaying and neutering to control population growth. I don’t want to see them in the street either, that’s why people like me, who really care about them, spay and neuter them too.”
Taking Work Home
“I too used to be one of those people who see street cats and don’t take any notice, until my eyes were opened,” says Maya Nardimon (35), who started to feed them several years ago when she was an ecology and animal-rights journalist for the Internet site Nana. “When I started to get emails from animal rights associations in the course of my job, I realized the situation is far from ideal.”
Nardimon started by helping a neighbor who used to feed cats near her home. “She worked in the Philippine embassy and was only here for four years, but she still fed the cats, and spayed and neutered them,” she says. “We got friendly and I started to stand in for her when she couldn’t do it. When she left, I took over.” Today Nardimon feeds street cats at eight feeding stations in the Kerem haTemanim neighborhood, and beyond it, and at home she keeps eight cats she found injured in the street, along with her dog. She acknowledges that feeding the cats means giving up other things, apart from the considerable expense, but she’s convinced that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
“I’m an owl, active at night, so left to myself I’d get up very late. But feeding the cats gets me up in the morning. I can’t skip it even occasionally, because they’re waiting for me. First thing in the morning, all the cats run to me and envelop me with love – it makes my day. There’s an unfounded belief that cats are terribly egoistic, not loving like dogs, but I don’t see it.
Setting Cats and Dogs on Fire – 18.10.2011
In his article “Demand to Prevent Ukraine from Hosting Euro 2012 because of Cruelty to Dogs,” Nissan Tsur reports on the call to the President of UEFA, the European Football Association, to annul Ukraine’s hosting of the championship, because they have been burning street dogs alive in a mobile incinerator in order “to clean the streets” in preparation for the games. After weeks of protest, including in Israel, where dozens of protesters demonstrated opposite the Ukrainian embassy on October 10th, UEFA still has not taken any steps to do so.
Fur and Bar Rafaeli – 18.10.2011
In his article “Fur, Round 2: Pamela Anderson vs. Bar Rafaeli,” Itai Ya’akov reveals an appeal written by Pamela Anderson, the actress and animal-rights activist, to the model Bar Rafaeli who was photographed wearing furs. “I saw with regret the photos in which you advance the wearing of real fox fur,” wrote Anderson, “especially considering the historic bill introduced in Israel to forbid the sale of furs. You are surely not aware that many undercover investigations have shown that foxes, mink, jackels rabbits and even cats and dogs have been electrocuted and frequently skinned alive […] I entreat you to be an example of compassion by promising that you will no longer advance the cause of this terrible fur trade.” Rafaeli’s response was that she did not know the furs were real, and if she had known, she would have refused to be photoed wearing them.
Abuse of Cats – 16/10/2011
An article in Mako, “Police: the ‘Cat Murderer’ has Escaped” reports on the disappearance of Yossi Cohen, who described how he sets his dog on cats. The Jerusalem police are requesting the help of the public in finding him.
Punished for Objecting to Cruelty – Ynet, 9/10/2011
In the article “Soldiers Protest about Dogs’ Lives in the IDF,” Erez Erlichman reports on a letter sent by Air Force soldiers and officers to the commander of the Air Force, Idan Nechushtan, protesting the harsh conditions in which guard dogs are kept on Air Force bases. From the text of the letter: “anyone who has a drop of humanity and compassion in his heart, must rise up against the harsh abuse of dogs by the Force which you head and which we serve in, on the bases which are under your command.”
Three days later (12.10.2011), in his article “Protest about Guard Dogs – 20 Soldiers Tried,” Erlichman reports that the soldiers who signed the letter were courtmartialed and one was confined to base for 21 days, in an attempt to silence the protest.
The Rescuer’s Tale – Walla!, 7.10.2011
In her article “Avi Kuzi: a Day in the Life of the Angel who Protects Animals,” Lihi Shoresh spends a day with Kuzi, whose job is rescuing abused dogs and cats. “Once I had to fight for the life of every wounded animal I rescued,” said Kuzi. “Often I’d bring in dogs and cats so badly hurt that nobody thought they’d survive and they wanted to put them down, but I saw them in my mind’s eye the way they’d be in six months or a year, rehabilitated and living a full life, and I fought for them. You can always put an animal down; but you have to fight for the life of every one of them, whatever state it’s in.” Kuzi also noted that he is vegetarian for ethical reasons.
The Mazor Farm – Ma’ariv, 27.9.2011
In their column “Experiments in Democracy?” Yonathan Spiegel and Aviv Bracha pose some moral questions about animal experiments and about the suppression of activist protests agains the Mazor farm. “The longer the practice of animal experiments continues,” they write, “the more our humanity and moral stance are worn down; our hearts harden and our conscience loses its function. Are animal experiments worth this price?”
Dogs and the Law – Ynet, 26.9.2011
In his article “Coming Soon: Law Forbidding the Killing of Abandoned Dogs, and Obligatory Spaying,” Erez Erlichman reports on a draft bill submitted by the animal-rights organization Let Animals Live, which would require the spaying or neutering of dogs and forbid killing them.
Poisoning – 21.9.2011
In her article “Who is Killing the Cats of Hertzliyya?” Lihi Laufer reports on the poisoning of cats in that town using poison of a type used by the municipality.
Child Abusers – 20.9.2011
In his article “Children Abused Puppies, Parents Looked On,” Lior Lerner reports on the rescue of three dogs who were abused by children while their parents were present and did nothing.
Cats and the Elderly – 19.9.2011
In her column “Not Without my Cat,” Haya Dinsky reports on an elderly lady who is moving to a hostel and cannot take her cat with her. The article raises questions about the adoption of cats and dogs by the elderly.
Petshops – Maariv, 11.9.2011
In her article “Complaint: Harsh Conditions in Rishon le-Tziyyon Petshops” Liat Levi reports on a complaint to the policy from the animal-rights organization Anonymous, against five petshops whose owners kept animal in harsh conditions which contravened the law. Advocate Yoav Baumel sums up the case in the article: “An animal is not a piece of property or an ornament which can be traded, it is a living creature whose basic instinct is to roam free, to be with others of its kind, and to procreate freely. This complaint is especially important, because it includes an element of deterrence: as soon as the complaint is taken seriously, petshop owners will start to keep animals in better conditions, in accordance with the regulations, or will realise that it’s wrong to keep animals in confined conditions and will sell only food and other items for animals.”
Living in a Cage – Haifa local newspaper, 11.9.2011
On the same subject, Meytal Bar-Simon reports in her article “Animals Kept in Harch Conditions in Petshop” on a complaint made by the animal-rights organization Anonymous against a Haifa petshop, which keep animals in cages in conditions which contravene the regulations.
Vet Loses his License – Ynet and Maariv, 14.9.2011
In his article “Vet was Negligent in Spaying Animals, Loses License,” Erez Erlichman reports on Daniel Mamut, a Beer-Sheva vet convicted of criminal medical negligence who injured many of the animals he treated, and whose license was permanently revoked.
Spanish Zoos – iamveg, 10.9.2011
In the article “Zoos – Not what you Thought” Josh Liberty reports on an undercover investigation of Spanish zoos by the organization Animal Equality, which revealed the harsh conditions in which the zoo animals are kept.
Criminal Negligence – mynet, 8.9.2011
In his article “The Vet was Criminally Negligent? – Let him Work!” Oded Bar-Meir reports on a complaint to the Ministry of Agriculture by the animal-rights organization Let Animals Live, that a Negev vet is being allowed to continue to work, a year and a half after he was arrested and should have stood trial for criminal medical negligence.
The Miao Mission
A resident of Haifa read on the Internet that the Egyptians were about to “execute” two street cats. She went to Egypt and saved them.
Summer 2011 – translated from an article by Ofer Petersburg.
Truth can be stranger than fiction. Marina Yogurova, a cat-lover who lives in Haifa, read in a Russian blog that a pair of street cats were about to be “executed” in Egypt, and decided to organize a rescue mission – even though this was right after the Egyptian Revolution.
“The blog’s talkbacks were full of the cruel ways they use to kill cats,” said Marina. “sometimes they inject them with poison, sometimes that’s too expensive so they use a heavy stone. Another talkback noted that in the town in question, Dahab in Sinai, there’s a vet who has too much ‘work’. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the fate awaiting those street cats that nobody wants.”
She decided to go to Egypt and rescue the cats. Since she doesn’t own a car, she went by bus, in the heat of mid-summer. Given the situation in Egypt she was scared, she said, but she just concentrated on her mission. She reached the blogger who had published the story, and the lady took her to a garden and pointed them out. Marina arranged the necessary vaccinations, and returned to Israel with both cats. “It’s an indescribable feeling to have saved them,” she says.
Marina already has several kittens, so she’s looking for someone to adopt the new Egyptian arrivals. As well as looking for new homes in Israel, she’s checking out adoptive families in Moscow, Russia, where the general high standard of living means that pets enjoy a life of luxury. “Moscow is where I was born,” she says. “Once I found a home there for a blind cat, and I hope that through my many connections in the city, I’ll be able to arrange a better future for these kittens too.”
The chain pet store, Pet Bay, is sponsoring the project of rehabilitating the kittens and finding them a home. The store has provided them with veterinary treatment, food, and everything they need until adoption. Hodaya Giladi, a spokesperson for the chain, explained that they decided to help because they realized that over the summer months it’s hard to find families who can adop.
24/7/11 ¬– Cherished Pets Become Abandoned Strays
An article concerning animal abandonment appeared on the Israeli news site, ynet, entitled “Kids Get Sick of Their Pets, So Parents Kick Pets Out.” Limor Simon describes the phenomenon of families abandoning their pets, forcing them to live as strays after being bought to serve as pets. Unfortunately, deserted animals rarely survive.
26/7/11 ¬– Bill Banning Cat Declawing Approved
In an article appearing on the ynet news site entitled “It’s the Law: A Ban on Declawing Your Cat,” Erez Ehrlichman reports on a bill prohibiting the declawing of cats other than for medical reasons.
28/7/11 – Stricter Penalties for Animal Abusers Proposed
An article appeared on the Ma’ariv news site entitled “Report Recommends Five Years of Imprisonment for Animal Abusers.” In the article, reporter Aviv Lavie recommends that an initiative be taken by the Interministerial Committee of the Knesset to enforce stricter penalties for animal abuse. This includes implementing a minimum punishment of five years of imprisonment in cases of extreme abuse.
ynet
20/7/2011 – Ynet online portal
Rise in Cruelty to Animals
In an article headlined “2011: 23% Rise in Cruelty to Animals” Eraz Erlichman reports on the increase in the number of complaints about cruelty to animals made to the police, and the resulting increase in the number of investigations. Fewer of them were closed without an indictment, but nonetheless only 10% of investigations end in a conviction. MK Eitan Kabel blames the courts for their leniency towards those guilty of cruelty to animals. Kabel announced that one of the goals of the pro-animal lobby in the Knesset is to set up a national “animal police.”
23/7/2011 – Ma’ariv newspaper
Out, Dybbuk!
In an article headlined “Out, Dybbuk! – How Animal Lovers Won Against the Glue Traps” Aviv Lavie gives an overview of the fight to stop Israeli chain stores from selling glue traps.
21/7/2011 – Ma’ariv newspaper
You didn’t spay your dog? It’ll cost you!
Eitan Kabel wants to encourage dog owners to spay or neuter their pet, by raising the dog-license fee to 700 NIS a year for owners who have not done so.
13/7/2011 – Ynet online portal
Storm on the Net
In an article headlined “Storm on the Net: Soldier Filmed Kicking Kitten”, Erez Erlichman tells of the filmed evidence of a soldier’s cruelty to a kitten that was widely circulated on the Internet. Following a complaint by the Let Animals Live society, the IDF said they intended to open an enquiry into the matter.
5/6/2011 – Ynet online portal
Animal Experiments
In an article headlined “Ministerial Committee Opposes Increasing Oversight of Animal Experiments,” Erez Erlichman reports that a bill introduced by MKs Dov Hanin and Eitan Kabel, to add three representatives of animal-rights organizations to the Committee on Animal Experiments and to prevent the Committee being headed by a vivisectionist, is stuck at the Knesset committee stage. The legislative committee decided to appoint a special committee to examine the matter, headed by the Ministry of Justice, and to wait for its recommendations. MK Kabel said that the decision to appoint a committee was itself an achievement, but pointed out that the uncompromising opposition to his bill on the part of some government Ministers disregards the report of the State Comptroller’s office, which found serious defects (in the way the Animal Experiments Committee operates).
The Minister for the Protection of the Environment, Gil’ad Arden, said he would appeal the committee’s decision.
31.5.2011 – Ha’aretz newspaper
Cat in Airport
In an article headlined “Four-Footed and Alone Among the Luggage,” Zohar Blumenkrantz brings us the story of Muly, a cat who escaped in the airport when its owners tried to take it with them to the U.S. The article does not criticize the way the airline companies treat animals flown on planes, but it’s clear from the write-up that they treat them as cargo, and the animals are kept alone in the luggage compartment for endless hours.
26.5.2011 – Ma’ariv newspaper
Green Light for Demos
According to an article headlined “Supreme Court Gives Green Light to Demonstrations Against Trap Farms,” the Supreme Court has authorized two animal-rights organizations, Behind Closed Doors and the Israel Society Against Animal Experiments, to hold a protest watch opposite trap farms, which serve as waystations and breed monkeys caught illegaly in Mauritius for sale in Europe and the U.S. for use in experiments. The ruling followed an attempt by the farms’ owners to obtain a prevention order against a demonstration.
22.5.2011 – Wallah! Online portal
Clooney’s Partner Takes It All Off for Animals
An article with this headline tells of a video clip against the fur industry, produced by PETA, featuring the Italian model Elizabetta Kalanis. Kalanis tells of her decision to join the protests against the fur industry after seeing a documentary that showed how the industry kills small animals by electrocution and drowning. “I was so shocked,” she says, “that I decided on the spot never to wear fur again in my life.”
15.5.2011 – Do Not Shop at Pet Stores!
In the Tel-Aviv Times, the article “A Police Complaint: Tel-Aviv Stores Are Keeping Animals in Harsh Conditions” advocates against shopping at pet shops. Haggai Matar reports on complaints against pet shops that are in possession of animals while violating animal possession regulations. Many pictures taken at pet shops depicted the terrible conditions that animals are forced to live in. As seen in the pictures, a duck was cruelly kept in a very narrow cage, one that was barely larger than the duck itself. The duck was not given access to enough food or water, and it could not swim—violating the regulation requiring water for birds. In another cage, four doves were found crowded uncomfortably, living in filth, with no possibility of spreading their wings, and no access to eat and drink freely.
News Updates
13.2.2011, Maariv newspaper
Visit to the Ramat-Gan Area Animal Welfare shelter
In his column “Tel Aviv Orphanage, Miaou Style,” Aviv Levi describes his visit to the Ramat-Gan Area Animal Welfare shelter, which finds homes for about 300 abandoned dogs and cats every year. Many of them are puppies and kittens, often only a few days or even hours old. Despite the incredible level of love and care at the center, not all of them survive. Lavi stresses the importance of adopting abandoned animals rather than buying ones bred for commercial reasons – and he himself adopted a kitten during the visit.
17.2.2011, important announcement from the “Noah” Association
Mevasseret Zion Local Authority forbids the feeding of street cats – court decision awaited
The Mevasseret Zion local authority has forbidden anyone to feed street cats unless they have signed an undertaking to spay/neuter and vaccinate the cats at their own expense. This despite the fact that the Local Authority has not spayed/neutered a single cat at its own feeding station!
A court hearing of a legal action by the Local Authority against a resident of the town is scheduled for February 20th at 9 am. The town resident, whose neighbors complained against her, is represented by a legal adviser from Noah, an umbrella association of animal welfare organizations.
Please come to the courthouse at shopping center 6, Bet Shemesh to show your support.
8.2.2011, Maariv newspaper
On Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv’s ruling against neutering the cats of Jerusalem
In his article “Torah Ruling: Street Cats Must be Neutered,” Yitzhak Tessler tells of the ruling of Rabbi Ephraim Zalmanovitz, which permits the spaying/neutering of cats and dogs in order to prevent over-breeding which will harm them. This ruling was a response to a request from Advocate Reuven Ladianski of the “Let Animals Live” organization, following Rabbi Eliashiv’s opposition to spaying/neutering. Rabbi Zalmanovitz’s ruling will improve animal welfare, but it is unfortunate that it includes claims about the so-called “health hazard” of cats and docs, which have no basis in fact and which are liable to be used as a pretext for harming them.
Note: we do not provide links to the original news articles since they are all in Hebrew. If you read Hebrew, you can find them on the news page of our Hebrew site, under the relevant articles.
2.2.11 - Fines for Cruelty to Animals
The Israeli Government’s Legislative Committee passed new regulations allowing fines to be imposed immediately in cases of animal cruelty, without the need for an indictment. The regulations include, for example, a fine of 4,000 NIS (about US$1,100) for docking an animal’s ears or tail for decorative or cosmetic purposes, 1,000 NIS for keeping a dog tied for more than five hours, and 500 N IS for keeping a dog inside without taking him out for a walk at least once a day.
However a starting date for imposing the fines has not yet been decided, due to opposition from MK Uri Maklev of the “Torah Judaism” religious party.
31.1.11 – Spaying of Street Cats – Netanya
A few months ago the Netany Municipality allotted a budget for neutering the city’s street cats. This was a small initial budget which enabled only the spaying of relatively few cats in a very restricted area (mainly around a few kindergartens). The local Cat Lovers of Netanya organization is appealing to local residents to write letters of thanks and appreciation urging the municipality to widen this activity to more neighborhoods.
30.1.11 – Spaying of Street Cats – Jerusalem
The Israeli newspaper “Ma’ariv” reports that a motion to grant a budget for neutering street cats in Jerusalem, due for debate by the municipality, was removed from the agenda following opposition by the ultra-orthodox Torah Judaism party. (Orthodox religious law forbids the neutering of either people or animals, just as it forbids contraception). However the motion was transferred to the Finance Committee, where it was finally approved, enabling Jerusalem’s veterinary service to act to reduce the city’s streetcat population, currently estimated at 50,000 cats.
23.1.11 – Preclinical Studies on Animals
According to a report by Ynet (the online version of Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper), the General Manager of the Ministry of Health has issued a statement saying that the Ministry will not automatically require studies on animals as a prerequisite to human clinical studies. The statement notes that many other countries updated the Helsinki Declaration to this effect already 11 years ago and there is no medical reason why Israel should not do so. The various Animal Rights organizations which had campaigned for the change hope that this will reduce the number of animals being used in medical studies.
21.12.10 – Spaying of Street Cats – Rishon le-Zion
According to a Ynet article, the Rishon Loves Animals society has started a new project to finance the neutering of street cats with the participation of local streetcat feeders.
16.12.10 – How Many Cats per Apartment?
A Ynet article tells of a ruling by a local Petah Tikva court forbidding a local resident to keep more than three cats in her apartment, following a complaint to the town’s Veterinary Department. We are worried that the ruling may be a dangerous precedent which will result in many, many cats losing their homes. You can sign a petition (in Hebrew) against this ruling here.
14.12.10 – The Angel of Carmel Animals
Another Ynet article relates the activities of Zvika Lazarovich, a Let Animals Live volunteer from Netanya, in saving animals injured as a result of the Mount Carmel forest fire.
28.12.2010 – Animal Rights Day in the Knesset
On December 28th the Knesset celebrated Animal Rights Day, as part of the international Animal Rights Day events. This is the second time such an event has been market (the first was in 2008). The event, initiated by MK Eitan Kabel, leader of the animal rights lobby, did not include legislation, but it presented an opportunity for animal-rights organizations and interested Knesset members to further awareness of different aspects of protecting animals from cruelty.
Speeches also mentioned two related subject that have recently been debated in the Knesset: the living conditions of laying hens in the egg-producing industry, and the bill introduced by MK Ronit Tirosh to limit the import of and trade in fur products, which has long been debated but not yet passed. There is a conflict of interest in enforcing animal-cruelty regulations for industry, because the ministry in charge of enforcing them is the Ministry of Agriculture, which is also charged with advancing the interests of the agricultural sector.
13.12.10 – Mitzi Has Rights
A member of the Tel-Aviv Council, Reuven Ladianski, has written a Ynet column on the upcoming Animal Rights Day which will be marked in the Knesset. He emphasizes the need to take advantage of the debate in the Knesset to develop more efficient mechanisms for abiding by the Animal Rights Act, which is practically not enforced to date.
8.2.2011, Maariv newspaper
“Live Broadcast: Daniel Ehrlich for Animal Welfare”
In an article with the above title, Eran Dekkel interviews Daniel Ehrlich, the producer and editor of “Animal Diary,” a TV program about animal rights. “In a country ruled by commercial interests, a society which brain-washes consumers in order to maximize profit, there’s no chance of getting a true picture of what goes on behind the closed doors of slaughterhouses, labs or all the other places that exploit animals. Instead, advertisements show us chickens singing on their way to the grill, or pretty girls using some wonderful shampoo or other which saves their hair… when in actual fact, the animals exploited and killed by these industries undergo unimaginable suffering.”
6.2.2011, Walla! Portal
Tea and Animal Experiments
In an article headlined “Lipton will Stop Experimenting on Animals,” Idan Sayar gives an overview of the success of PETA’s campaign to stop the experiments on animals conducted by the Lipton tea company, with the aim of demonstrating their tea’s health benefits. Sayar stresses that although the campaign managed to put an end, specifically, to Lipton’s experiments, its parent company, Unilever, still performs experiments on animals for other products.
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