Too many stray animals
צילום: ליז רובס
Litigation may save thousands of animals
Animal welfare activists say authorities not enforcing neutering for selfish reasons; increased donations from abroad may save shelters
TEL AVIV - The country has no law that requires animal owners to neuter and spay their pets, and this is the main cause of the abundance of stray cats and dogs in the streets, animal activists say.
Four-Legged Friend founder Michal Semo says neutering should be enforced by law, just as annual rabies shot are.
“Cyprus also had an (animal) over-population problem,” she says. “They strictly enforced neutering for four years in a row, and the issue was resolved.”
כלב כלבים כלביית הבשן (צילום: ליז רובס)
However, Semo says local authorities are not pushing for litigation because each municipality receives a huge budget for veterinary departments, including salaries for dogcatchers and veterinarians, and funds for maintaining animal enclosure facilities.
“All this money could be allocated toward enforcing neutering, which, in turn, would minimize the stray animal problem,” she says. “But the municipal agencies do not want to solve the problem, because that would put many municipal employees out of a job.”
Aviram Cohen of The Union of Local Authorities (municipalities) says in response the union and its Veterinarians Association are not only in favor of spaying and neutering animals, they work toward advancing the issue.
Lost faith in the system
Despite the objection of several government organizations, the union and the Veterinarians Association applied pressure that resulted in the passing of a law that reduced the annual license fees for neutered dogs by 50 percent, he says.
“As the number of neutered dogs increases, the local authorities, the government offices, and the animal welfare organizations would have to destroy less animals,” Cohen says.
Some animal welfare advocates have lost faith in the system, and say the only thing that may save their organizations is increased donations.
Etti Altman, founder and spokeswoman of Let Animals Live, says she must find a way to reach foreign donors to save Let Animals Live.
“Our future will not be secured by the state,” she says. “The only hope is receiving donations from abroad, where there is greater awareness for animal welfare.”
Altman says the poor treatment of animals reflects badly on the country.
“In my opinion, a society that does not take care of its animals cannot be regarded as an enlightened society,” she says.
