The Battle Against Horse and Donkey Abuse Continues Unabated

Neglected horse and donkey will undergo rehabilitation in the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel

Another chapter in the ongoing battle against horse and donkey abuse started a few days ago, when a horse and donkey were brought to the Society’s stables suffering from neglect. As in many previous instances, the SPCA, which has rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of horses and donkeys in recent years, was the only organization that came to the rescue of these two unfortunate, helpless creatures.

The unfortunate and neglected horse was found in bad condition, hungry and wounded

Following a call from the superintendents of the Tel Aviv Municipality Veterinary Department, a groom was sent out to rescue a horse harnessed to a cart loaded with ironware in the south of the city. The unfortunate and neglected animal was found in bad condition, hungry and wounded, with cuts on his body that were apparently caused by the iron and the unprofessionally attached harness, his legs were swollen as a result of very hard work and his hooves were neglected since they hadn’t been trimmed for a long time. Not surprisingly, this is the fourth horse that was taken away from the same wagon owner as a result of neglect.

The horse, approximately nine years old, was brought to the Society where he underwent veterinary examination and is now under observation. Following the veterinarian’s recommendation, the horse, who needs a long period of rest, is on a special diet and his wounds are being cared for. Soon he will undergo special hoof trimming and dental treatment.

Unprofessionally attached iron and harness caused wounds and cuts

Two days later, a one-and-a-half year old donkey joined the Society’s stables, having been found wandering around Mazkeret Batya, after running away or being abandoned by its owners. A veterinarian examination showed that the donkey needs special food, deworming shots and special washes and creams to treat scabies and sores from which he is suffering. Once the horse and donkey regain their strength they will be neutered, and then we will be able to find them responsible owners.

Rehabilitation of the horses and donkeys in the SPCA stables involves great expense – expert veterinarian care, medical treatments, medicines and quality food. Please help us cover these expenses through contributions, big or small, on our contributions page or by phone *4553.

Pesach Newsletter, 2012

Sweet Toffee

Amira Bozaglo is looking for a warm home for Toffee

This week the media person and TV announcer, Amira Bozaglo, came to the Society following the disappearance of her mother’s dog, Freddy. Searches for Freddy went on for a week, until a passer-by found him on the street, brought him to the Society, and we were able to contact his owners, thanks to his microchip.

While she was in the Society, Amira’s eyes were caught by Toffee, an adorable and friendly mongrel, less than one year old. Amira decided to initiate a campaign for Toffee’s adoption, and we hope that soon this little dog will find a warm and loving home.

For further details about Toffee, please call: *4553.

Not Your Kind of Atonement

MK’s from different parties and Rabbi Menachem Froman have joined the Society's campaign calling to exchange the slaughter of chickens with the giving of charity when carrying out the custom of Kapparot

As Yom Kippur, and with it the Kapparot custom, approach, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel is once again campaigning to raise public awareness of the urgency of exchanging the Kapparot custom, involving the slaughter of chickens, with the giving of charity. This activity is an integral part of the Society’s 84 year-long battle to enhance animal welfare and lessen the suffering and pain of animals.

Through the “Not Your Kind of Atonement” campaign we will raise the issue in the public agenda through the media, by means of distributing flyers in the Knesset, and by holding a demonstration in Tel Aviv highlighting the cruelty involved in this custom.

MK’s from different parties have joined the campaign this year and together with Rabbi Menachem Froman, have made a public entreaty to exchange the slaughter of chickens with the giving of charity when carrying out the custom of Kapparot.

The custom of Kaparot, which is carried out during the Ten Days of Repentance or in the early morning of the eve of the Day of Atonement, is intended to atone for man’s sins through slaughtering chickens. The chickens used for the atonement, are raised in extremely crowded conditions, brought under inhumane conditions to those who follow the custom, and are often left to wait long hours without food and water, until their slaughter. Some of them dehydrate and die in agony while waiting and some of those who survive till the end, continue to expire and twitch in agony until finally succumbing to their death, following the slaughter.

The origin of the custom, prevalent since the 6th Century, came to offer an alternative to the atonement ceremony where a scapegoat was sacrificed in the Holy Temple. Over the years disagreements broke out with regard to religious law relating to the slaughter of the chickens, and different rabbinical authorities (among them Rabbi Solomon Ben Aderet, Rabbi Yosef Karo (the author of the Shulchan Aruch), Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman and others) expressed objections to this act, saying it should be replaced by giving charity to the poor or through the use of plants instead of chickens.

We believe that on Yom Kippur, a time of self-examination, we should show mercy and compassion to animals and not cause them any pain or suffering. On this day in particular it is appropriate to help the weak and needy by giving donations and being charitable.

We wish you an easy fast and May You be Inscribed in the Book of Life.

Nina’s tragedy

A female mixed French bulldog puppy was tied in a criminal fashion that endangered her life was treated at the Society's clinic

Nina, a female mixed French bulldog puppy of five months, was found last week wandering Aliyah Street in South Tel Aviv with a deep and open cut on her neck. The dog was taken to the veterinary clinic of the Society for Prevention of cruelty to animals in Israel where it was treated by the veterinarian Sharon Goldstein.

“According to the wounds we can surmise that the dog was tied in a criminal fashion that endangered her life,” Goldstone diagnosed. “The cuts were caused, it seemed, by tie rope or a nylon cord. The dog’s neck was given stitches and anti-biotic treatment. It is out of all danger and now is under medical care”.

Anyone wanting to give a warm home to Nina, who turned out to be a jumpy, affectionate dog that likes human company, is invited to contact the Society: *4553.

We want to point out that only recently did the Ministry of Agriculture set up new regulations that regulate the matter of tying up dogs, and anyone who does not conform to them violates the law. We are speaking about new regulations for the law about Animal Suffering passed in 1994, and about section 8(a) of the regulations. “An animal cannot be tied if there is a real possibility that its being tied will cause damage to its body or its health”.

We give our blessings to the Minister of Agriculture and Development and to the employees of the Ministry for the introduction of the new regulations – which are necessary in this harsh reality in which many animals suffer cruel abuse on a daily basis. We hope that the State of Israel will create a serious body that will succeed in implementing these regulations, since a law which has no means of being enforced has no teeth, and since there is no means of enforcement, animals will continue to pay the terrible price.

The Golden Calf

How was Edna saved from a cruel fate in the meat market?

The sweet calf, Edna, was found two weeks ago in the Ben Shemen forest by hikers. They contacted us, reported that there was a young calf wandering around the forest, and we sent a special vehicle that picked her up and brought her to us. How did Edna get to the forest? It’s a mystery. However, we are happy about the alertness of the hikers, since in the forest Edna was exposed to many dangers.
The veterinarian of the Society who examined her determined that Edna was healthy and that she was less than a week old. Special milk was brought in to feed her, and within a few days she was moved to an organic farm, where a peaceful life awaited her with food free of poisons.

Edna is from a variety of cattle for meat and it is reasonable to assume that she was intended to one day become raw material for a steak…. We at the Society understand the desire of man to eat meat; however, this matter does not have to contradict proper maintenance of suitable conditions with humane treatment of animals in the meat industry. In this industry animals go through a web of abuse and cruelty, and as those who are partners in the struggles against these unnecessary actions with animals, we call out to destroy this phenomenon and we demand the cessation of the consumption of veal derived from nursing calves.

These calves are kept in narrow stalls, in which all possibility of movement is denied them, and this is done in order to prevent the development of muscle tissue and to get tender mea. Under these conditions the calves are kept for months and are continually force fed until their size is no longer suitable for the stall and they are not even able to lick themselves with their tongues. They are fed nutrient-poor food, the purpose of which is to keep the color of the meat to the requested culinary standards, but this food damages them severely and causes illnesses in their digestive systems.

About a day before the slaughter the calves are brought to the slaughter house. There they are caged in terrible crowding without food and water and are left to wallow in their excrement. When their hour arrives they are driven on by electric cattle prods and bludgeon hits to their heads while they are scared and helpless. Anyone who sees these sights could be confused into thinking that these are adult cows, but actually these are genetically distorted calves that were raised this way in order to fatten them while developing the breast and limbs. The fate of the calves that are imported is also similar, in that imported calf meat does not usually arrive in air-tight containers, but rather in a live and breathing state. These calves arrive in pens on the decks of ships in terribly crowded conditions and almost without food and water, and in a violent way they are removed from the ships and brought to the slaughter houses.

Dermatophytosis (fungal infection) in cats

Dermatophytosis is a medical term which means a fungal infection caused by a group of pathogens called dermatophytes

Doctor Hila Bareket, SPCA Israel veterinarian

Dermatophytosis is a medical term which means a fungal infection caused by a group of pathogens called dermatophytes. In cats fungal infection is a very widespread skin malady and appears primarily in kittens, in adults, in Persian cats and in those with a weakened immune system.

The most common cause of this illness is called Microsporum canis—it is also extremely infectious to humans and other animals. The infection can spread from one animal to another and from the ground or objects infested with the fungal spores. In most of the cases that come to the SPCA Israel, Tel Aviv, the owners complain of one or more bald areas on their cat, round and symmetric, sometimes accompanied by scaling and reddening, and in most cases the cat is not itching or bothered at all. The infestations usually occurs on the head or on the limbs but can happen anywhere on the body.

In the less classical cases there might appear itching, peeling bald areas, open sores, scaling and peeling, infected claws, dark areas around the affected area and even vomiting and constipation (due to swallowing infested hair). There are cats that show no clinical signs whatsoever but are likely to carry the spores of the fungus on their skin or fur.

The easiest and most effective way to diagnose dermatophytosis is by way of a culture. On the surface of the culture medium we place hair ends and scale taken from the affected area. If the sample is infested the color of the culture will change within a few days. There are other diagnostic but less reliable methods, including a UV lamp and microscopic observation.

The treatment of dermatophytosis is multifaceted:
– Environmental treatment – requires vacuuming the cat’s bedding and cleaning with bleach.
– Treatment of the cat – including:
– Topical treatment (usually with kittens), using shampoo, creams or diluted lotions.
– Therapeutic treatment—syrup or tablets—when the problem is widespread and the adult cat has no immunodeficiency problems (FIV) or liver problems.

Recently a vaccination has been developed that has proved to be not effective in preventing infestation. The vaccination can cause improvement of the symptoms in cats that have already been infected with Microsporum canis but cannot get rid of the fungus.