Cats and dogs will be offered for adoption only after they have been spayed or neutered

A new regulation calls for stricter measures that obligate all organizations and municipal authorities to offer cats and dogs up for adoption only after they have been spayed or neutered. This welcome process was started thanks to legislation initiated by SPCA Israel

For many years, SPCA Israel has played a pivotal role in initiating animal rights legislation in Israel. After a lengthy struggle initiated by the Society, the Knesset has now passed a law obligating organizations and kennels to offer animals up for adoption only after they have been spayed or neutered.

Despite the fact that all relevant authorities have reached a consensus on the issue of neutering and spaying dogs and cats, many organizations and municipal kennels still offer dogs and cats up for adoption, sometimes even for a lower fee, in disregard of the spaying / neutering policy. This conduct has led to an uncontrolled reproduction of dogs and cats, thereby resulting in the suffering of many unwanted animals.

Four years ago, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel initiated a new amendment to the existing regulations regarding the adoption of dogs and cats, with the aim of reducing the number of abandoned animals and eliminating their suffering.

For the past few decades, the Society has offered dogs and cats up for adoption only after they have been spayed or neutered. According to the new regulation, all organizations and kennels are now obligated to adhere to the same policy. In addition, all dogs must have a microchip inserted for owner identification, and all animals offered up for adoption must be vaccinated.

The new legislation is a direct continuation of the regulation that was passed several years ago that obligates pet owners who fail to have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered to pay a higher annual fee. This regulation was designed as an incentive to encourage people to spay or neuter their pets.

The new legislation, which was submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture as an amendment to the previous Animal Cruelty Law, was approved by the Knesset Committee for Education, Culture, and Sports. The amendment is an important step for promoting animal welfare in Israel, and we hope that it will be strictly enforced.

A Second Chance at a Good Life

Watch the feature film reviewing the history of the association and its activities on behalf of animals, which was produced by ILTV

The program titled “Cruising Israel”, produced by ILTV, dedicated a special feature to SPCA Israel. The reporter,Natalie Twersky, visited the association, toured the shelter and met the various animals housed there. In the article, she recounts the association’s history and its activities on behalf of animals, and talks to the adoptions advisor and the association’s chairperson.

Cat Sterilization Campaign

By the end of December – Castration and spaying of cats at only NIS100 in the SPCA Veterinary Clinic in Tel Aviv and the Sharon area SPCA Veterinary Clinic in Moshav Bnei Zion

While the issue of limiting the proliferation of cats is on the agenda and the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Uri Ariel to terminate the budget for castration and spaying operations has been raised, the SPCA in Tel Aviv and the Sharon area SPCA in Moshav Bnei Zion are encouraging the general public to sterilize domestic cats and homeless cats by offering these important operations at a subsidized fee of only NIS100.

There is wide consensus amongst all organizations supporting animal rights that castration and spaying surgical procedures are the humane solution to reducing the proliferation of the cat population living lives of suffering on the streets, exposed to many dangers such as hunger, illness, accidents and abuse.

These important operations, which are carried out under general anesthetic and for which the recovery period is relatively fast, prevent disease, prolong life, improve the quality of life, lessen the level of aggression and territorial wars and fights over females and reduce the uncontrolled proliferation of the street cat population. In this manner, births of kittens, that are in the most part destined to a life of suffering, danger and agony on the streets, are prevented. Amongst domestic cats, spayed females do not attract males, the tendency of males to mark their territory lessens and the chances of them running away from their homes is reduced.

The veterinarians performing the castrations and spaying surgical procedures in Tel Aviv and Bnei Zion are highly skilled professionals with years of experience. In addition, the clinics offer vaccinations, teeth cleaning and other veterinary services at reasonable prices.

To make an appointment in the SPCA Tel Aviv veterinary clinic or the SPCA veterinary clinic in Moshav Bnei Zion and for further details, please contact us at: *4553.

* This special offer is valid till the end of December 2015 depending on the number of operations possible and is intended for cats over three months of age and females that are not in heat. In order to continue operations in the sterilization clinics, thus preventing suffering, the public is invited to contribute by phone or our internet site.

Mandatory Neutering-Spaying Bill proposed by the SPCA moves on to the next stage

Confirmed at the preliminary reading: Dogs and cats will be given up for adoption only after spaying or neutering

The Bill proposed by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel, by which animal welfare organizations, municipal dog kennels and animal shelters will only be permitted to give dogs and cats up for adoption after they have undergone spaying or neutering operations, was passed at the primary reading in the Knesset plenum.

The aim of the Law is to prevent suffering amongst dogs and cats by limiting births of unwanted litters, that are cruelly abandoned, thrown on to the streets or put down. The spaying and neutering procedures, that are the most humane way to solve this problem, will reduce the uncontrolled proliferation of cats and dogs while imposing order in many organizations, resulting in a more responsible adoption process than that existing today.

We wish to express our gratitude to MK Eitan Cabel, who has cooperated with us over the past several years to promote legislation on the topic of animal welfare, for leading the proposed Bill.

New Bill Initiated by SPCA Israel

Organizations and kennels will only give dogs and cats up for adoption after being spayed or neutered

Look at the picture and see the suffering with your own eyes. Unwanted litters of puppies and kittens in immense numbers are an inseparable part of the difficult reality with which we, as do all other organizations working for animal welfare, have to contend on a daily basis. These puppies are separated from their mothers at too early an age, cruelly abandoned, thrown into the garbage or out onto the streets in a cardboard box with no true chance of survival. While most of the organizations close their gates in the face of these poor animals, and while the number of people willing to adopt animals is negligible in compared with the number of animals that are abandoned in Israel, it is clear that great efforts must be made to prevent unwanted litters. There is a consensus that the one method of doing this in a humane fashion is to encourage spaying and neutering procedures.

Puppies are cruelly abandoned in the streets in a cardboard box with no true chance of survival

SPCA Israel has been active at the Parliamentary level for many years, aiming to have animal welfare laws introduced. Last year a Bill promoted by the SPCA was passed, by which owners of non-sterilized dogs must pay a higher annual Dog Holder’s License fee, which is intended to encourage dog owners to have their dogs spayed or neutered.

At present a newly proposed Bill has been presented to the Knesset by the SPCA, that approached a number of MK’s who have expressed interest in promoting it – The Bill for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Protection) (Amendment – obligatory spaying or neutering of dogs and cats), 2013. According to this Bill, animal welfare organizations, municipal dog pounds and animal shelters will only be permitted to give a dog or cat up for adoption after it has been spayed or neutered. The Bill even gives details regarding the time necessary for carrying out the surgery from the moment the request for adoption is submitted, under what circumstances the date for surgery may be postponed (medical condition, females nursing their young, or puppies that are too young to undergo the surgery) and the sums that may be charged for these surgical procedures. In addition, the Bill gives the State the authority to stop supporting any organizations that violate the Law. We believe that this Law will benefit animals, lead to responsible adoption procedures, reduce the number of unwanted litters and the number of deaths while helping to create a uniform policy on this topic which will apply to all the organizations, kennels, shelters and quarantine facilities.

The importance of spaying and neutering pets is one of the issues upon which all animal welfare organizations have reached a consensus. However, apparently not all these organizations actually carry out the message that they themselves promulgate and to our regret we often take in dogs and cats, previously adopted from other organizations and kennels that were not spayed or neutered at the time. Just a fortnight ago, a dog of over six months of age reached us. He had been adopted from one of the organizations, not neutered, and what is even more serious, had no microchip that is obligatory by Israeli Law. This case is one example of many where animals are given for adoption in an irresponsible manner by the bodies that are supposed to act professionally and according to Law. Our extensive experience and the fact that we are the only organization whose doors are always open to any animal in need of shelter and protection, teach us that sometimes the desire to find adoptive homes leads to compromises in the adoption process, and the ones who pay the price in the long run are the animals themselves who, unwanted, are passed from hand to hand as though they were objects.

According to the policies of the Society for the past twenty five years and more, dogs and cats are only given out for adoption after being spayed or neutered. We hope that following this new Bill, all the other bodies and authorities in Israel will become wiser and will, finally, align themselves with the accepted manner of procedures on the subject of adoption in all advanced nations.

The Society for Protection of Animals in Israel, which will continue to propose bills benefitting animals, calls all organizations and kennels to adopt the responsible adoption processes of the SPCA, including completion of questionnaires, a long talk with an adoption counselor who matches the animals to the prospective adopter, veterinary examination and giving animals to new owners only after spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and, in the case of dogs, insertion of a microchip. Delivering healthy animals, acting in accordance with the Law, checking out the adopters and the extent of their suitability to raise the animal, is the correct procedure for orderly adoption where the adopting owners will raise the animal for the rest of its life.

Proposal for New Law Initiated by the SPCA

Dogs and cats will be given up for adoption only following surgical procedures for sterilization

A new Proposal, initiated by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel, aims to obligate all authorized dog pounds, protected shelters and animal welfare organizations to neuter and spay cats and dogs being given up for adoption. The Proposal, presented jointly with the Let Animals Live Organization, has won the support and backing of MK’s Eitan Cabel (Labor), David Tsur (HaTnuah), Dov Hanin (Hadash) and Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz).

Since its establishment 85 years ago, the SPCA has had to deal with the problem of excessive overpopulation of dogs and cats, and for over three decades we have given animals out for adoption only after they have been sterilized. A few months ago, a law initiated by the SPCA came into effect by which owners of dogs which have not been sterilized will pay an higher annual license fee, and the present Proposal is a further step in our efforts to promote animal welfare in Israel.

Israel copes with a painful and widespread phenomenon of dogs and cats that are abandoned, left to their own recourses and wander around alone. It is estimated that each year over one hundred thousand dogs are abandoned in Israel and over two million homeless cats are living in the streets; most of them eventually finding their deaths in terrible suffering from illness, hunger, dehydration, abuse, road accidents or euthanasia. Some of them reach shelters where the chances of them finding adoptive homes are negligible, since the number of people wishing to adopt is far smaller than the number of abandoned animals.

There is overall agreement amongst animal welfare organizations that the humane solution for reducing the phenomenon of overpopulation in dogs and cats is implementation of sterilization procedures. These simple surgical procedures, accepted in all advanced countries, also prevent certain illnesses to which animals are prone.

Unfortunately, not all organizations that are authorized to give animals up for adoption strictly observe the rule of carrying out sterilization before giving animals up for adoption. Some of them charge a fee for the operation and trust the adopting owner to have it done at a later stage, but they have no way of ensuring that this takes place. According to studies carried out on this issue, sterilization can be carried out as early as two months of age, the age when animals are weaned by their mothers. Since animals are not given up for adoption while they are still nursing, there is no reason for not carrying out the operation before giving the animal for adoption.

As stated, the aim of the proposal is to minimize overpopulation of dogs and cats and to prevent suffering amongst the many unwanted animals. The Proposal even gives details of unusual instances where it is permissible to postpone the operations, with the owners obligated by Law to carry out the operations at a later date (for example; an animal’s state of health that does not allow surgery, females still nursing puppies, puppies that have not yet been weaned), and allows the local authorities to charge a fee for the operation from a person who adopts a dog or cat from an authorized shelter.

As MK Eital Cabel says: “This is a further step in our humane war against the horrifying phenomena of dog euthanasia and abuse. Our aim is to reduce these phenomena to a minimum and for that to happen all animal lovers must get involved”. And in the words of MK David Tzur: “As a sworn animal lover, I am appalled by the number of abandoned animals that are euthanized each year because no one wants them. The Proposal that I presented together with MK Eitan Cabel and others is meant to put an end to this sad phenomenon of uncontrolled increase in the dog population”.

Economic Committee authorizes the Bill

Proposal for Law initiated by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel will be presented for second and third reading in the Knesset

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel scored an achievement for dogs in Israel when the proposed Bill for the Regulation of the Supervision of Dogs, by which all dog owners who have not had their dogs spayed or castrated will pay a higher fee to renew their annual dog license, will soon reach the second and third reading in the Knesset.

The Law, proposed by the Society, with the cooperation of MK Eitan Kabel (chairman of the Lobby for the Protection of Animals in the Knesset) and MK’s Feina Kirshenbaum, Nitzan Horowitz and Dov Hanin, was raised for discussion in the Economic Committee of the Knesset today, after passing the first reading. The Committee determined that the difference in the cost of the license for dogs who are not neutered and those who have had the surgery will be NIS 300. In this manner the Law will encourage dog owners to neuter their dogs, thus preventing the birth of thousands of dogs who cannot find homes every year, leading to a life sentence of suffering in the streets or prolonged stays in dog shelters. We hope that in the coming weeks the Bill will be presented to the Knesset for the second and third readings and will come into force very shortly.

At the same time the Society is continuing its project of sterilization for cats and dogs at subsidized rates. The special offer, which started in April, will continue till the end of May, thanks to contributions that the Society received specifically for this purpose.

To make appointments in the Tel Aviv and Bnei Zion Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals clinics, please call: *4553.

Spaying and Neutering

All neutering surgical procedures in Tel Aviv and Bnei Zion

The Society invites all cat and dog owners to make sterilization and castration procedures for their pets in the Tel Aviv and Bnei Zion veterinary clinics. The aim of these procedures to minimize the uncontrolled proliferation of stray animals and the suffering of unwanted kittens and puppies.

The veterinarians performing these important surgical procedures are highly skilled and experienced, and the sum charged to the cat and dog owners is intended to cover the costs of these operations and the upkeep of the clinics only.

To make appointments in the Tel Aviv and Bnei Zion Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals clinics, please call: *4553.

Sterilization Clinic in the Sharon Area

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Sharon, Opens a Clinic in Moshav Bnei Zion

Good news for pet owners in the Sharon area: The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Sharon is inaugurating a sterilization clinic in Moshav Bnei Zion.

Surgical spaying and neutering procedures for cats and dogs are carried out in the new clinic at comfortable rates, with the aim of alleviating the financial burden on those raising cats and dogs, allowing them to have the procedures carried out in order to reduce the uncontrolled proliferation and suffering of unwanted puppies and kittens. In addition, one can have dogs’ and cats’ teeth cleaned during the operation, thus improving their dental health, preventing gum disease and unpleasant mouth odors.

The veterinarians performing these important procedures are highly qualified with years of experience in the field, and the sums charged are designated to cover the costs of the clinic’s upkeep alone.

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Sharon, invites all pet owners to come to the new facility, to have their animals sterilized and to enjoy the subsidized prices. These procedures, which are accepted all over the Western world, are considered simple and straightforward, with speedy recuperation rates. In addition to the fact that pets will not have to deal with unwanted litters, neutering and spaying contribute to the animals’ health, improve the quality of their lives, increase their lifespan, assist in preventing aggressive behavior and prevent such illnesses as ovarian and uterine cancer, mammary gland cancer, infections of the uterus, prostate malfunction and testicle cancer.

Appointments can be made at the clinic phone number: *4553.

The opening of the new clinic is a direct result of The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel’s efforts to encourage the public to sterilize their pets. Following the request of The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Sharon, the committee of SPCA Israel decided to undertake the management of The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Sharon, with the first step in this endeavor being the opening of the clinic. Another step is being carried out at the parliamentary level, as a result of an initiative taken by SPCA Israel: At this time the Bill for the Regularization of the Dog Licensing Fee, which will determine in the regulations that the fee imposed for renewal of dog licenses for non-sterilized dogs will be higher by NIS 700 than the fee imposed for dogs who have undergone sterilization procedures, has passed the primary reading in the Knesset.

A Record Day of Abandonment

The dog abandonment phenomena raises its ugly head

Yesterday was a hard day for the Society’s staff and volunteers, a day when 32 dogs were taken in and given shelter. These dogs, including 22 puppies under three months of age, were simply abandoned by their owners. A day when, as it came to a close, the abandoned dogs, who up till then were used to living in the security of their homes, found themselves in a strange environment with their futures and fates uncertain.

Abandoned dogs, including many puppies, reach the Society every day but yesterday was a record day, testifying more than anything else to the ugliness and cruelty of the abandonment phenomena. Dog lovers find it difficult to understand how a person or family can abandon their pets, but to our regret, most people who approach us with the intent of handing over their pets, don’t even try to find an alternate home themselves (thus sparing their pets being restricted to a shelter), and choose the easy solution of abandoning them in some organization, in the best case, or just on the street.

Most organizations and animal shelters close their gates in the face of these abandoned animals, claiming a shortage of space. Thus, by not offering any alternate solution, these organizations seal the fate of the dogs to be abandoned to the streets. In contrast, The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel – Tel Aviv takes in any animal in need of shelter and protection. This has been the Society’s policy since the day it was founded, and was decided upon in order to protect abandoned animals that had been thrown out on the streets from further suffering and hardship. Apart from the fact that abandoning animals on the streets is against the Law, these animals find it hard to survive and are exposed to numerous dangers such as road accidents, illness, hunger, dehydration and abuse.

The reasons for abandoning dogs are varied and numerous; amongst the dogs taken in yesterday, there were two older dogs who were abandoned because their families had difficulty looking after them, a mother and two puppies whose owners had other dogs and were not able to bear the expenses involved in keeping them all, three one-year-old dogs who were found wandering around by passers-by, four six-week-old puppies whose owners couldn’t manage to rear so many dogs and eight one-month-old puppies who were found in a carton box on the street.

Then there was also one family with a complex story of its own, who brought in 13 dogs. We had come in contact with this Bat Yam family on an earlier occasion. A few months ago the father brought in three dogs which he left in the Society. The following day his wife arrived, burst into tears and begged to have her dogs returned to her. When we asked what she intended to do should her husband bring in the dogs again, she replied that they do not live together and assured us that she would not allow him to enter her house. Yesterday, the couple, accompanied by an acquaintance, brought in 13 dogs: The three older dogs that had been brought to us some months earlier, and ten one-month-old puppies. A short enquiry revealed that the seven-year-old bitch, who has had many litters and suffers from a skin ailment, is the mother of a four-year-old bitch, a one-year-old dog and four of the younger puppies. The other six puppies belong to the four-year-old bitch. Both litters were born a couple of days apart, just one month ago and, according to the woman, not only can the family not afford to rear them all, but she is also fed up cleaning up after them all day long. The husband urged the woman to leave the dogs and go without even filling out the requisite forms. He also made some other suggestions such as leaving the dogs on the street so that they would get run over, putting them in the deep freeze or scattering their ashes over the sea.

As noted, this is just one case of dog owners who don’t take responsibility for their actions, thus sentencing their pets to great suffering. In Israel, it is estimated that 100,000 dogs are abandoned every year. Regretfully, it is impossible to find adoptive homes for all of them since there are so few families willing to adopt. The outcome is that the dogs which are thrown on to the streets are either killed, spend extended periods of time in dog shelters or, in the absence of any other solution, undergo mercy killing. The only true, comprehensive solution, like so many other instances, must be at Government level, backed by considerable budgets.

Minimizing abandonment and unwanted litters is one of the aims of the Society, which works at several levels to deal with these phenomena:

1. Spaying and Neutering: For over thirty years we have been spaying and castrating every dog and cat that leaves for a new home, with no exception. This ensures that the animals we have given for adoption will not reproduce and will not bring unwanted young into the world. We are sorry to say that today, while there is higher awareness of the benefits of these procedures, many animal welfare organizations act irresponsibly and give un-spayed animals out for adoption. These animals are often brought in to the Society by their owners, and we know that they were adopted from other organizations by the data on their microchips.

2. Subsidizing Spaying and Neutering: The Society’s veterinary clinic, which is open seven days a week, offers these surgical procedures at subsidized rates, in order to encourage pet owners to have their animals treated without getting involved in very high expenses.

3. Education: The Society’s Department of Humanitarian Education runs numerous educational programs for groups of all ages, with the subject of spaying and neutering being one of the focal topics in the activities. The aim is to raise public awareness of the importance of this issue. In addition, the Society uses the media to bring the issue to the fore in the public agenda.

4. Law: Last week we heard that the License Fee Legislative Proposal (Bill for the Regularization of the Supervision of Dogs (Amendment – Neutering and Spaying Dogs) 2011), promoted by the Society, passed in the preliminary reading in the Knesset. The premise of the Proposal, which was submitted in collaboration with MK Eitan Cabel (Chairman of the Knesset Animal Protection Lobby) and MK’s Penina Kirshenbaum, Nitzan Horowitz and Dov Hanin, is the adjustment of the fee that dog-owners are required to pay to renew their dog license every year. The principle is that dog owners whose pets have not undergone neutering or spaying procedures will be required to pay NIS 700 more than dog owners whose pets have undergone the procedure.

5. Responsible Adoption: The society’s slogan, ”Loving Is Not Enough”, reflects our attitude towards animal adoption. Our experience shows that a low percentage of dogs live in one home all their lives. During their lives, most dogs move from one home to another a number of times because of adoption that was undertaken on a momentary impulse (especially in the case of puppies), or owners’ inability to provide for their pet’s needs. If more responsible people would adopt and raise spayed or castrated pets, there would be fewer unwanted litters born. The adoption process as it is carried out in the Society includes completing a questionnaire and taking part in an interview with an adoption counselor in order to ascertain which pet would best suit the family or person. Thus we attempt to ensure that the animals will be adopted into homes where they will live their entire lives. In addition, the adopters sign a form by which they undertake to return the animal to the Society should they decide to give the animal away. This is one way to ensure that the animals are not thrown onto the streets or passed from hand to hand in the event that they reach unsuitable homes.

We ask the general public to demonstrate responsibility towards the animals in their care, to spay or castrate them in order to prevent unwanted births, and to take advantage of the special prices offered by the Society for these procedures.

The thirty-two abandoned dogs are now awaiting adoptive homes, with the puppies being ready for adoption once they reach the age of three months, when they will get their first vaccinations and be spayed or castrated. When the wind whistles outside, the temperatures drop and winter is at its peak, think about the miserable, abandoned dogs. In the event that you are sure that you can offer a dog all its needs for the rest of its life, we invite you to make a Hanukah miracle happen, come to the Society, adopt a pet and give it a warm and loving home.