Every year, the High Holidays herald the season of multiple adoptions of cats and dogs in the Society and other animal welfare organizations. The atmosphere of renewal, the leisure time available and the pressure felt from the kids, bring many people to decide to add a new, four-legged, member to the family. On the other hand, there is another phenomena, all too familiar to us at this time of the year, and that is the abandonment of pets. Self-examination, house-cleaning or a vacation trip all seem to serve equally well as opportunities to throw a beloved pet out on to the streets, sometimes after even many years of life together. And so, not only do we see a lot of new adoptions, we also have tens of new animals in need of shelter who reach us during the Holidays.
Proof of this can be seen by the fact that in the tens days of Tshuva leading up to Yom Kippur, 50 new dogs joined our shelter. Some were brought by their owners under a wide range of excuses, and some were thrown on to the streets and brought to us by caring passers-by who picked them up. As the only Society in Israel who takes in animals of all kinds, we are witness to this abandonment on a daily basis. But in recent months, this cruel phenomena has raised its ugly head more pronouncedly, with mother dogs who recently gave birth to puppies being thrown on to the streets by their owners and left alone with their newborn.
This week, a client who had come to the Society’s veterinary clinic, noticed a puppy standing at the entrance gate to the Society. The staff, who rushed out to pick up the puppy, checked the security cameras and discovered that a few minutes earlier three men had left six puppies and three adult dogs, who began to chase after the car, at the entrance. For some unknown reason, the men decided not to bring the animals in and didn’t even bother to tie them up for their safety.
The staff, who started to look for the other dogs, found the five puppies hiding under parked cars. About a half-hour later, the mother reached the Society, led there seemingly by their scent as she searched for her puppies. We don’t know what happened to the other two adult dogs. The mother, who had no microchip, and the two-month old puppies, all mongrels, some brown and some brown-black, are now in quarantine, as required by Law. In about another month they will be available for adoption.
We beg the general public not to abandon their animals on the streets, thus endangering them and committing an offense. If you have come to the decision that you are no longer able to take care of your pets, please find them loving homes or bring them in yourselves to one of the organizations.
And with regard to dogs and their puppies: with the opening of the new year, we need food for puppies and adult dogs awaiting adoption. We would appreciate financial donations or donations of pet food.
We wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
