Once again, the Israeli government has proven how neglected the animals are in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture, which is supposed to allocate the budgets stipulated in the law for animal protection and reducing the proliferation of stray cats and dogs, hasn’t begun to deal with the issue.
The budget – NIS 4.5 million – as stipulated in the law, which was supposed to reach the municipalities in January, has not yet arrived. Volunteers, organizations, activists, and local authorities have been left alone in the battle.
The over-cultivation of stray animals condemns many of them to cruel and short lives. Stray dogs are usually collected in urban pens, where most of them are killed by the authorities or they are shot with live fire and poison darts. Thousands of dogs are killed this way every year, though it is a cruel solution whose effectiveness is debatable at best. Failure to address the problem leads to a constant overload in the various kennels and shelters throughout the country. The issue of reproduction of stray dogs causes not only suffering for the animals, but also significant expenses for the caring authorities. The attacks in the Gaza Strip and in areas of conflict have significantly worsened the number and condition of stray dogs in the country.
Just before the end of 2023, an open address calling for utilization of the budget that was supposed to be published at the beginning of the year has not yet been published. The budget year is ending, and formal steps have not yet been taken to allocate the budget stipulated in the law, despite the urgency of the budget allocation. Following the non-transfer of the budget, the NGO ‘Let the Animals Live’ petitioned the Supreme Court against the Ministry of Agriculture in order to order the ministry to transfer the budget for the treatment of stray dogs. The court has already ordered the Ministry of Agriculture to submit its response to the appeal early next week.
Yael Arkin, CEO of 'Let the Animals Live': “We have been working for the protection of animals in Israel for years, operate shelters for homeless animals, emergency systems for the treatment of stray animals in need of medical treatment, and also work to reduce the number of homeless animals. During the war, the problem of stray dogs only worsened, and the Ministry of Agriculture did not provide any answers. Even in times of emergency, we must not forget the helpless animals, who are also harmed. If the Ministry of Agriculture cannot perform its role and help them, even with the budget dedicated to it by law, this is further proof that it cannot be the body responsible for the animal welfare law and their protection in the country.”