Hundreds of abandoned dogs living in garbage-filled landfill in Arad
SPCA: "This level of neglect has gone on for many years. We should not have reached this point."
By AARON REICHDogs are seen eating food from volunteers in a landfill in Arad.(photo credit: VIPDESIGN.CO.IL)Warning, the video shown at the end of this article may be disturbing to watch for some.Hundreds of abandoned, stray dogs are living amid horrible conditions in an arid garbage-filled landfill in Arad, a town in southern Israel, with thousands more living in the surrounding areas.The situation first came to light when a video began circulating online showing volunteers giving dry food to dozens of abandoned dogs in the landfill.However, when the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel (SPCA) sent representatives to Arad to investigate, they found the situation to be far worse than expected, with the amount of dogs living in the landfill numbering in the hundreds.The issue of stray dogs in the Israeli south is nothing new. According to a 2017 study by Humane Society International, Israel has over 33,000 stray dogs, with a majority of them living in predominantly Bedouin areas in the south of the country, Haaretz reported.However, the situation has gotten worse in recent years."Hundreds of dogs live in the city's landfill, thousands more live in the area across the Bedouin sector and the situation is getting worse," local veterinarian Dr. Yana Carroll told the SPCA."I was shocked to see the number of dogs in the landfill and to know that hundreds of thousands of dogs are still around," SPCA's Gadi Wittner said in a statement."This level of neglect has gone on for many years. We should not have reached this point."The conditions the dogs live in are very unhealthy, with mothers nursing dozens of puppies covered in ticks, and dogs with scars and still bleeding injuries from territorial battles over every small scrap of food they are able to find in the garbage.The SPCA called on the government to work to end this "cycle of pain," and to formulate a plan."For such a program to work, government agencies must work together," Wittner explained."We call upon Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel and Agriculture Minister Alon Schuster to formulate and implement a real and urgent plan of action in a coordinated, professional and rapid manner."He also called on Tal Gilboa – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's adviser on animal affairs, who visited the landfill a few months ago – and Blue and White MK Miki Haimovich – who is very outspoken about animal rights – to work on the issue and promote a humane plan of action alongside the other institutions to prevent further suffering.The plan cannot be to simply feed the dogs, he explained, as this leads to more breeding, which could make the situation worse. Rather, the SPCA calls for the formation of a long-term plan that would include several essential components. These include sterilization and neutering efforts; vaccinations; rescuing puppies that can be brought for adoption; and a comprehensive educational program for Bedouin communities, as well as for other residents of the South, regarding animal rights and a means of enforcing the laws.According to Wittner, the consequences of not doing so could be dire.Hundreds of abandoned dogs living in Arad landfill (credit: vipdesign.co.il)"A major disaster, [such as] disease [and] the destruction of nature and the environment may result, and in the meantime, more puppies are added to the cycle of pain, and end their lives with great suffering," Wittner said.
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