By RUTH EGLASH
The AHAVA animal rescue organization will team up with LEAN, the association for the prevention of youth violence, for the Lag B'Omer festival Saturday night to prevent people from throwing stray animals on bonfires.
Volunteers for AHAVA said this was the first year the organization will run patrols to try and stop this abuse, which, they say, has become a growing trend over recent years.
"We kept the news about these ghastly acts a secret for many years for fear it would give ideas to others who torture animals," said Tamara More, spokeswoman for AHAVA.
"But if a child is capable of throwing an animal onto a bonfire, it's only a matter of time until he hurts another human being." The two organizations are looking for volunteers with cars to assist them this weekend in patrolling bonfires, preventing stray cats and dogs from being hurt on Lag B'Omer. For further information, call (09) 958-8833.