Haifa dog pound found to be in substandard state

Dogs arrive at the pound after being caught roaming unleashed by municipal inspectors, or after being seized for suspected rabies.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Dogs held at the Haifa city pound are being kept in sub-standard conditions, with large animals held in small cages and many of the enclosures constantly wet from flooded rainwater, reports the Hebrew weekly Yediot Haifa. And while the municipality agrees that the facilities are inadequate, it says it would take NIS 2 million to bring them up to standard. According to the report, the pound is divided into three buildings: one for small dogs, one for large dogs, and one for cats. Dogs arrive at the pound after being caught roaming unleashed by municipal inspectors, or after being seized for suspected rabies or after being involved in an attack. Animal rights organizations said it was well known that the buildings were old and did not meet modern demands, and that they suffered from a lack of ventilation, light and proper drainage, resulting in regular flooding in winter. "The conditions that exist today in the city pound … are not acceptable to us," a spokeswoman for the Let the Animals Live organization said. "If this was happening in our organization or in any other similar organization in Israel, they would close us down immediately and fine us." A municipal spokesman said it was true that the buildings were old and "unsuitable," and the city had asked the Ministry for Environmental Protection for funding for renovations, which would cost an estimated NIS 2 million. He did not say whether any response had been received. The spokesman said the city did pump out flooded water, and when an area was wet the animals were transferred to other shelters temporarily. He added that while the pound was not "a boarding kennel or a zoo," the animals did receive the best possible care, with the city cleaning them of parasites, feeding them "premium" food and checking them for diseases.