Cities bite dog owners

The veterinary service is giving owners 30 days to comply with the laws, warning that if they do not they will lose their animals and be fined up to NIS 10,000.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY
Kfar Saba and Ra'anana have begun a campaign to enforce dog laws in the two cities, with Kfar Saba inspectors fining more than 50 people in public parks and gardens within the space of a few days for not collecting their pets' droppings or for letting their dogs roam free, reports local.co.il. And the two cities' joint veterinary service is warning that the owners of dangerous dogs must comply with the law or risk confiscation of their pets and fines of up to NIS 10,000. According to the report, Kfar Saba recently raised the amount of its fine for letting dogs run free or for not collecting droppings to NIS 660. Owners whose dogs are caught roaming will also be charged transportation and daily housing fees until they collect their pets. In addition, the animals will be given a rabies vaccination, for which the owners will also be charged. A municipal spokesman said the phenomenon of dogs running loose and droppings being left in every public park is an environmental hazard that harms the quality of life for residents, and the city instructed municipal inspectors to "operate without compromise" against offenders. In addition, the joint veterinary service has launched a campaign to enforce the laws governing the eight species of dogs classified as dangerous: American Staffordshire terriers ("Amstaffs"), Staffordshire bull terriers ("English staffs"), bull terriers, pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Argentine Dogos (Argentinean mastiffs), Brazilian Filas (Brazilian mastiffs) and Japanese Tosas. According to the law, owners of any dog of these species must be over the age of 18, must spay or neuter the animal when it reaches six months of age, keep the animal muzzled and on a short leash when out in public, and keep the animal in a fenced, locked yard with a sign saying, "Caution: Dangerous Dog," posted outside. The veterinary service is giving owners 30 days to comply with the laws, warning that if they do not they will lose their animals and be fined up to NIS 10,000.