City Notes: Agriculture Ministry issues rabies warning against adopting stray dogs

A round-up of local affairs.

By COMPILEDTAMARA ZIEVE
Sderot’s water and sewage upgrade. (photo credit: SDEROT MUNICIPALITY)
Sderot’s water and sewage upgrade.
(photo credit: SDEROT MUNICIPALITY)
NORTH
The Agriculture Ministry has called on the public not to take in stray dogs, following recent rabies cases in Israel.
One such case involved a stray that could have exposed hundreds of thousands of people to rabies during Lag Ba’omer celebrations in Meron.
A Holon resident found the dog near the Idra Raba cave and brought it to his home in the Center; he then noticed the pet’s behavior had changed and put it up for adoption via the NGO SOS Animals in Herzliya. The dog was taken to a veterinary clinic for examination, but died two hours later; its corpse was sent to the rabies laboratory at the Agriculture Ministry’s veterinary institute, where the rabies was discovered.
A second case of rabies was uncovered in a three-month-old puppy found at Adamit Park in the Western Galilee. The puppy was taken to a home and subsequently stayed in various places, where it was in contact with other dogs and cats. It was then put in quarantine in Haifa; after its death, rabies was confirmed.
The authorities have called on anyone who had contact with the rabid dogs to urgently get in touch with one of the health bureaus; parents are asked to check whether children have been in contact with suspicious animals.
The veterinary institute is conducting an investigation to identify animals that came into contact with the two dogs, while the Health Ministry is treating people who came into contact with them. The institute urged people considering dog adoption to do so through local authorities and NGOs, where they monitor the animals’ health, and vaccinate and microchip them before putting them up for adoption.
1 killed, 5 hurt in head-on collision on Road 71
An approximately 40-year-old man was killed and five others were injured in a head-on collision between two vehicles on Road 71 on Sunday; the accident occurred between Kibbutz Tel Yosef and Shata Prison.
Magen David Adom paramedics arrived to find the man unconscious, with serious multisystem injuries; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
An eight-year-old girl was among the injured and was evacuated to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, where she was found to be in stable condition with a cut on her forehead. Two other children were also lightly injured, and were taken to Afula’s Emek Medical Center. Afula firefighters rescued three passengers trapped in their vehicles.
Traffic examiners were investigating the cause of the accident.
Haifa holds annual pre-Shavuot wine and cheese festival
Ahead of Shavuot last week, Haifa held its 11th First Fruits wine and cheese-tasting festival in the downtown area. The event was hosted by Andre Suidan, owner and operator of the Special Reserve Wine Shop in the Panorama shopping center.
Dozens of boutique wineries from all over Israel, alongside cheese, honey, olive oil and chocolate manufacturers and confectioners, presented and sold their products and conducted training sessions.
Experts in Israeli wine and gastronomy also delivered a series of lectures, with new vintages launched by vineyards such as Lueria, Odem Mountain and Domaine Netofa.
CENTER
Man pulled from water at Tel Aviv beach
A 23-year-old man was pulled out of the ocean by rescue services on Saturday night after being submerged for hours.
MDA paramedics pronounced him dead after he was brought to shore by rescue crews just before 11 p.m.
1 injured when car overturns
A 26-year-old man was injured after his car overturned near Savyon junction Sunday night. He received medical treatment at the scene before being admitted to Tel Hashomer’s Sheba Medical Center.
Holon pizzeria owner arrested for drugging police officers’ slices
The owner of a Holon pizzeria was arrested last week for allegedly putting illegal drugs on the pizza he made for police officers. The officers who ate the slices became ill and were evacuated for treatment to the hospital. Under interrogation, the suspect – who is in his late 20s – confessed to the act, police said.
The Walla news site reported that the drug sprinkled on the pie was the synthetic cannabinoid known as Mr. Nice Guy. The suspect improbably said he thought he had a free hand to put on the drug topping. “I knew the police ordered the pizza, but the officer [who placed the order] sounded laid-back on the phone and told me to add whatever toppings I felt like – so instead of oregano, I sprinkled on some Nice Guy,” Walla quoted him as saying after his arrest.
The Tel Aviv Magistrates’ Court remanded the suspect in custody for four days. Police said due to the gravity of the incident, it intends to act with a heavy hand and will cooperate with other government authorities to investigate the restaurant.
SOUTH
Police discover bodies of parents, son in apparent Arad murder-suicide
Police in the Negev town of Arad discovered the bodies of a couple and their son last weekend, in what authorities believe to be a murder-suicide.
Investigators at the scene reported a detailed letter apparently left by the parents, in which they explained their desire to end their son’s life as an act of mercy in light of what they described as “a serious illness.”
Beersheba police detain 2 in suspected hit-and-run
Beersheba police detain 2 in suspected hit-and-run Beersheba police arrested two youths on Sunday on suspicion of having hit two motorcyclists on Road 25, then driving on. The motorcyclists, two men in their 40s, were taken to the city’s Soroka University Medical Center in moderate condition.
Roadblocks were set up following reports to Southern District police, with officers sent to search for the suspected vehicle. The two suspects, residents of Ofakim in their 20s, were found standing by their car some 2 km. from the scene of the accident. They initially denied any involvement, but later connected themselves to the accident; they were then detained and taken to the Beersheba police station.
Sewage and water upgrade under way in Sderot
A restoration project kicked off last week to upgrade the water and sewage infrastructure in Sderot’s older neighborhoods, after years in which residents of these neighborhoods suffered sewage system blockages, leaks and other problems.
The project will cost an estimated NIS 24 million, funded by the Water Authority and Sewage Administration.
“For many years, residents of the older neighborhoods complained about the issue,” Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi said. “As soon as I took office, it was clear to me there were a number of cardinal issues I must take care of as soon as possible – and upgrading the water and sewage infrastructure in these neighborhoods was one of them.” He thus ordered the municipality’s engineering department to prepare a work plan for the infrastructure upgrade, and they returned with a comprehensive plan for 2015-2017; as part of the plan, main sewage pipes are being laid down in a number of neighborhoods.
City engineer Yoav Lapidot emphasized that the project is labor-intensive and complex, and will require time and patience from the residents. “This is just the beginning; later, we will replace all the water and sanitation infrastructure in each of the city’s older neighborhoods.
Naturally, the work will cause inconvenience, and we apologize for this in advance.”


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