Cutting to the Chase

By Tali Lavie

May 10, 2006

	Dr. Sarah Levine, clinic vet, with clients Photo: Eli Atias

Many states in the U.S. are passing laws making spaying and neutering of animals mandatory. In Israel, the overpopulation of homeless animals grows constantly and a legal solution has yet to be found. Tali Lavie writes of the importance of these procedures, about Hakol Chai's mobile spay/neuter clinic, and about a positive sign in the form of MP Rabbi Michael Melchior.

In the past, walking the streets of Tel Aviv was a simple act for me, with known results. This changed radically the moment I began to learn a bit about the world of street animals, and my eyes were opened. Now I see homeless animals everywhere. I cannot avoid the looks of terrified cats crossing a busy road in panic. Against my will, I think each cat I pass is in constant distress, and fear she may be thirsty, hungry, sick, or injured. I can't help but ask myself, time and time again, when a solution will be found to help these animals who struggle daily to survive on the streets.

In the U.S. county of Santa Cruz, people grew tired of animals wandering the streets, and of the mass euthanasia of animals no one was willing to adopt. They took a measure some may call radical: laws were enacted in each and every town in the county requiring all pet owners to neuter or spay their animals, with the exception of licensed breeders. The result, the press reported, is a decline of about 30% in the euthanasia rate for homeless animals.

Santa Cruz isn't the only place where spaying and neutering is required by law. In various U.S. cities, among them New York, Los Angeles, and Saint Louis, laws mandate it, and laws also limit breeding and give economic incentives to those who alter dogs and cats. In 25 states in the U.S., the law requires that an animal adopted from a shelter be spayed or neutered.

In Israel, there has been no legislation in this area, and therefore, people do as they see fit. Many of the people who get in touch with Hakol Chai's mobile clinic to make an appointment for spaying or neutering their companion animal do so only after the dog or cat has given birth, because they think "it is healthier for a dog to give birth once before being sterilized," or "the animal should be allowed to experience motherhood," and so on. These outdated beliefs perpetuate the proliferation of dogs and cats and the plight of homeless animals.

At the same time, in recent years, there are more and more responsible people who treat animals based on a true understanding of their world. The mobile clinic's team becomes acquainted with these people and their unique stories. Clinic manager Yafit Bar saw what Kibbutz Sasa does for the welfare of street cats. A month ago, a member of the kibbutz contacted her and told her about some 50 unaltered cats roaming the kibbutz and quickly growing in number. In the past, a surgery project was held on the kibbutz, but because many cats in the area were not operated on, they continued to reproduce.

Thanks to the resourcefulness of the kibbutz member and with the help of the kibbutz, money was raised for a comprehensive cat sterilization project. The kibbutz member even prepared suitable cages in advance for the cats to rest in after the surgery and inquired about how to help them recuperate.

When everything was ready, the project's results depended solely on the success of catching the cats. When the time finally came, there were great concerns because it was raining and the cats had "gone undercover." In accordance with the staff's recommendations, the cats were not given anything to eat for several hours before rounding them up. As a result, luring them with food proved effective, and to everyone's delight, 35 of them were successfully caught, operated on, and vaccinated.

The unique story of "D", living on a kibbutz in the south of Israel, reached our ears last week. "D" is an avid animal lover who takes into her home any neglected pet she finds. When word spread that she adopts abandoned animals, more and more were left on her doorstep.

Because of the large number of animals she has, she and her husband arranged bowls with water and food for the cats and dogs, and also prepared a sleeping area for them in an old factory building near the kibbutz. They regularly alter, vaccinate, and care for the animals. "D" and her husband are retired and live on the kibbutz. In order that the animals they care for will be able to enjoy a good quality of life, they collect blankets and other donations for them. The mobile clinic decided to help "D", too.

	MP Melchior with Hakol Chai director, Yadin Elam

Early in the morning, the team began catching the cats. Next, the animals were operated on and vaccinated. After the animals' recovered in the mobile clinic, "D"'s husband moved them to a shaded room built especially for that purpose. Many animals owe their lives and welfare to responsible people of this kind. The problem is that as long as neutering and spaying of cats and dogs is done bit by bit, it will be impossible to significantly reduce the number of homeless animals. A Tel Aviv University study (Hebrew) on the subject of street cats found that only if 75% of street cats in a specific area are spayed and neutered at one time, and only if this practice is repeated every few months, can their numbers be reduced.

There is no doubt that the state of Israel's animals is sad. The encouraging news of the week is the appointment of MP rabbi Michael Melchior as chairperson of the Knesset's Education Committee. The committee promotes subjects related to the Animal Protection Law. A day earlier, when he came to sign the petition against gambling on horse racing, MP Melchior visited Hakol Chai's mobile clinic and learned about spaying and neutering.

In light of his high awareness of animal-related issues, I am hopeful that painful matters such as homeless animals will receive appropriate attention in the near future. As for us animal lovers wherever we may be, as long as there is no legislation that offers incentives for spaying and neutering, or that compels shelters and municipal pounds to alter animals before they are adopted out, we must continue to try to inform, convince, and distribute the clear message about the importance of these operations.

Article reprinted courtesy of NRG.