Not So Pleasant Journey of Uzbeki Puppies to Their New Israel Homes

"A decision yesterday by the Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court could perhaps spell joy for 32 puppies who landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport last week from Uzbekistan. Following a week of distress, the puppies are now at the Beit Dagan veterinary hospital, where they are finally receiving the treatment and care they require.

Animal welfare organizations are currently breathing a sigh of relief. The threat of the puppies' deportation back to Uzbekistan has passed, for now, following a dramatic campaign waged by the Let the Animals Live association. On Tuesday night, the puppies were on board a plane that was about to leave for Uzbekistan after the Agriculture Ministry's Veterinary Services refused to allow them into the country. However, an injunction issued by the Rehovot Magistrate's Court prevented the dogs' deportation, with the court upholding Let the Animals Live's argument that most would not survive the flight.

Yesterday, Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court judge Eitan Orenstein decided to extend the injunction until the beginning of next week, in keeping with an agreement reached between the parties involved in the puppy affair.Since the beginning of the year, Hod Hasharon businessman Yaakov Zeidenberg has imported thoroughbred puppies from Uzbekistan five times. The puppies are cheap in Uzbekistan, but fetch a high price in Israel. Zeidenberg's latest batch included 38 puppies of various breeds, six of whom perished over the past few days at Ben-Gurion's Maman cargo bay, where they were being held."

These puppies were at the Maman cargo bay for five days, and we don't have suitable conditions to keep them here," said Nehama Ronen, former director general of the Environment Ministry and current chair of the Maman board of directors. "When I hear the Agriculture Ministry veterinarians say they were given the appropriate care, it angers me. A veterinarian on behalf of the Agriculture Ministry came by only once, had a quick look at the dogs, and then left. They started to receive proper care only after I called in veterinarian Dr. Yuval Samuel from SOS Animals"...

...Veterinary Services officials, however, were not happy with Ronen's actions, charging that she had put the public's health at risk and threatening to open an inquiry against her. On Tuesday afternoon, Veterinary Services officials raided the clinic of Dr. Samuel in Kfar Sava and confiscated the puppies, taking them directly to Ben-Gurion Airport and putting them on a plane bound for Uzbekistan.

At the same time, Let the Animals Live urgently sought an injunction that would allow the puppies to remain in Israel. Close to midnight, Rehovot Magistrate's Court judge Gideon Barak upheld the animal-rights group's request and ordered that the puppies be transferred to an animal quarantine center in Ramle. Yesterday morning, they were moved to the Beit Dagan animal hospital."

They are now in the most suitable place for them; they are being cared for and there is no need to move them anywhere else," Let the Animals Live founder and spokesperson Eti Altman said yesterday.""

Source: Yuval Azoulay. Uzbeki puppies get extended reprieve. Haaretz.com (7 April 2005) [FullText]