Animal lovers are incensed over the wanton abandonment of pets by residents of the Greater Tel Aviv area who fled in panic for safer parts after the first Scud missile attacks last month.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Let The Animals Live society report a sudden increase in the number of stray dogs and cats. It has tripled from some 40 to 50 to more than 150 a week since the missiles began falling, the societies said.
“Fainthearted owners fled to save their own skins, without a thought for the pets they claimed to love,” an animal protection volunteer said.
The area around Sde Dov Airport in northern Tel Aviv, where flights leave for Eilat, is filled with abandoned vehicles and dogs.
“We’ve found some dogs tied up outside empty houses. Others have been let loose on the roads leading out of town or in public parks,” a society member said.
Hundreds of stray dogs have been killed on the highways. Many are so emaciated that they have to be put to sleep.
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