LIFE IN ISRAEL
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F.911),AY,.PQVST 26;
ehovot — Not only are
most Israelis going on
vacation this summer
— so are their pets.
By now, indeed, Israel
boasts several dozen "hotels"
where animals can be placed
by owners who are vacation-
ing or who for some other
reason — perhaps their apart-
ment is being renovated — re-
quire temporary accommoda-
tion for their pets.
While much less expensive
than the Hilton, the Hyatt or
the Sheraton, these "hotels"
are by no means cheap. They
charge between $6 and $12 a
day for each four-footed guest,
in return for which the
animal receives a steady
supply of food (suited to his or
her individual taste), an airy
"room," a sun porch and
regular exercise.
Providing proper care for an
animal, even at his owner's
home, doesn't come cheap. For
example, keeping a middle-
sized dog like an Irish setter
costs something like $100 a
month, about 10 percent of a
middle-class Israeli's take-
home pay. And owners with
spare cash or exotic tastes can
spend a lot more by patroniz-
ing one of Tel Aviv's doggy
delicatessens or beauty
parlors for dogs. In that case,
they may wish to protect their
investment by taking out an
insurance policy on their
canine companions, now
available from a local
company.
Not all possessors of pets
are willing or able to provide
proper conditions for their
animals, whom they expect to
live on scraps and do without
medical care. Yet, according to
Rehovot veterinarian Asher
Meshorer, this attitude is
becoming less common as
Israelis learn to be responsi-
ble owners of dogs and other
pets.
Ten or 15 years ago,
Meshorer recalls, when the
country's total pet population
was only a fraction of its pre-
sent size, almost all the peo-
ple who brought animals to
his clinic for treatment were
from English-speaking coun-
tries or from Central Europe.
Now, in contrast, about one-
third are from Arab countries
and some are even Orthodox
Jews — despite proverbial
hostility of the observant to
animals in general and dogs
in particular.
Meshorer attributes the
growth in pet ownership to in-
creasing Westernization and,
of course, to higher living
standards. He admits that
keeping-up-with-the-Cohens
snobbery may also play a role,
particularly when people pur-
chase expensive, pedigreed
animals. But he nevertheless
believes that most Israelis
keep pets because of the
warmth and love owners
receive from their furry
companions.
Israel's pet population, like
its human population, comes
from around the world. This
is clear from the fact that the
country boasts not only a na-
tional kennel club, but also
individual clubs for the
owners of, among others,
cocker spaniels, poodles, col-
lies, German shepherds, box-
ers, St. Bernards, terriers,
Doberman pinschers, schnau-
zers; Great Danes, Rott-
weilers and sheepdogs.
Keeping an Irish
setter costs 10
percent of a
middle-class
Israeli's take-home
pay.
One thing that bothers
those without dogs — and the
more responsible owners of
canines — is the prevalence of
dog droppings on Israeli
sidewalks. There are
municipal ordinances against
pet owners who fail to clean
up after their animals, but
they are difficult to enforce
because fines can only be im-
posed if an inspector actual-
ly nails the violator at the
precise moment that his
canine is depositing its bodi-
ly wastes on a public pathway.
This is not a problem in
Arab areas because Israeli
Arabs, who have adopted .
many Jewish fads and
fashions, have so far not
taken to raising pets. Only
the Beduin own a significant
number of dogs, and they are
kept for strictly utilitarian
reasons — to stand guard and
help with the herding of
sheep.
Program Draws
African Leaders
Jerusalem — The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem's
Martin Buber Institute for
Adult Education is hosting a
group of 34 community
leaders from developing na-
tions, mostly African, who are
participating in an Interna-
tional Seminar on Modern
Agriculture and Community
Development in the Land of
the Bible.
Countries of origin of the
participants are Cameroon,
Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria,
Malawi, Uganda, Liberia,
Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Haiti,
Tanzania, the Philippines,
South Korea, India, El
Salvador and Swaziland.
Peres Marks
65th Birthday
Jerusalem (JTA) — Foreign
Minister Shimon Peres mark-
ed his 65th birthday, Aug. 16,
at a surprise birthday party
thrown by his old friend,
Jerusalem Mayor Teddy
Kollek.
Kollek, who was Peres'
friend and colleague under
Prime Minister David Ben-
Gurion, staged the celebra-
tion at a cafe in a Jerusalem
suburb where the two men
were touring.
G. Fein blatt/Media
SPECIALIZING IN
Sarah Dormon and Tim Severin reach Jerusalem after retracing the
route of the First Crusade. The pair began in May 1987 at the French-
Belgian border and entered Israel via Jordan and the Allenby Bridge.