Quaranteed again

Apparently a dead fox was found in the area and post mortem tests showed that it was rabid. so for the last few days this Moshav, along with other Moshavim and Kibbutzim in the area have been quaranteed, and all loose dogs [well as many as they can find/catch] have been collected by the Local Authority dog catchers.

One of the loose/stray/un-chipped dogs being a 10-12 month old pure Malamute - and no trace of who owned it or dumped it.

Other dogs who have not been registered as having had the mandatory yearly rabies shot, have also been taken, although they are, from what I understand, at a shelter where they can be claimed - at not only the cost of a rabies shot and microchipping, plus the cost of keeping them until claimed, but also a very large fine for not having followed the necessary laws.

I now have a minor problem. Pereg has her yearly rabies shots and is registered as such. She is also, of course, microchipped. But she is due next week, for her 6-monthly check-up, yearly booster shots, and major blood tests, and I have to get official permission to take her off the Moshav and bring her back.

Sunday evening is the start of Yom Hazikaron - Memorial day for for Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism and although Monday is a normal working day, I would not be able to get a permit before then, and come Monday evening it is the start of Yom HaAtzmaut, Independence Day, so Tuesday is a celebratory holiday where nobody works. Which means the earliest I can get a permit to take Pereg off the Moshav is Wednesday, which will be too late to book a Vet visit..

Yes it can probably wait until the following week, but who knows when the quarantine will be lifted?

And who the heck dumps an un-microchipped 10-12 month old pure Malamute because they do not want it any more?

Bit of a long shot, but I know what a good relationship you have with your vet, ask him if he has any ideas, or maybe he could come to you as the situation is so very unusual.
Poor dogs, I can guess the outcome of their situation

It's appauling isn't it I really despair of some humans.

In 2006 there was a GSD wandering around our place, we both thought it was a locals dog because they are all GSD's and at that time they were let loose at night to go where ever and then locked in during the day.

It latter transpired that this dog was a pregnant female obviously dumped because the owner (Most likely from the city) didn't want the expense of feeding it or looking after the puppies. I'm told she delivered them in the barn of the old semi-derelict farmhouse opposite us.

No one will say what happened to the dog or the puppies and OH gets upset if I ask her about them.

I hope that Pereg will be OK if you have to wait a week or two before going out.

Yes, Ram would come here but Pereg has to go for the blood tests, most of which are done at their mini lab at the surgery and I get the results while I wait. It is only the Pb level and major thyroid tests that have to be done by the outside laboratory, although as we know she is definitely not hypothyroid they only need to check a couple of things now, but I definitely need to know her Pb levels. Plus, of course, I want to have her weighed to see if she has lost even more or has gained any weight. Not that I am worried about her weight now but I need to know and keep a check on it. He could do her yearly booster vax and worm pills here, also do her anal glands, but I really do need her to go to the surgery for all that.

It can wait another week if necessary - I just want it over and done with as usual every 6 months, especially in view of her breaking her streak last week.

What will happen to the dogs that have been rounded up and collected? You know as well as I do. Because the owners of dumped dogs could not care less, which is why they dump them, and far too many people who have kept their dogs but not had the rabies shot, therefore their dogs are not registered as legal, will refuse to pay the very high fines to get their dogs back.

It is, tragically, a throw-away society here. And "throw-away" means driving to the nearest Moshav, Kibbutz, or Army base when they, or their children, are fed up with the cute puppy having grown and needing more care and attention, and chucking the dog out of the car and driving off.

I know , it is horrid isn't it. I am still thinking about that poor little puppy where they were expecting it to grow it's 'man bits'

OK so I mis-spelled "quarantine" and "quarantined" but some stupid idiots cannot read, let alone spell.

There is, so I have been told, a large notice at the main entrance to the Moshav and also at the small entrance at the other end [plus a warning notice on the notice-board across the road on the corner by the macolet, yet I have just had to go out and yell at a couple of youngish men [late 20s early 30s] wandering around with a large off-lead Malinois and an absolutely tiny and very young puppy of indeterminate breed - not only off lead but without even a collar [the Mali was wearing a collar] because the Mali was on the point of coming into the yard and Pereg was making her "go away" bark.

According to them they were just visiting family and fancied a walk around the Moshav, so I asked if they had seen the notice. "Quarantine - quarantine for what?" was the comment, together with the usual "but he only wants to play with your dog".

Surprised her rabies shot is annually Malka. It's bi-annually here in Cyprus. Maybe different vaccine?

*oh and I mis-spelt DAWG and put DAWD yesterday - that's when I discovered you cannot 'edit' titles!

*** editing to say I am reading now that rabies shots for dogs are considered to only be necessary every THREE years?

It says it's one or three years. Why the hell was I told mine was bi-annually?

Hmmm... a word with the vet methinks. The date for her booster was relevant to the problems I had flying her last year.

Poor you Malka - you've got a problem that hopefully us over here will never have to worry about now.

If you phone your vet, wouldn't he come over to give Pereg her vaccine under the circumstances ... worth asking.

Rabies shots here are done yearly and are the equivalent of a dog licence. They [the Ministry of Agriculture I think] used to issue different coloured/shaped tags each year, plus a card, but stopped doing that a few years back, and the rabies shot is just written down and signed on the dog's regular medical card. Not that Vadim has signed Pereg's card since he gave her her first one [and microchipped her] in July 2009 - since then he turns up with the syringe ready - jabs Pereg [as he did Little One], tells me to fill in the date on her card and rushes off! Not that I am arguing as he does not charge me!

However, he has to keep a note of the rabies shots he gives, with the batch number, under the ID number of the owner. Vadim is the Local Authority Vet, not a private vet, as only LA vets give rabies shots.

Anyhow, apart from the Mali and the tiny pup, I have only seen one other dog today - no collar and running loose, and yet Shabbat is usually the only day you see people taking dogs out. So obviously most people are taking this seriously, although I know that very few ever have a rabies shot.

It is strange - if I normally only ever see them on a Shabbat, where on earth are these dogs kept the rest of the time?

He would as he did for Little One for the last few years of her life, also for Pereg until she developed epilepsy, but I have to take her because she has to have her 6-monthly blood tests done. I should be OK taking her though as I will obviously have her medical card with me and she had her last rabies shot on 14 August last year so is well covered. And it will be in a taxi door to door.

Anyhow, she has to be weighed and except for the Pb levels and thyroid panel [which goes to a specialist outside laboratory], all the other blood tests are done at the surgery while I wait. I do not have to wait as Ram would always email them through to me, as he does when he gets the results from the outside laboratory, but it is preferable that I do wait so we can discuss the results - the most important ones being her liver function and kidney function tests.