Dog'Gone Days of Summer; Donny Welcoming a Dog?

I’ve been thinking about getting a dog. It has been 10 years since my first dog made aliyah to “doggy heaven”. Pepe was simply an amazing dog.

Partly life and movement and traversing the globe has stopped me from bringing another dog into my life and my home. Partly fear of the commitment necessary. And partly the fear that the dog will not live up to my high expectations set by precedent when I adopted Pepe.

But I am seeking the company and camaraderie. I LOVE dogs and take care of, walk, and hang out with my friends’ dogs and even approach strangers often to talk about their dogs and meet them. It helps in this case if you’re an attractive brunette.

I am much more settled in my life and traveling minimally these days and expect this to remain the case. I love walking around my new city Rehovot and taking my time getting to the beach, relaxing there, and then taking my time getting home. I am never in a rush these days and besides an occasional long stride gallop to catch an alighting bus my life is cool and calm.

And recently I visited the Rehovot Animal Shelter where more than 150 animals are in kennels and awaiting good homes. I never tell people to donate to causes but if you’re an animal lover this is a place always in the need and run by a caring and dedicated staff on shoestrings.

As reported recently by United With Israel the Israeli home pet and animal care industry is growing at a tremendous rate. Yet, despite this growth in service and product availability, the awareness of responsibility--financial and time--required to care for any animal, is a serious, often decade-long, commitment.

So, according to my friends the availability of better foods, better accessories, better veterinarian care has taken serious strides the past too many are still abandoning animals or not treating them as required by law and required by common decency, or my friend taught me: “tzar ba’leh chaim” which is a prohibition against the “suffering of living creatures”.

Too often I see dogs outside and tied up in extreme heat or barking incessantly and clearly under duress or roaming the streets dangerously and far too many likely without immunizations or proper basic hygiene or care.

The kennels are full and my heart is steering me back to one white pup I with whom I recently visited.