Yesterday [Saturday] being Shabbat, is the only day certain dogs are taken out. Either dragging their owners if they are on a leash [more likely a piece of thin rope] or just running loose. Never see them on any other day although sometimes [rarely] someone takes their Dobe out very late in the evening. Dobes seem to be the "in" breed for mid-late 20s at the moment, as there is a new one, still with its cropped ears bandaged, but I have not seen the others - they seem to have vanished. Apart from the one that used to get loose and race up and down the road whenever it could, they are always out on a leash. Tikva does not like loose dogs coming into the yard. OK so it is not fenced so I cannot stop them, but neither can their owners control them. Yesterday about midday she started her "go away" barking - and there was a massive black/lightly flecked with grey I-do-not-know-what breed, if any. All I know is that I had never seen it before so I just screamed at it to go away and it did - following a group of maybe half a dozen people who were way up the road before I could get out to see them. Not before it left a huge poo in the middle of my path which I had to clear up. Tikki was really unsettled and was then barking at anyone coming anywhere near, so in the end I brought her in and closed the door - and she would not stop barking at the slightest noise outside. No vehicles, obviously, because it was Shabbat, but plenty of people walking around visiting family and friends, but even with the door closed she barked at any noise. When she finally quietened and asked to go out for a pee, the bdooly dog appeared again and set her off again. This time the owner was with it but still had no leash or control, and just turned and laughed at me for yelling it to go away. He went past my neighbour's bungalow and down the tractor path at the side of it and the dog eventually followed him. I know I cannot stop loose dogs from coming into my yard and it would be impossible for it to be fenced, but why oh why do people have large dogs that they only take out once a week, and why oh why do they mostly not leash them and have no control over them whatsoever. I must state that these young men are not the type to have large dogs to make them look "hard" - and I know that there are some dogs on the Moshav that are used as guard dogs, but the ones I see are definitely not used as guard dogs. Tikva was so distressed yesterday and I was pee'd off for being laughed at. Tikva is very small compared to a dog that size, and remembering when Pereg was attacked by a stray dog coming into the yard and leaving a large hole in her shoulder which needed stapling, the thought of little Tikki being hurt is the biggest nightmare ever.
Is there no law over there like we do over here that all dogs must be on lead when on public highway.
Tina, the law in Israel is that all dogs must wear collars with tags stating their address, plus be leashed when outside the home. They must also have had a current rabies shot. I do not know if it is compulsory for a dog to be microchipped, but if they are it will be registered under the owner's ID number, as is the yearly rabies shot. But - too many people do not bother, especially on a semi-private Moshav such as this one. It is not a public highway and on Shabbat and all Holy Days the gates are closed so there is no traffic, although it is possible to get access via the tractor paths which lead onto the main roads. Not that that usually happens but people can and do use the tractor paths but leave their vehicles before actually getting onto the Moshav. Same as people do leaving their vehicles outside the gates and just walking in. Or Moshav members who want to go into town or somewhere to visit relatives but know they cannot drive on the Moshav on Shabbat so park their cars outside the gates so they can walk down to them if they want. Actually the gates are closed each night - I think from 11pm - not that there is more than the odd car even earlier than that. Which has nothing to do with dogs like the one yesterday. The owner had no control whatsoever over his dog. I doubt it would have hurt Tikva although it could probably have gotten her head in its mouth, but my little Tikki moves like lightning and shot in before it got too close, albeit screaming her head off. And boy, can she be noisy. I just do not want loose dogs, whether with their owners or not, who have probably never been vaccinated or treated for fleas and ticks let alone this new Park worm, spreading their diseases to little Tikva.
Not to mention the large poop on your driveway! I can understand dogs bring allowed a little freedom on the day when the moshav gates have been secured, but not their being allowed to soil someone else's property. Sheer bad manners.
Not a driveway Carole but my ramp/path, the only way I can onto the pavement with either my lecci chair or my scooters. But even when the gates are closed the tractor paths are not, and because the agricultural fields are extensive it is only the gates either end of the "main" long road that can be closed. The Moshav is not totally enclosed. Anyhow, pick up your dog's poo? I remember some years ago when I had gone to the macolet with Lexi, the one I call Little One - and I had left her outside tied to the mobility scooter I had then while I went in on my crutches. Came out and she had done a very small poo next to my scooter so I just picked it up with a plastic bag and a small child yelled "Mommy - she has just picked up a doggy's poo".
