Cat feeders protest in Haifa • Tuesday 14/9/21, starting at 17:00 PM in front of the Haifa City Hall
The protest of the feeders is against the policy of the fines given to them, which they claim do not distinguish between those who feed according to the correct instructions and those who do not fulfill the mitzvah according to the instructions, this is mainly due to a lack of understanding and knowledge on the subject, which is often not accessible to them, the protestors claim.
The organizers of the protest claim that the municipality was instructed to monitor the issue 24/7, there is no day or night for the feeders. According to them, the inspectors ambush them behind cars, behind trash cans, even in the wee hours of the night, even before they have even placed the food at the feeding point.
The feeders, most of whom speak Russian, are adults, and every person in uniform, such as the inspectors, makes them anxious. These are people who spend their little money on food for their beloved cats, and every fine threatens their private plate. The demonstrators are calling on the municipality to provide information in all languages, by all means and not only on social networks and the Internet, so that those who need to know the rules, to be spared heavy fines that really make it difficult for them, do know them.
The organizers also say that the municipality must distinguish whether the system of fines is being used by conflicted neighbors, with the aim of punishing the feeders, and that it must examine each fine individually and not impose a blanket fine on anyone who holds a bag of food.
The demonstrators are calling on the municipality to also give guidance to the city's residents regarding the prohibition of feeding leftovers from home food, which causes damage to all wild animals as well as excess dirt.
The protesters are calling on the municipality to give instructions to the residents about throwing away the garbage bags that are partly thrown near the bins. The protestors claim, rightly, that the little food given to the cats is not an attractive factor for the pigs, but the domestic garbage.
Nir Greenberg, one of the organizers of the protest: "Not only does the Haifa Municipality conduct a failed policy regarding the spaying and neutering of street cats, because of which there are tens of thousands of hungry mouths on the streets and the burden falls on conscientious and compassionate residents, now the Haifa Municipality is showing kindness and instead of embracing those feeders, it pursues them and fines them. There is no limit to the insolence of the municipality. Feeding cats is necessary and allowed. Most of the feeders do this in a measured and orderly manner and they should not be fined for this activity, and there should be no connection between feeding the cats and the pigs. The pigs come to the city for other reasons."
Ella Evin, CEO of "Nach" an umbrella organization of the private limited company: "This is no longer a demonstration, this is the order of the hour! This is the order of solidarity between feeders and carers of community cats, alone, at the expense of their meager funds, at the expense of meager physical and mental strength, which are running out in the face of violent neighbors and the inaction of the police. The senior officials of the municipality chose the feeders to be the scapegoat of their failures in the city and punish for compassion with fines of 730 NIS each, instead of catching household waste throwers and bringing them to justice. This is how the municipality marks one big V in front of the public for "handling" the removal of wild pigs from the city.
R., active and feeding cats: "People take care of cats with great love. They invest the best of their time and money and now they are hounded to the hilt by the municipality's inspectors. Fines are given with a large hand without regard for the humans. Fear rules the streets and the municipality continues to act. It is hard to believe that this is the same municipality that promoted the issue of sterilization in the city so nicely What is the purpose? Haifa is a beautiful city, a quiet and beloved city, such a shame!"
Activist for private equity rights in Haifa: "Thousands of Haifa feeders who for years faithfully feed the community's cats in the summer heat and winter rains, day and night, have literally been persecuted by the Haifa municipality in recent months. Every day we hear about another feeder who has been harmed. For their faithful volunteering, they spend considerable sums of money not only that they do not receive recognition but rather a cruel and often false fine. Elderly pensioners who live on National Insurance are fined NIS 730 for the lone, lovable cat they fed."
It is important for the activists to emphasize that they, the cat lovers and the Noah organization, are not going against the municipality. The protest is against the aggressive policy and without proper explanation that all feeders deserve, regarding the distinction between the feeders and the garbage throwers who are not punished. The protest is about the fact that reports are given that are not fair and then volunteers should be activated to cancel the reports.
According to them, there is a kind of exploitation of the feeders, in order to justify the claims of the large number of pigs in Haifa. "We all know that it is not the feeders and the few grains that are given to the cats that brought and leave the wild pigs in Haifa," they say.
So all these feeders will take the cats home to them, what's the problem?
It is very unfortunate that good people whose intentions are good and whose only sin is a true love of cats and concern for their lack - are persecuted by the city inspectors who make money at their expense. And these people don't just feed the cats. They also pay attention to their condition and health and if they notice an injured or sick cat they take care of its medical care At their expense. And it can reach thousands of shekels for each cat. They are not the bad guy here. Not only that we should stop persecuting them. In my opinion, we should help them as much as possible. Because their welfare is the welfare of the Haifa cats.
The municipal supervision is done blindly and stupidly. They persecute all cat feeders, even those who act very responsibly. Once again the municipality of Haifa reveals the characteristic laxity of its employees' conduct. Instead of serving the resident, sometimes their nefarious activity causes a lot of damage.
When Noah got into the ark he got up with 2 animals of the same kind, the Creator of the world gave animals a life like humans.
What are these poor, helpless street cats to blame, they are hungry, we activists who buy food with our money to feed the street cats should be afraid that we will receive fines? Where is the humanity and compassion we are before Yom Kippur when each person will take stock of his soul.
And it is not allowed for the municipalities to abandon the animals
Changing the entire food web in the city by feeding cats non-stop.
As much as the cats in a crazy city there are places you can't pass because of gangs of cats 40, 50 cats.
These kill birds and reptiles and other mammals...
Once there were frogs, turtles and hedgehogs and various birds in the city... today only cats that attack humans and other domestic animals...
Let them start neutering them and increasing indirectness against those feeders...
Because we have to throw countless bags of rice out of the window so that the cats will smear all over the sidewalk, because when you don't see bacteria then you don't believe in them, and at the same time finance the animal food industries because my middle name is pits.
If God forbid I were an inspector, I would be very ashamed to give a fine to the best people who take care of the environment. I salute the cat feeders. Many of them know what hunger and poverty are and therefore make sure to feed those who don't have it. Many of them are Holocaust survivors. Regarding others, people like to pity people, but when it comes to living, it is difficult for them to pity and understand. Personally, I appreciated Kalish for her humane attitude towards pigs. I don't understand the fines policy and its cruel attitude towards the humane and compassionate among us. She lost me.
This is not compassion! It is Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that is also found in cats and causes toxoplasmosis. (You are welcome to read what this parasite does to humans, and how it affects their behavior!) In addition, why stop at cats? Did you know that cats kill billions of birds and other animals every year in the United States? Do you have any idea what cats do to the stable and migratory bird populations?
You bring destruction to the natural urban fauna with your feeding! Stop it!
Keep feeding. Those who do not have compassion for animals will never understand. We will try to explain logically that animals are miserable and we as humans have to take responsibility.
They walk the streets thin and sick and people keep walking past them as if they were air..help is not a dirty word.
Indeed it is, leave it to the wonderful people who take care of these gentle and intelligent animals. They should be praised and praised!!
If you were a cat they would feed you too. delusional
Stop turning Haifa into a wild jungle of animals breeding out of control because of your feeding.
Enough to feed animals. The animals will take care of themselves. You are not zookeepers or nature reserve managers.
"An enlightened society is measured not only by its relation to human beings, but by its relation to the animals within it" (Mahatma Gandhi)