QUOTE
MITZVA - Rambam Hospital Cat Demonstration + Contact Details
Posted by: "daphne levy" daphnes_jazz@yahoo.com daphnes_jazz
Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:53 pm (PST)
Dear friends,
After a 3-month moratorium time is running out for the cat community living on the Rambam Hospital grounds in Haifa.
Against all reason the courts decided to back a policy of eviction paramount to eradication and rescinded an injunction obtained at the beginning of April 2007 to stay trapping and removal of the cats.
The irony of the matter is that the Ministry of Health's demand to remove the cats referred only to their access to the buildings proper, and it had no objection to the cats being on the open areas of the Hospital. These 90 cats, neutered by volunteers and workers, were fed and managed regularly for years - in stable feeding stations throughout the hospital grounds.
There is a substantial adult to senior cat population (one cat is 17 !!! years old, and there are several 8 and 9 year olds ) The majority of these cats is not adoptable.
Despite the animal welfare group efforts up to date the hospital maintains an adamant stand that it will not tolerate cats on the premises, not only because some of them enter the wards, but mainly because some of their patrons (visitor and clients) dislike the cats or are afraid of them. The hospital also shrugs off any responsibility it has on the deficient state of the buildings and openings in the buildings, and contrary to codes and regulations and (not so common ) common sense - maintains that doors to wards cannot be closed in a working hospital.
They plan therefore to continue trapping and evicting all cats that may enter the grounds now and in the future.
This is sadly a "make or break" case for cats' rights and cat welfare throughout the country since it will establish a precedent legitimizing mass trapping and eviction (that in actuality translates a death warrant for most cats concerned) in any institution that can remotely claim public health issues. It nullifies the achievement of the Bagatz on cat welfare and cat rights and sends the message that the TNR approach does not work. It must be stopped!
Please read the forwarded mail, help if you can, and forward this to as many cat and animal lovers as you can!
Thank you,
Marta
Mad About the Cat
Marta Esterkin Feline Behavior Counselor
Qualifications: "The Cat Welfare Society in Israel"
Environmental Designer
Counseling services at client's home
We refuse to let the cats starve
We object to the continued endangerment of the patients
Join our rally to protest the Rambam Hospital policy of neglect, slovenliness, starvation and eviction, along with the obtuseness of the Peace Court in the Krayot.
On July 15th 2007, the Directory of the Rambam Hospital released an edict prohibiting feeding the cat population living on hospital grounds, as a reaction to cats' entering the Hospital buildings.
This hospital, that does not bother to close doors, windows, trash bin lids or even toxic waste containers on its general grounds, endangers its patients by thus allowing mice, snakes, rats, pigeons - as well as cats - entry to areas that ought to be kept isolated and sterile.
Discontinuing the monitored feeding of these cats, and their deliberate starvation, will result in an increasing number of hungry cats digging into trash bins and risking entry into the medical department buildings and kitchens - whose doors are let wide open at all times in search of sustenance.
Under the Rambam Board of Directors' instructions the starved cats are now being trapped and transferred to the hands of the Municipal Vet. Their removal from the area will create a "vacuum effect" in which, inevitably, other cats, probably un-neutered, will claim the newly vacated grounds creating an escalation of the problem. It is the intention of the hospital to continue trapping and evicting all cats to enter their grounds. The animal welfare organizations cannot offer a solution for all the cats to be trapped and removed from Rambam.
It is impossible to seal the perimeter of the hospital and to empty its grounds of cats. It is however feasible and imperative that all flaws and breaches in the hospital buildings be corrected: screening windows, keeping doors closed, maintaining and repairing roofs and ceilings, all these will make Rambam into the clean, safe and sanitary environment trustworthy of giving medical care to us and our families.
The Honorable Judge Beit-Ner Avital determined that "there are no grounds to delay even by one hour the decision" to remove the cats off the hospital compound. But the Honorable Judge refrained from allowing presentation before the court of the relevant reasons and testimonies as to why this course of action is catastrophic for the hospital, detrimental to the patients in the hospital, exacerbates the problem and is as a solution - ineffective and inhumane.
We demand that Rambam permits resuming feeding of the cats in feeding station located far from the medical departments for our health.
We demand that Rambam immediately stop trapping the neutered cats permanently fed and cared for on its grounds.
We demand that Rambam start working to ensure hygiene and cleanliness on the most elemental levels instead of blaming the cats.
We demand the Courts listen to our say and the evidence we present and rescind its erroneous decision that will cause damage to the patients and suffering and loss of life to the cats.
We invite you to join us in a public event to protest the cruel and negligent policy of Rambam and the imperviousness of the Court that upheld this policy without hearing all the evidence and without examining the true situation on site.
The event will take place in front of the entry gate to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, on Friday, July 27th 2007, at 12:00 AM.
Come join us and please bring cat food a donation for the Rambam cats.
Thank you,
Girgurim Voice of the cats of Israel, Israel Cat Lovers' Society, Haifa SPCA, Let Animals Live - Haifa
How to get there:
Local Haifa buses: #19, #40a, #18, #16.
For those of you coming from out of Haifa: you can reach the Bat Galim Station by bus or train. The Rambam Hospital is a 5 minute walk from there.
We need volunteers and activists to help in the event and in the struggle on behalf of the cats
For more details and for those of you that want to help further, please contact:
Girgurim though our site: www.girgurim.co.il
Revital Verskain: reviver@017.net.il
Israel Cat Lovers' Society cat-lady@bezeqint.net
Avital Weiss: avital.weiss@gmail.com Tel: 052-2-426232
Link to an article on YNet please visit and post your comments!
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3427455,00.html
Posted by: "daphne levy" daphnes_jazz@yahoo.com daphnes_jazz
Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:53 pm (PST)
Dear friends,
After a 3-month moratorium time is running out for the cat community living on the Rambam Hospital grounds in Haifa.
Against all reason the courts decided to back a policy of eviction paramount to eradication and rescinded an injunction obtained at the beginning of April 2007 to stay trapping and removal of the cats.
The irony of the matter is that the Ministry of Health's demand to remove the cats referred only to their access to the buildings proper, and it had no objection to the cats being on the open areas of the Hospital. These 90 cats, neutered by volunteers and workers, were fed and managed regularly for years - in stable feeding stations throughout the hospital grounds.
There is a substantial adult to senior cat population (one cat is 17 !!! years old, and there are several 8 and 9 year olds ) The majority of these cats is not adoptable.
Despite the animal welfare group efforts up to date the hospital maintains an adamant stand that it will not tolerate cats on the premises, not only because some of them enter the wards, but mainly because some of their patrons (visitor and clients) dislike the cats or are afraid of them. The hospital also shrugs off any responsibility it has on the deficient state of the buildings and openings in the buildings, and contrary to codes and regulations and (not so common ) common sense - maintains that doors to wards cannot be closed in a working hospital.
They plan therefore to continue trapping and evicting all cats that may enter the grounds now and in the future.
This is sadly a "make or break" case for cats' rights and cat welfare throughout the country since it will establish a precedent legitimizing mass trapping and eviction (that in actuality translates a death warrant for most cats concerned) in any institution that can remotely claim public health issues. It nullifies the achievement of the Bagatz on cat welfare and cat rights and sends the message that the TNR approach does not work. It must be stopped!
Please read the forwarded mail, help if you can, and forward this to as many cat and animal lovers as you can!
Thank you,
Marta
Mad About the Cat
Marta Esterkin Feline Behavior Counselor
Qualifications: "The Cat Welfare Society in Israel"
Environmental Designer
Counseling services at client's home
We refuse to let the cats starve
We object to the continued endangerment of the patients
Join our rally to protest the Rambam Hospital policy of neglect, slovenliness, starvation and eviction, along with the obtuseness of the Peace Court in the Krayot.
On July 15th 2007, the Directory of the Rambam Hospital released an edict prohibiting feeding the cat population living on hospital grounds, as a reaction to cats' entering the Hospital buildings.
This hospital, that does not bother to close doors, windows, trash bin lids or even toxic waste containers on its general grounds, endangers its patients by thus allowing mice, snakes, rats, pigeons - as well as cats - entry to areas that ought to be kept isolated and sterile.
Discontinuing the monitored feeding of these cats, and their deliberate starvation, will result in an increasing number of hungry cats digging into trash bins and risking entry into the medical department buildings and kitchens - whose doors are let wide open at all times in search of sustenance.
Under the Rambam Board of Directors' instructions the starved cats are now being trapped and transferred to the hands of the Municipal Vet. Their removal from the area will create a "vacuum effect" in which, inevitably, other cats, probably un-neutered, will claim the newly vacated grounds creating an escalation of the problem. It is the intention of the hospital to continue trapping and evicting all cats to enter their grounds. The animal welfare organizations cannot offer a solution for all the cats to be trapped and removed from Rambam.
It is impossible to seal the perimeter of the hospital and to empty its grounds of cats. It is however feasible and imperative that all flaws and breaches in the hospital buildings be corrected: screening windows, keeping doors closed, maintaining and repairing roofs and ceilings, all these will make Rambam into the clean, safe and sanitary environment trustworthy of giving medical care to us and our families.
The Honorable Judge Beit-Ner Avital determined that "there are no grounds to delay even by one hour the decision" to remove the cats off the hospital compound. But the Honorable Judge refrained from allowing presentation before the court of the relevant reasons and testimonies as to why this course of action is catastrophic for the hospital, detrimental to the patients in the hospital, exacerbates the problem and is as a solution - ineffective and inhumane.
We demand that Rambam permits resuming feeding of the cats in feeding station located far from the medical departments for our health.
We demand that Rambam immediately stop trapping the neutered cats permanently fed and cared for on its grounds.
We demand that Rambam start working to ensure hygiene and cleanliness on the most elemental levels instead of blaming the cats.
We demand the Courts listen to our say and the evidence we present and rescind its erroneous decision that will cause damage to the patients and suffering and loss of life to the cats.
We invite you to join us in a public event to protest the cruel and negligent policy of Rambam and the imperviousness of the Court that upheld this policy without hearing all the evidence and without examining the true situation on site.
The event will take place in front of the entry gate to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, on Friday, July 27th 2007, at 12:00 AM.
Come join us and please bring cat food a donation for the Rambam cats.
Thank you,
Girgurim Voice of the cats of Israel, Israel Cat Lovers' Society, Haifa SPCA, Let Animals Live - Haifa
How to get there:
Local Haifa buses: #19, #40a, #18, #16.
For those of you coming from out of Haifa: you can reach the Bat Galim Station by bus or train. The Rambam Hospital is a 5 minute walk from there.
We need volunteers and activists to help in the event and in the struggle on behalf of the cats
For more details and for those of you that want to help further, please contact:
Girgurim though our site: www.girgurim.co.il
Revital Verskain: reviver@017.net.il
Israel Cat Lovers' Society cat-lady@bezeqint.net
Avital Weiss: avital.weiss@gmail.com Tel: 052-2-426232
Link to an article on YNet please visit and post your comments!
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3427455,00.html
