"Dereliction of responsibility": Letter to the Chief of Staff reveals euthanasia of dogs and puppies at IDF bases
The animal welfare organization "Let the Animals Live" sent a scathing letter to Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and the Chief Medical Officer, revealing cases of stray dogs and cats being euthanized at IDF bases instead of being transferred to quarantine and rehabilitation. The letter describes an incident at Camp Noam where a female dog was shot with a tranquilizer dart and euthanized, a puppy was transferred to the organization in critical condition, and another puppy was abandoned.
The animal welfare organization "Let the Animals Live" sent a scathing letter to Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and the Chief Medical Officer Brig. Gen. Zivan Aviad, exposing a grim and cruel reality at IDF bases. The organization's CEO, Yael Arkin, accused the military of a "complete dereliction of responsibility" regarding the treatment of stray animals on its premises. According to the organization, for several months, reports have been flowing in from soldiers, parents of soldiers, and military sources, describing injured and sick dogs and cats that do not receive adequate medical care. Worse, in the absence of a valid contract between the IDF and quarantine facilities, animals are captured and euthanized directly on base grounds, without being given a chance for rehabilitation or adoption. As an example, an incident from August 19, 2026, at Camp Noam in the Jordan Valley was described: a female dog was shot with a tranquilizer dart and euthanized on site, one puppy was transferred to the organization in critical condition, and a second puppy was abandoned and not located. Arkin emphasized that this conduct contradicts IDF Chief of Staff orders, which require transferring animals to quarantine stations, and constitutes a violation of the Animal Cruelty Law and High Court rulings stating that euthanasia should be a last resort.