Two horses kept in severe neglect were rescued from a facility in Kiryat Ata and transferred to a protected facility run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The horses were found extremely thin, suffering from injuries, health problems, and significant psychological distress.
The operation was carried out by inspectors from the Northern District of the Central Enforcement and Investigations Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture, together with veterinary service inspectors from the Western Galilee, the municipal veterinarian of Kiryat Ata, and Israel Police officers.
Over the past two months, several inspections were conducted at the facility, during which the owner was given a detailed list of violations and requirements for correction. A follow-up inspection found that the violations had not been corrected and the horses remained in poor conditions.
During the raid, inspectors found minimal water in dirty, contaminated water containers in the stalls, and the horses had no available food. In addition, the door of one stall was completely stuck and surrounded by compressed padding—a finding that inspectors said indicates the horse had not left the stall for a long time.
After the rescue, the horses were transferred to a protected facility where they are receiving veterinary care, appropriate feeding, and physical and psychological rehabilitation. The Ministry of Agriculture is considering opening legal proceedings and a criminal investigation against the owner on suspicion of violating animal welfare laws.
Moshe Ahrak, director of the Central Enforcement and Investigations Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture, said: “Keeping animals in deplorable conditions while ignoring the law’s directives and warnings from professional authorities is a serious offense that we view with great severity. Ministry inspectors will continue to act decisively at all times and in all places to prevent suffering to animals, rescue them from neglect sites, and bring those responsible to justice.”