Rehovot SPA

The Rehovot Society for the Protection of Animals is an independent non-profit organization that was founded in the early 1970s and has been operating continuously since 1984. The organization follows a no-kill policy: we resort to euthanasia of homeless animals only in extreme cases, to prevent unnecessary suffering. We provide temporary shelter to hundreds of abandoned animals and work to find them new homes.

The Rehovot SPA is associated with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, UK (click on the picture for a larger image)

RSPA was created and is run by volunteers, who carry out a large part of the organization’s activities. Daily care for the dogs is provided by three salaried employees.RSPA’s dog shelter is the only such facility in a large part of central Israel, spanning from Beer-Sheva to Rishon Lezion.We’ve gone a long way since we first started out with 15 dogs housed in a temporary structure:
	Our rescue vehicle, a gift from RSPCA (click on the picture for a larger image)
In 1997, we moved to our current spacious premises provided by the Rehovot municipality;currently, the shelter is home to more than 100 dogs, with some 15 new dogs arriving every week. All the dogs in the shelter are vaccinated against rabies, and all the female dogs are spayed.
	The veterinary clinic bears the name of our late Vice President S. Klug, UK (click on the picture for a larger image)
In addition to caring for homeless animals, we engage in educational activities in local schools and in a dedicated education facility on the premises of our shelter. Our main goals are to promote awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering and to prevent cruelty to animals. RSPA’s major sources of income are donations, fees charged for dogs we give away for adoption and a small revenue from our new veterinary clinic, which provides all services to the public at a 30% discount. We also receive support from the Rehovot municipality and from the Ministry of the Environment. Still, our expenses exceed our income, and we operate at a monthly deficit of NIS 15,000. In early 2003 we ran into severe financial difficulties – with the economic slump leading to fewer donations, and a drop in the number of people able to adopt animals. Fortunately, we managed to pull out of the crisis and are extremely grateful to all those who helped us out. We are now determined to create a permanent financial basis for our continued activity. RSPA is a registered charity in Israel (registration number: 58-008-898-7), all donations are tax deductible. There is also a possibility of making tax deductible donations from the United States via PEF Israel Endowment Fund. Future projects, on hold due to lack of funds, include: · Expansion of kennels · Construction of an isolation ward for sick animals · Special facilities for puppies · Cat shelter · New educational projects · Upgrading of our clinic Meet our staff and some of our volunteers

Sharon Levinger, shelter manager
Dr. Baruch Meshorer, vet, RSPA chairman and one of its founders in the 1970s (volunteer)	Vera Santar, a driving force behind RSPA since the 1980s (volunteer)