Animal Cruelty (Animal Protection) Law, 5754-1994.

This Law comprising 23 articles, aims at providing for prohibiting all forms of cruel treatment against animals in Israel, including (i) torture and any form of abuse; (ii) incitement of one animal against another; (iii) contests between animals; (iv) cut of a live tissue of an animal for cosmetic purposes. The Law also prohibits (i) working with animals not fitting to work; (ii) providing killing poison to animals. A supervisor, in case of the suspect of an offense committed, may (i) enter any place and search therein (art.6); (ii) seize any animal (art.8). Seized animals can be kept and receive care in a shelter and notice is given to the owner, and the animal can be returned to the owner under the conditions provided for in Article 9. Article 10 lists the restrictions on the return of an animal. It is also possible to transfer the ownership if the owner or possessor has not applied for the return of the animal within 20 days from the date on which the notice was given to them (art. 12). As for slaughtering, it shall be carried out without causing unnecessary suffering. Article 14 establishes a fund for animals with the task of coordinating financial means, which will serve education, information, training, and assistance to Animal Protection Organizations and the promotion of this Law. Punishments for the violation of this Law are under Section 68 of Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated version) 5742-19824. This Law shall not apply to (1) Slaughter of animals carried out for food for humans; (2) Experiments on animals carried out under the Cruelty to Animals Law (Animal Experiments), 5754-1994.