Yardena is the Dog Whisperer of Mitzpe Ramon.
There are many domestic animals that live around town, many of them are homeless or abandoned. The cats pretty much take care of themselves, but the dogs are another matter, since they depend on humans for food, water, affection and shelter. Mitzpe Ramon does not seem to have an animal control officer, and one friend told me that once when he was bitten by a cat, it was his responsibility to watch the animal and make sure it didn't develop Rabies.
There are people who put food out for the animals and some even throw their edible garbage on the ground for them near the public waste containers. Needless to say, this can make for a third-world feel to Mitzpe Ramon. Because the town is so isolated, some unfortunate animals are brought here to be abandoned by their uncaring owners.
Yardena takes care of as many of these homeless and abandoned animals as she can. She takes them into her home, cares for them, feeds them, and provides medical attention, all from her own personal resources. She has a vet come from Tel Aviv every other week and pays him to take care of the sick and injured. Many is the day she spends with him while he is performing surgery on the injured. She takes photos of these animals and advertises them for adoption, in the mean time taking care of them herself.
Yardena, her daughter Alin, and one of their charges at the CafeNeto
Recently, a bitch had a litter of two puppies near our house. They were very cute when small, not so cute as they grew up in the streets. Pam says one was adopted, but Yardena told me he died in her house from Distemper diesease, the most common killer of homeless puppies. That left one sadly abandoned female, who is oddly and intermittently taken care of. She sleeps in the park outside our house and plays with the odd piece of trash. Even we started feeling sorry for her, giving her food and water. I guess I can't blame the animal feeders anymore.
Abandoned dog of Mitzpe Ramon