Photo by Holly Stein

“Tel Avivians love fashion. They’ve got the look, they’ve got the walk, and if they’re the real deal, they’re equipped with the most important accessory of all: their dogs.” As one of the first anecdotes I heard about Tel Aviv nearly six years ago, this statement seems to get progressively truer. Dogs are morphing into Tel Aviv’s savviest companions, a walking designer purse oozing with debilitating cuteness that is taking over the city’s walkways. Just as people used to define themselves according to the brand of their jeans, today it’s the brand of their four-legged companion. Have trouble landing dates? Your dog can be your own personal wingman, drooling silently and endearingly on the cute girl who just can’t resist giving a hearty pat. Yes, it’s official. Dogs are cool, and people who have dogs are cool by default.           

Assuming you’ve been convinced, we now move into obtaining a canine best friend of your very own. While it’s true that spanking new designer things are always fun to flaunt, anyone who’s anyone knows that what’s really cool is vintage. In the dog market, vintage comes in the form of the Dog Pound, and specifically the Tel Aviv Municipal Dog Pound, located near Sde Dov on 1 Shai Agnon St. Run by a group of hardworking volunteers dedicated to giving each and every dog a good home, the pound is put on the backburner of issues deemed more pressing by the municipality. Consequently, as told to me by one of the pound’s most dedicated volunteers, the dogs are those that bear the brunt. The volunteers assist in walking them and bestowing essential TLC, but their limited numbers often can’t keep up with the demand. In addition, stray dogs are often caught from the street and taken to much less sympathetic establishments.

 Dana Spector, an avid dog lover, has been volunteering at the pound for three years and has dedicated much of her life to putting a stop to the unprecedented cruelty inflicted on our closest companions right under our noses. Animal welfare activists recently succeeded in disabling the longstanding guard dog policy at Sde Dov Air Force Base, in which discarded dogs were strategically placed along the fence, tied to a short cable and with a meager doghouse as their shelter. An active participant and initiator of this process, Dana stressed to me the importance of adopting dogs that are otherwise neglected and forgotten. That is where you, potential dog owner, come into play.

On the first Friday of every month, the Pound holds an open house at which the dogs are on display for all to ogle and fall in love with. If that doesn’t work for you, the Pound is also open every day between 8 am - 3pm, and you can meet them and even take one home for a “trial period”. Each dog is cleaned and cared for by the Ppound’s resident Doolittle, veterinarian Dr. Holtzman, so they’re all ready and waiting for you to come take them to their new home.

As we’ve established, dogs are cool. Saving lives is most definitely cool. If you combine the two, you are guaranteed a top spot in most undeniably hip spots in the country. So get out there, save a life, and enjoy your newfound fashion statement.

For more information, visit www.homedog.co.il