An animal rights organization has filed a legal petition demanding that the Israel Nature and Parks Authority stop shooting stray dogs in and around nature reserves. According to data obtained by the group, approximately 1,300 stray dogs were killed in 2025, up from 794 in 2024. The organization argues that the practice is cruel and violates existing animal protection laws.

The petition, submitted to the Jerusalem District Court, claims that the authority's procedure for handling feral dogs contradicts Israel's Animal Cruelty Law, rabies regulations, and previous High Court rulings requiring non-lethal measures to be exhausted before euthanasia. The group maintains that any killing must receive approval from a government veterinarian or be justified by clear conservation needs.

The legal action follows a recent incident at the Zikim training base in which around 30 dogs were killed. The organization has urged the authority to adopt non-lethal alternatives, such as capturing and transferring dogs to municipal shelters, and to halt shootings until the procedure is revised. It also argues that mass killing does not effectively prevent rabies or reduce stray dog populations.