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Dog of the Month
Taki
Taki is still waiting for a home. He's been wasted in a cage for years. He has heaps of love to give. And no one has it.
Taki is a loving dog. He is willing to lie down all day and just be petted.
He cuddles, surrenders, closes his eyes. The closeness and caresses comfort him. In these moments he is relaxed and sweet.
Taki is very friendly to people, walks well on a leash. Around other dogs he doesn't know, he barks, and gets along less well. He is in a cage with an old friend.
Taki is 5 years old, looking for a loving home, who will also know how to behave around dogs he doesn't know. Hugs and cuddles guaranteed.
Taki participates in the #Fostering_for_Adoption project and will be happy to go to a home that would be interested in him to check for compatibility.
About Our Organization
The “Gag LaChayot” (Roof for Animals) Association was founded in May 1989 by an extraordinary woman, the late Ruth Woltschensky. Ruth had a vision to build a shelter for abandoned animals in Holon. We, who continue her path, did everything we could to fulfill that vision, and in 2012 we opened the most beautiful and thoughtfully designed shelter in the country.
Great care and consideration went into planning the facility in order to give abandoned animals the best possible environment. The kennels are very large and spacious, each with its own balcony as well as access to a large shared exercise yard.
In 2014, we opened a veterinary clinic on-site, staffed by veterinarians working with advanced, modern equipment, providing full medical care for the animals.
At Gag LaChayot, we accept and care for every dog or cat who arrives, without discrimination based on size, color, age, or medical condition. The association does not euthanize animals. Any dog or cat who is not adopted will remain with us until their final day.
The organization gives priority to individuals with special needs and at-risk youth, and creates joint programs with associations that support these communities.
Ruth Woltschensky (1917–1996)
Ruth was born on September 9, 1917, in Königsberg, Germany. After immigrating to Israel, she served in the British Army and later in the Israel Defense Forces. Ruth studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and later at the State Teachers’ Seminary for Crafts, where she trained to become a crafts teacher in elementary schools. She never married and did not have children.
Ruth dedicated her life to supporting at-risk children from disadvantaged families and to saving the lives of thousands of abandoned animals.
In 1989, she founded the “Gag LaChayot” Association and served as its head until the day she passed away. Throughout those years, she fought tirelessly to establish an animal shelter in Holon.
Ruth loved animals — a love so powerful that she gave up everything for it. She gave up luxuries such as new clothes, essential appliances, trips, and sometimes even good food — all so that animals would have a roof over their heads, proper nutrition, and veterinary care.
There were days when 30 dogs or more lived in Ruth’s home alongside her. After every time she left her house, she would return to find yet another abandoned dog someone had left in her yard. Her home was open 24 hours a day. At any moment, you could arrive with a dog or cat you had found on the street. She never once refused to take in an abandoned animal. The neighbors complained, and municipal inspectors were sent to threaten her — but none of it caused her to give up.
Ruth had only one dream: to build a shelter for abandoned animals in Holon. She dreamed that one day there would be a home for all those dogs and cats that no one loved. When she realized she would not live to see her dream fulfilled, she asked it of us — and in her memory, we made it come true.
Ilan Shmaya, RIP (1958–2023)
Chairman of the Association, 2014–2023
Ilan was born in Bat Yam in 1958. He grew up in a tough neighborhood. Many of his friends drifted into crime, but he did not want to follow that path. Instead, he turned for help to his beloved teacher, Ruth Woltshansky, founder of the “Gag LaChayot” Association. Ruth played a crucial role in his life. She made sure he was accepted into the kibbutz and distanced from negative influences. She provided him with pocket money when he came home on leave from the army, and she adopted him like a mother.
Ilan happily enlisted in his beloved Golani Brigade and remained a combat reservist until his final day. As Ruth grew older, Ilan increasingly took upon himself the care of the animals. At Ruth’s home, a group of four people came together and committed themselves to establishing an animal shelter in Holon—Ruth’s great dream.
After 20 years of struggle with the municipality, we succeeded in building the most impressive kennel facility in the country. By the time it was established, Ruth was no longer alive to see the place built in her memory. It was important to Ilan to advance the shelter and to employ people with disabilities. He wanted to set a personal example for youth—that it is possible to leave a world of crime and become productive, contributing members of society. He always preferred to help those who truly needed help.
Ilan was not merely a chairman; he was deeply involved in every aspect of the association’s activities. He fixed anything that broke, built new cages even when it was difficult, and never complained. He gave and gave. Whenever we faced financial hardship, he contributed his own money—modestly and quietly. He vowed to himself that he would never allow the association to fall.
Ilan Shmaya, father of seven, a rare individual with a broad smile and a kind heart. We will do everything not to disappoint you.
