GREAT NEWS… Haze is HOME. Haze is a rescue from the streets of Jordan. He joined the family of Taylor Widdel and Pat Kraulis of Chicago, IL.
Haze waited a long time and journeyed a long way to find his home – his place in the world but the long journey was worth it. He is enjoying the good life now as a cherished pet. His family is over the moon with him and vice versa.
Thank you to Maha George and Jumana Tagqah for rescuing this sweet boy and working so hard to make his dreams come true. A chance he would never have been granted in his home country of Jordan.
You too can save a life.
#ISDF #ISavedaLife #JordanRescuesRock
My name is Haze, but as ISDF’s first rescue from Jordan, my future’s now clear and bright! I’m a handsome Canaan dog mix, the progeny of ancient Middle Eastern pariah dog lines and of at least one recent import to Jordan, most likely a Labrador Retriever. Although I’m a young guy, about three, you’ll see an old and beautiful soul when you look into my deep brown eyes.
I was born and spent my hardscrabble youth on the the streets of Amman, Jordan’s capital and largest city. Most days, just staying alive was an overwhelming task. When a kind student found me and my friend Diesel hiding in her garden in January, we were just skin and bones and scars. My good-natured personality impressed our rescuer, a devoted animal advocate named Maha, and she was amazed that I had taught myself such nice manners on my own. Maha couldn’t stand the thought of any more harm coming to us, so she brought us to a boarding facility to keep us safe. Along with her friend Jumani, Maha worked hard to find local adopters, and although we’re now in great health—neutered, vaccinated, and parasite free—no one wanted us here. But fate smiled upon Diesel and me again when Maha found a way to send us to the United States! Now, through Maha’s new partnership with ISDF, we’re sure to find wonderful families and homes.
My life at the boarding facility is the best it’s ever been, but I’ve been told it’s soon going to be so much better! For the first time in my life, I’ve been getting fed regularly, and I love every food that I’ve gotten to try! I haven’t shown any food aggression, and I’m very appreciative of anything that comes my way. I always calm quickly during my daily 30-minute exercise sessions, and I’m not a big barker or whiner. I’m a motivated student, and have learned many commands and how to walk on a leash. While I still have much to discover about life as a family dog, Maha’s confident I’ll handle it with aplomb. I do great meeting people of all ages and I have lots of fun playing with other dogs. I haven’t had a chance to meet cats yet, so for that, we’ll have to wait and see. At heart, I’m a well-balanced, good-looking, all-around super dog, as sweet as the Middle Eastern treat halva. I’m excited to get my first taste of American apple pie!
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Jordan is the most welcoming country to refugees in the entire Middle East, but very inhospitable to its own dogs. Amman was a site of human settlement as far back as 7250 B.C., and dogs have likely lived here in uneasy coexistance for just as long. The great prophet Mohammad and founder of Islam was said to have advocated kindness towards all animals, but for centuries now, religion has been used to label dogs as unclean, as vermin instead of as a friend to man. Street dogs have never been safe here, and this past fall, the situation worsened dramatically after the death of a toddler from untreated rabies. In his radio-broadcasted response to the little girl’s death, Jordan’s highest religious authority, the Grand Mufti, stated that it is justified to kill an attacking dog. Misinterpretation of the Grand Mufti’s statement as a religious fatwa calling for the death of all dogs, no matter how friendly, led to a deluge of killings by snipers, mass poisonings, and bludgeoning of any and all dogs found on the street. Thousands of dogs have been slaughtered, and all dogs on the street suffer from violence and neglect, their lives at great risk. Although some wealthy Arabs now buy expensive “purebred” dogs as status symbols and for protection, and more European and American expats keep dogs as pets (often to abandon them when they leave the country), far fewer people are willing to adopt puppies from the street. Mixed adult dogs like Diesel and Haze are seen as unworthy of any kindness, and Jordan’s volunteer animal advocates face an almost insurmountable battle in finding them homes. Partnering with ISDF will unite a lucky handful of dogs with American families while focusing light on the many threats Jordan’s dogs face.
If you are interested in adopting HAZE, please contact Dawn Trimmel at info@istreetdog.com. You can also find our adoption application here.