GREAT NEWS! …. Gucci is HOME! Gucci was rescued from the streets of Oman.
This lucky girl, is now a family member of Chris and Syndi Tunberg of Avon, IN, and will be called Sophie. Sophie has a human sister named Aubrey now too who she took to immediately.
Gucci was a little shy at first but pretty soon she was showing off and throwing toys in the air and doing the zoomies. She knew how to turn up the charm and it worked .. within 30 minutes it was a unanimous family YES!! I have no doubt they will give Gucci the structure and patience she will need to continue to flourish.
After spending a good part of the day with us they all left with big smiles for the 4 and a half hour drive home.
This is what dreams are made of. You too can save a life.
My name is Gucci. Actually, “Google” is the name I’ve gone by since my rescue, but coincidentally, another Google arrived at ISDF the same day as me, so “Gucci” it is! I am a young wadi dog girl from Muscat, Oman—so sleek and stylish, with dark eyes and nose and sharp angles—a cream-and-tan Omani sighthound with a sweet American life in my sights!
My life in Oman had a very rough start; in fact, it’s pretty miraculous that I’m here today. I was brought to the vet by a man who found my litter near a school. I was the runt, so much smaller than my sisters or brothers. I was barely hanging onto life and hardly moved—it seemed like my hind legs were both broken or paralyzed. Rescuers from Omani Paws saw me at the clinic, and told me if I could show I had the will to survive by making it through the first week, they would take me on. Faced with this challenge, I only needed a day to prove I deserved a chance. The vet said my legs weren’t broken, but my muscles and bones were very weak.
A kind family agreed to foster me, even though I couldn’t walk and needed help with feeding and toileting. Having patient people who loved me unconditionally proved to be a magic charm. Soon I could stand up to eat and take a few steps on my own. My human foster siblings provided the motivation I needed to get better, and after a couple of months, I had transformed into the most active dog they had ever seen!
My foster mom in Oman had this to say about me: “(Gucci) is a very loving puppy who has lots of energy and loves being outdoors, she enjoys chasing after a ball, is nervous of water and loves to play with other dogs. She loves nothing more than cuddles and attention and likes to snuggle with you on the sofa if she’s allowed. She only pees indoors if she’s very excited and can sit and stay on command. She will need active owners with time for long walks. She sleeps well and doesn’t whine when left. She is always super excited to see you.If at all possible it would be lovely for us to remain in contact with her new owners once she is settled so we can see how happy she is and she how she grows !”
You can see a recent vet report on my leg with all of my photos. X-rays show a healed fracture of my rear left femur, with mild shortening of that leg. I run without any difficulty. The litter of puppies you see in my photos isn’t mine, but even though I’m still a puppy myself, I took on the role of foster mama with no hesitation. My new goal is to become braver when it comes to meeting new people. My journey has been pretty overwhelming, and so many new things at once can make your head swim. I’ll probably always prefer laid-back gatherings to wild parties—I’m a sensitive girl. Having my own, forever family will give me all the confidence I need to come into full bloom; I’ll be your beautiful Omani desert rose.
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Oman occupies the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and possesses many national treasures and vivid landscapes. Oman also has thousands of “wadi dogs” (native street dogs) that can be seen virtually everywhere. The ancestry of Oman’s Wadi dogs is far older than modern European breeds; they share many characteristics with pariah-type dogs like Canaan dogs and with middle-Eastern sighthounds like Salukis.
Although they are social, athletic, beautiful, and intelligent, wadi dogs face the same plight as dogs in many Muslim countries where they are generally viewed as unclean and not fit to be pets. Dog ownership is rare; when dogs are owned, they are commonly used as outside guard dogs and never let inside. Humane animal welfare laws don’t exist in Oman, and police have open license to shoot “any and all” street dogs—this is true for tiny puppies too. Most Omani street dogs do not survive beyond the age of three.
Our rescue partner, Omani Paws, is a group of passionate volunteers working together to improve the lot of street dogs and cats in Oman, and by adopting through ISDF, you can help them fulfill their mission. The wadi dogs we have placed so far have proven to be excellent family dogs; they are social, athletic, intelligent, and very loving towards adults and children alike. Some of these puppies are currently being fostered in households with cats, too.
If you are interested in adopting GUCCI please contact Dawn Trimmel at info@istreetdog.com. You can also find our adoption application here. Your application must be approved before scheduling a meet and greet.