Harry now named Theo needs a new home. Harry was adopted when he was just 5 months old and now he is 1 year and 4 months. He is a gorgeous dog that looks like a golden retriever mix who weighs approximately 45 pounds. He was returned to ISDF last week due to a reason outside his control. His former mom is pregnant and will have a baby any day now. Although Theo is great with people and other dogs he is a bit reactive when strangers enter the home and his parents felt he would be best in a new home. Here is Theo’s rescue story – thanks for reading.
My name is Theo! I am a sweet and friendly Wadi dog puppy from Muscat, Oman. I arrived in Chicago on June 16 2018 to find my forever family and home. I am a really good dog with lots of love to give.
We were born in a very high-risk location—within a gated community where posh people don’t want dogs around and will call the police to have us shot. One of the residents who was friendly towards us, overheard another on her phone with the police, requesting that all of the dogs living on the community’s grounds be killed. Our friend urgently contacted Omani Paws and soon volunteers arrived to rescue us. Sadly, our mama and three of our other siblings were too shy to catch. The same week that we were rescued, four of our aunt and uncle dogs were killed. In the weeks since, I’m sure many more have met their cruel end as well, maybe even what was left of our little family.
The four of us friendly and more outgoing pups were brought to a boarding facility. Most potential fosterers and adopters were already leaving town for the hot summer. We’ve been thanking out lucky stars for this opportunity live safe and loving lives. We puppies have lots to learn about house dog manners and behavior, but we are eager and motivated to make our new person or people proud!
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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.
Oman is an Arab country in the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It has wonderful national treasure and vivid landscapes. Oman also has thousands of “wadi dogs” (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, and when they are owned, dogs are usually not allowed in the house. Pets are viewed more commonly as guard dogs who roam the outside vicinity of the property.
Humane animal welfare laws don’t exist in Oman, and, worse yet, police have open rights to shoot “any and all” street dogs—this is true for tiny puppies too. There is no requirement that the dogs have to be a nuisance or sick; rather, they will be killed just for having the unfortunate luck of being born on the streets in Oman. If a gunshot does not kill them, wasi dogs die young from disease, starvation, abuse, auto accidents, and Oman’s extreme heat. Of the street dogs that survive into adulthood, few make it past the age of three.
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If you are interested in adopting Theo, 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.