My name is Julie! I’m an absolutely lovely 8-month Desi puppy from India, and I just got my lucky break! My human friend Jyoti, a wonderful animal advocate and foster mom to many dogs, was in the midst of last-minute preparations to send her last 11 foster dogs to the U.S. when she got a call that one of them, Cookie, had run away from the foster home. Cookie had never run away before, and Jyoti was heartbroken, since the flight to Chicago was the next day and couldn’t be rescheduled. Cookie missed her chance to find an American home, but as her understudy, I jumped into her role of “pretty dog excited to find her forever family.” Jyoti’s friends kept up the search for Cookie after we left.
Within a few days of arrival, we got good news! Cookie had been found safe and sound! It turned out she hadn’t run away at all, but had been kidnapped by a young caretaker from Cookie’s foster house. He was mad that Jyoti was giving up her lease, now that her remaining fosters were leaving for America, and that he would no longer have a job as a result. He’d thought kidnapping Cookie for ransom would help him recoup his loss, but Cookie was found before any money was paid. Quite a story, but India is full of stories such as these.
Back to me! I am a playful girl with a sweet, friendly temperament, and I can’t wait to explore my new world with you by my side. I’ve been practicing all of the important stuff like walking on a leash, pottyimg outside, and learning to chill in my crate. All my vaccinations are up to date, I’m spayed, and my microchip in is place. And I can’t help pointing out, that few pups have better spots or a more charmingly curled tail than me! I promise that I am easy to please, and I’ll do my best to please you! I want to make Jyoti and Cookie proud.
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Desi (day-see) dogs live on the city and village streets of India, with an estimated 400,000 in the capital Delhi, alone. Also called Indies, Indian Native Dogs, or pariah dogs, these dogs have changed little over thousands of years. Desi dogs are highly intelligent, alert, good-looking, athletic, and full of character. Many urban desi dogs have recent European breed ancestry too, along with sighthound sleekness and speed.
While most street dogs experience indifference at best, some neighbors and business owners look after their community dogs. Delhi’s extreme weather (cold winters, sweltering summers, thick smog, and monsoons), dangerous traffic, disease, human violence, and attacks from other dogs, ensure that most desi puppies die before reaching adulthood. It’s a great irony that increasing numbers of status-conscious Indians are buying expensive and ill-suited foreign breed dogs, while more resilient and regal-looking native Indian dogs often have to travel internationally to find willing adoptive homes. Most of the desi dogs that ISDF places could not survive on Indian streets due to early orphaning or injury, or have been rescued from especially threatening situations.
If you are interested in adopting JULIE, 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.