Hi – My name is Txuri – pronounced “Churri” – it’s Spanish for “white” as I am a dreamy cream color. I am from Jordan and will be arriving on 12/12/18. I am 11 months old, spayed, micro-chipped and current on vaccinations. I am full grown at just 35 pounds. Although I am from Jordan where Arabic is spoken my first foster mom was Spanish and hence my name.
Here is my story.
I was rescued from the streets of Jordan by a lovely lady named Collette Linton. I was a young pup and life on the streets was very scary. I was thin and malnourished – I was just clinging to life. One day my savior Collette appeared and she took me to the vet to be treated and I was shown kindness for the very first time. I began to feel better day by day and eventually was taken to a foster home. How I wish I could have stayed there… I had a K-9 sibling who I had wonderful adventures with and I enjoyed my walks and cuddle time on the couch. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep me but tells me a wonderful family awaits in the US. I trust her and believe her… .although I was very sad to say goodbye to her at the airport. I will admit I am a bit frightened but hopefully all that will change very soon.
My foster mom from Jordan says my favorite thing is to cuddle with my humans followed by walks and playing with toys with my K-9 friend. My favorite games are tug of war and fetch. I have basic obedience down and have even mastered “Marhaba” – Arabian word for handshake. I have great house manners and am left to free roam during day when foster mom is out. She tells me I have great house manners and no destructive habits. I am fully potty trained. I will be quite chill if I get adequate exercise. Honestly, I just want to please you. I am a smart girl and will learn new rules quickly. Please give me a chance.
I will be fostered with Dawn in Wadsworth, IL upon my arrival. Please come and meet me. You will fall in love and I will return your love 1000 times.
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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 Txuri 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 Txuri, please contact Dawn at info@istreetdog.com. You can also find our adoption application here.