Around five years ago our lives changed. My husband and I were visiting one of the rescue organisations like we usually do to donate supplies such as food and cleaning products. I still remember every time we were there, we noticed the number of dogs kept increasing especially adult dogs. It was really heart-breaking, so we decided to foster.
Read other Human + Dog Stories here.
How we met our golden girl
We spoke to the volunteer, and she said that there is one dog who isn’t doing well in the shelter. It would be best for her to be in a home. That’s when we met Nala, a one-year-old golden girl! This is where the journey began, and our lives changed forever.
But it wasn’t an easy journey with Nala. We are certain that someone else would have returned her to the shelter. But we fell in love with her and only wanted the best for her. So, we decided that Nala belongs with our little family, and we adopted her six months later. We never regret the decision.
Then our boy came along
After almost a year of adopting Nala, we met Naji through another rescuer. Naji was stuck at the vet for almost a month. He was rescued from Al Quoz with a massive cut on his shoulder. We really liked him from the moment we met him and decided to foster him. I remember – we thought Nala can have a friend and Naji can finally get a break from the vet.
Nala is very selective when it comes to dogs, but the best part was when Naji entered our garden Nala welcomed him with love, lots of sniffing and wanted to play right away. It was a sign that Naji was the one for Nala and us. Two weeks later we adopted him. The rest is history!
Goofy, happy love of our lives
Nala and Naji are the goofy, happy love of our lives. Nala’s signature high-pitch bark when seeking for attention is so cute. At these times, she only looks at us sideway and barks. Another funny thing about her is whenever we get home and she is excited, she grabs one of shoes and runs to the garden so we can chase after her. And when she makes funny sounds while stretching or rubbing herself on the sofa, we know Nala is having a happy day.
While Naji is food driven. To get a treat he does all the tricks he has learned, not just the one we cued but all of them together for a treat; it’s so hilarious. Naji gets super aroused and chases Nala when we tickle him. By the way, Naji can speak, he barks at cue, it’s not always in our favour but it’s so darn cute.
Inspiring us everyday
Our dogs have made us better dog guardians. We have learned to be more patient; we have learned better training approaches using science-based methods. Importantly, we have learned about healthy diets, and we learned to appreciate the little things in life. The list goes on. There is so much one can learn from an animal when you keep an open mind. It is truly an unconditional love!
In the words of Suad Khalil, hooman of Nala & Naji, Nunu & Nola (rabbits) and Pepper, Max & Mila (cats); owner of Nom Nom UAE
