Apr 16, 2017
Adopted by Schott Family – August 3, 2011 – Besance, France
This is the story of Nazgol who has touched us all and will always have a special place in our hearts.
Her story began on a horrific night-at about 2 am-when the sound of gunshots broke her solemn slumber… She was shot in the shoulder, and subsequent shots took the lives of two of her innocent puppies right in front of her terrified eyes.
Recalling the events of that horrible night still pain our hearts to this day.
Nazgol had no choice but to instinctively flee, only to return 48 hours later, weakened, injured and in severe pain, to nurse her five remaining pups.
Mr. Namini, who for some time had been feeding Nazgol and her pups, contacted us, and Vafa’s rescue team was immediately dispatched to save Nazgol’s life.
That very same day, Nazgol underwent a surgical procedure under the capable hands of Dr. Abedi, and was moved to Vafa’s quarantine house in Tehran at the time.
Although Nazgol was under intensive care, due to the physical and mental trauma that she had suffered and endured, she first started bleeding internally and then went into a coma.
Nazgol remained in coma for the next eleven days; and her recovery really began once she finally came out of her coma.
A little while later, she traveled to Shiraz, and became roommates with Honey, D.J., Shazdeh, Pasha, Oscar, and Borna for the next eight months.
She was then brought back to Tehran and was cared for by Mr. Shafayi for a few nights before our dearest Janet graciously accompanied her to Germany to unite her with the most beautiful soul on earth, our dear Homa.
Upon her arrival, it was determined that it was necessary for her to undergo yet another surgery. Thanks to Homa’s financial support and her love and care, Nazgol was finally saved!!!
And now…
In full health, Nazgol, lives a royal life with Homa in France. Frequent travels, daily walks, and being the boss of the house are now the only things that occupy Nazgol’s happy and healthy mind.
We thank all of you who helped us and lent a loving hand through Nazgol’s journey.
Neda Mahmoodi
and here is a few words from Nazgol forever loving mom:
I vividly remember the first time I saw her pictures on Vafa’s Facebook page and how injured and bloody she was! In that very first minute, I decided to help save this injured mom and to give her and her unborn pups a chance at a good life.
As time passed, and through pictures and tidbits of news about her, my fondness and attachment to her grew stronger.
Since I already had a big dog named Benj (which I rescued), two cats, and a guinea pig, I didn’t intend to keep her, and I focused entirely on bringing her here and finding her a good home and a loving and caring permanent family.
Finally, Nazgol arrived… What an extraordinary and exciting day…!
As you may already know, I ended up adopting her, and she is now my girl. We named her Myrtille.
She loves her long daily walks and excursions regardless of whether I am up to it or ill with fever… Myrtille simply accepts no excuses!
We all love her dearly and a very strong bond exists between us already. Even the cats love and adore her.
We are very pleased that she is in a better environment now and is getting all the TLC she requires and that’s thanks to all the beautiful people’s efforts to get her to us here in France
Homa Schott
Apr 16, 2017
Adopted by Mazloomi Family – Jan 1, 2012 – Vancouver, Canada
I was about 4-weeks old when I was dropped off at the shelter. A very kind family (Khachatourians) offered to foster me while I get vaccinated. Within a few days of my arrival at their home, I was sick with Parvo.
Parvo is pretty common in puppies who have not been vaccinated in time, and they usually have a 50/50 chance of survival. They took such good care of me, and with help of their vet, I gained my health within 2 weeks and I turned in to that happy playful puppy. I got to spend 2 months with them, until a kind family who live canada saw my picture and contacted Vafa team to adopt me…and before long, they came to Iran and took me with them! …and here’s how the rest of the story was told by my new family:
Optimus Prime (then Tobi) happy beginning story.I don’t remember much from when I was younger. I was separated from my mom and my other siblings at a very young age. Born on streets of Iran, my life was not easy. I remember that a very nice person took me to Vafa Animal shelter. From there, I was put into foster care with a wonderful family who took great care of me while I recovered from my life on the streets. I remember when one day in October my foster parents were taking pictures and videos of me playing (I showed off my cutest face). I didn’t know at the time, but those pictures and videos were being put online for someone to adopt me. A short while after, a family from Canada started to become interested in adopting me.
They came to visit me in December in my foster home in Iran. In the 3 weeks that they were there, they visited me 2 times and showered me with gifts, love and TREATS! They even brought this big rectangular box. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was the kennel that I had to travel back to Canada in. The night that they were leaving, I was taken to the airport to meet up with them. The next thing I knew, I was onto a new life. When I arrived in the airport at Canada, everything was new. As soon as we got to my new home, my new sister took me out on what was called a walk. I had no idea what it was for, because in Iran I usually went to the bathroom in the back yard.
At first, I could not walk up and down the stairs. Everything and everyone terrified me. Everything was so new and foreign to me. It has been a month that I have been living with my forever family. They have been patient with me and have signed me up for obedience classes and daycare to socialize with other dogs. I get lots of treats, playtime and walks. But most of all, I get so much sleep that I snore every night. My new life is going great! I am almost five months old, and this is truly a happy beginning.
Tobi (now Optimus)
Apr 16, 2017
Fostered/Adopted on Nov 23, 2011 – Stephenie James – Vallejo, California
On November 23, 2011, I picked up Yasha in order to foster him over the long Thanksgiving holiday. By November 24 (Thanksgiving Day), I had decided to keep him. He was such a cute wiggly puppy! I renamed him Indiana (like Indiana Jones) since he had already been on such an incredible adventure in his short life. My parents, who despair of every having grandchildren from me, even adopted Indy as their grand-puppy.
Since I work full time, I decided to enroll Indy into a doggie daycare center so that he could play and socialize with other dogs during the day. The daycare center is awesome and he is so excited on the days he gets to go. We also signed up for puppy training classes so that Indy could learn basic manners. He is so food motivated and easy to train! He will do anything for a “cookie”. I couldn’t have asked for a better dog. AND he graduates in 2 weeks.
At home, Indy has made fast friends with my 2 year old male Siamese cat, Dexter. They love to wrestle and play together. It’s amazing to watch them play, even though Dexter usually wins the wrestling match! He’s a tough kitty.
Indiana is such a joy to have. He still has a cute wiggle butt when he gets excited and loves to go up to everyone to say “hi” and get some love. He loves to chase tennis balls, play tug-of-war, and play in the sprinkler. I recently took him to the beach and he had so much fun playing tag with the incoming waves and digging in the sand! At home, he loves to pull soft blankets or pillows off the couch and bed so that he can cuddle up with them on the floor. I’ve nicknamed him my “Chenille” dog.
It’s fitting that I got Indiana for Thanksgiving, because I couldn’t be more grateful to all of the people who helped bring darling Yasha over. He was a sweet puppy and is growing up to be an awesome dog. You all worked together to give him a chance at a better life and I promise that we are going to make the most of it.
With Thanks and Much Love
Stephanie and Indiana – then Yasha
Apr 16, 2017
Adopted on Jan 08, 2012 – Archer Family
When Opal first came to us on January 8, 2012, she was a very shy girl. After the first month she adjusted to our schedule and routines beautifully. Nothing better than living with two old retired folks.
Every morning she greets the day with a good stretch and a patrol around the property. She then likes to watch me feed the goldfish in our fish pond. She tilts her head to the side and watches the fish gather in a group, wagging their fish tails in anticipation of food.
Then it is time to go get the newspaper at the bottom of our hill. I love how she bows down with her legs straight in front of her when my husband Tom puts her easy walk harness on her.
When she is all hooked up she shimmies from head to tail and is ready to go. She shimmies whenever she is excited. Tom, Opal and our cat Shasta walk down the dirt driveway that goes to our neighbors homes, then down a dirt path to the mailbox at the bottom of the hill. When they return we all have breakfast.
After breakfast, Tom and Opal walk up our paved road foe 1 1/2 miles. They are often joined by our neighbors two chocolate labs and a boxer mix named Pablo. Opal loves her walks and is super good on leash. She is also quite the huntress. Occasionally she has pounced on golpher holes and has caught a few golphers and moles.
She also shows alot of interest toward squirrels, but because she is on leash she has not caught any yet. In the afternoon Opal takes a ride with me to pick up my granddaughter Amber, from school in Sebastopol. She likes to ride in my little Yaris. Its just the right size and easy to get in and out of. We take Amber (she is 18 Yrs old) home and usually visit for a short time and Opal plays with Ambers 9 month old puppy Nova, and older dog Daisy (who is the same age as Opal).
If my daughter and granddaughter visit on the weekend, they bring their dogs to play with Opal. They love to run around the yard. Nova is a big fan of ball chasing and Opal is learning from her. Opal has started to chase the ball but has quite figured out how to bring it back. She is playing more and even has a small stuffed toy that squeeks when chewed in the right spot. She keeps this close by her bed.
Opal used to leap up and run from the room whenever I swept the floor. She was also very uncomfortable whenever I worked in the garden with the hose or a rake. I know that she had a bad experience with a dog hating gardener in Iran, so I try to be very sensitive to her fears. If I have to sweep, I leave the front door open so she can go outside if she wants.
She usually sits just outside the door and watches me , then comes back inside when I am finished.
Opal has become very territorial. She patrols the yard now and barks if anyone is walking or bicycling by on the road.
We live in a remote wooded area and don’t have a lot of people traffic. On weekends we do occasionally have bicycle touring groups going up our road. Sometimes there are as many as 50 – 100 bicyclists. Opal will stand up on the bank in our yard and look down on the road as the bicyclists go by and barks. She has become very protective at night which is fine with us as we like to know when someone is out there on the road. She has a deep bark, very impressive. When I tell her that’s enough, she stops.
If the weather is not too stormy we all (cat included) go for a short walk down the driveway, in the late afternoon. I have noticed one interesting change in Opals eyes. Her pupils were very small and narrow when she first came to us. Now I’ve noticed her pupils are larger and rounder over all. Interesting. The other day she was sitting by herself on the back deck looking around at her domain, seemingly very content and looking very regal.
I believe Opal is happy with her new forever family, and we are blessed to have her in our lives. Through all her past pains and uncertainty, she has shown a resilience that is noble. I am so glad that there are kind and generous people in Iran and Vafa who made this all possible. The angels are smiling upon all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sincerely,
Jamie Archer
P.S. I have include some pictures of Opals new home so you can see where she lives. It’s a little different.
Apr 16, 2017
Adopted by Amanda & Jason Reynaert – Nov 14, 2011 – Ontario, Canada
Hello Friends, It’s Kopol here.
I’m so happy to be here in Canada with my new family! They changed my name to Polo. They were inspired from their recent trip to Venice Italy, and the fact that just like Marco Polo I travelled the world too!
I joined my mom and dad in November along with my big brother Bear. I’ve heard a lot about their angel Mackee and how by him passing on they were able to welcome me into their family. They tell me all the time that I keep them hopping 😉 I love my new family so much that I’m always listening to see if there is any danger coming our way – they call me Radar because my one ear is always listening. I’m slowly learning to trust Mom & Dad that they aren’t going to let anything happen to me.
My brother Bear is still getting use to the idea of having a younger sister who wants to play all the time. I think I play a little to rough for the boy. I’m learning how to play fair and we both really love to run! Mom and Dad introduced me to Bear’s favourite spot this past weekend. It’s now my favourite spot too! It’s a big, beautiful piece of farm land that has a great big swimming hole in the middle! I jumped in and brrrrrrrrrr…. it was COLD! But I can’t wait for it to warm up so that I can swim in it like my big brother does!
I want to thank everyone that helped get me here to my new family. I’m so excited about the summer and moving into a new house with mom & dad. They tell me it has a bigger back yard and it’s really close to the big swimming hole! We’ll get some photos of me swimming soon! xoxo Polo (aka Kopol)
My mom attached a few photos of me.
Apr 16, 2017
Adopted by Marianne & Family , October 2011, Perth, Ontario, Canada
In the end of October, 2011, I saw a picture of one of the most beautiful dogs that I have ever seen. I am not a stranger to beautiful animals given that I have had some of the rarest large/giant breeds on the planet. After losing one of my dogs, another awesome creature.
A one blue-eyed, one brown-eyed, red-merle catahoula (Andromeda was her name, after the constellations on her back), in North Carolina in a freak ice storm in Feb, 2010, and nursing my white shepherd back to health after her shattering her leg in 8 places between the knee and hip from the same accident (my eternal thank you goes to the awesome surgeon (Dr. Jack Gallagher, North Carolina, you will NEVER find a better orthopedic surgeon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) we got a Bernese-Golden here in Canada (from the local rescue, Lanark Animal Welfare Society, or LAWS).
One year later, my white shepherd (Komiko, named because she had the courage, dignity, and presentation of a Geisha) was diagnosed with cancer. After all the horrifying tribulations that that poor girl went through, which was so totally unfair (She was two years old), I decided to look into a shepherd breed that was less prone to genetic issues. I found the Anatolian Shepherd. And I started looking for one.
I found Ashley. She had the most beautiful expression on her face and her eyes were so trusting. She came to Canada over 3 long days of travel, from pillar to post, from air planes to cars, across oceans and continents. She was put in small cages (NEVER AGAIN), and made to stand up to the most rigorous of testing to come here.
I don’t know if she was meant to be with us, but from the first time that I saw her picture, I thought so. I think she does too. I talk to her about Maysam (THE most generous of foster parents that TRULY took his responsibility to heart that our animals are not here for the good times, they are here for the long run……., and he put everything he had into making that true when he knew he could no longer look after her. That takes GREAT heart.).
When we got Ashley, we started calling her Shadow because she followed us everywhere, her name now is Strider. Because that is what she is. She was shy, scared of everything, and I do mean everything, paper bags, toilet paper, people, dogs, EVERYTHING!!! Now she takes cats, dogs, people, paper!!!, in stride. She looks, doesn’t freak, and doesn’t run. With those long legs (no kidding, she’s got a long drink of water legs that don’t quit and I originally thought that her sway back was an issue……..(no, no, no……it’s the way that she is built), it’s like watching an antelope, she strides, with no fear………….. it’s AWESOME!!!!!
Strider now lives with us (Marianne and Lucy) and she’s still the most beautiful creature. I no longer have to look at her photo to see those wonderful trusting eyes. I get to look into them every day, from the moment that I wake up, to the moment that I go to bed. She is Strider.Thank you Vafa Team for letting us bring her into our world. We will cherish her and protect her for as long as God decides that she is with us. And she does the same for us.
Marianne, Lucy, and Strider.
