He may not be known to many people, but Abu Laila, the homeland worker, is the heart of life for five or more local Canaan dogs residing in the outskirts of Amman, who stay with him sensing his love, and out of strong sense of responsibility he cares for them.
Abu Laila (the father of Laila, after his first-born daughter) who has been working in Bader Al Jadidah area for over 20 years making friends not only with the people of the area, but also with the animals dwelling there, told the Jordan News that with time friends from the neighborhood become like family, and the Canaan dogs who follow him everywhere, his obligation.
With the little income he has, he shares with the dogs. Sometimes he collects chicken and bones leftovers from the butcher shop, other times he buys Tuna cans or cooked meat -mortadella, to share with the Canaans. Many times, the shop owners join bringing with them hot tea.
He started expressing openly his fondness of the dogs after an incident he witnessed which taught him that love should not be locked or hidden, but should be expressed in all means possible, even without words.
“Few years back I was doing my job cleaning the streets when a reckless driver hit one of the Canaan dogs and simply took off. As heartless as the driver was, the car behind the hit-and-run stopped, and out came a lady who carried the badly injured dog in her car heading to the nearest veterinarian clinic.”
Later, the same lady who told him that the animal was safe, and that she adopted it.
“Sadly in our culture it’s not common to show affection to homeless animals specially cats and dogs, where some mistake affection with weakness, forgetting that these creatures are God’s creation as well,” said Abu Laila.
The dogs wait for him every morning at the spot where the car drops him, and together they walk along touring with him the area in which he works.
“I look in their eyes and feel that each dog has a story, just like us, humans, and incredibly, each has an independent personality- how great is God.”
During his childhood, Abu Laila has never had a dog, or any sort of pets for that matter, but has always felt sympathetic towards all the helpless and peaceful animals.
While the Jordan News was interviewing Abu Laila two shopowners approached, to share their affection to what the homeland worker taught them of animal love, praising Abu Laila saying that “he is indeed a rare man to find.”
A father to four daughters, and soon to be a grandfather for the first time, Abu Laila vowed to teach his grandchild to be kind to all creatures, specially vulnerable animals believing that “in teaching animal love, I am actually teaching to cherish life.”
