my Grandmother Moore...

...in the kitchen of my old farmhouse in GA before the tragic fire that claimed the lives of eleven of my hounds. She is holding little Hatshepsut in her lap. Hatshepsut was my first desert bred Azawakh. Her dam line is the second most prominent in my breeding program. She was bred by Ayad ag Inachanan, Tin Akoff, Burkina Faso. From the 2007 expedition I brought back Tamahan, another puppy bred by Ayad. Hatshepsut is a daughter of Taikoussou and Tamahan a grandson of Taikoussou. My Grandmother passed not long after this photograph was taken.

Grandmother Moore had a dog of her own...his name was Boy and he was invisible. Possessed of an intense wit, my Grandmother was very quick with a comeback. Once I asked her how Boy was doing. Her response: 'You know....he's been very quiet lately'. She was a wonderful Grandmother. Al hamdullilah. I miss her.

brothers...

...from the top: Amlal and Amaray, sons of Tawinak (co-bred with Gabriele Meissen) and Fasiqqi (bred by Alberto Rossi, Italy). Thank you to their respective owners Cheryl Wilson (TX) and Susan Sita McKay (GA) for sharing these photographs with me.

Bomboukou...

...owned by Skye Masson and Josh Bauermiester (Atlanta, GA). One of two parti-colored puppies from the litter out of the desert bred Tiraout (the litter was sired by Tigidit Fasiqqi, bred by Alberto Rossi, Italy). I will never lose the joyous feeling of seeing the two 'white' ones being born (Jess Ruffner and Brett Booth are the owners of his white sister Toumlilt). Bomboukou inherited the intensely expressive eyes of his dam. Al hamdullilah. Skye is a Board Member of The Azawakh Club. And Josh, Jess and Brett are members as well.

I can't remember...

...if I have posted this photograph of Choum before. He is one of three sons out of Illi Tin Hinan Batna (bred by Brigitte Washington of Reunion Island) and sired by Afalkou. Al hamdullilah. If its a repost...well, I like it enough to post it more than once. This mating represented the crossing of two basically unrelated but intensely linebred families. He has his faults...but an over-riding impression of balance and desert type more than compensate. Al hamdullilah.

a friend of the Tamasheq...

...Patricia Sorbier (Aix-en-Provence, France) contacted me several days ago to say that one of the photographs from ABIS's 2007 Expedition to the Sahel had inspired her most recent pastel. Any friend of the Tamasheq is a friend of mine. Also she just happened to choose one of my very favorite photographs. It is hard to put a label...was she an 'old woman', an 'elderly woman', a 'matriarch of a clan'? For me she was at once each of these and also something more...something elemental, primordial. Such humans exist in every culture. Al hamdullilah. She was in the encampement from which I was gifted Aisinda.

Thank you to Patricia for sharing these photographs with me. Here is a link to her online gallery. Proceeds from the sale of her artwork go to purchase goats (milking does) for Tamasheq families.

two more photos from the past...

...Telmousit and her sister Maymouna (Debakkar Kel Dahoussahaq X Hatshepsut). Al hamdullilah.

antidotes...

Lies, rumors and innuendos are a trio of poisons whose only antidote is truth.

Contrary to what some of you have heard, and what some of you may hear, my dogs are not 'in rescue'.

I have avoided posting about my current situation because I considered it to be more personal than public...but well, if one has a blog and has shared so much of their life (uh, meaning mostly my dogs) with the world, then maybe the blog is the best place to correct misinformation.

As many of you know, I moved from Georgia to New Mexico in January of 2008. My partner and I built a life there for ourselves and my animals (my Azawakh and my Arabian stallion). But before even a year had passed we moved to Texas. The reason: I discovered that I owned more dogs than were allowed by the county in which we lived.

This move was unavoidable at the time, and I owe much to the friends who helped me to relocate to TX. But in the end it proved disastrous. The reasons are worthy of another post. The reality is that ultimately I became incredibly depressed at the hopelessness of our living situation....it was, in my mind, a dead end. A place to die.

Then a friend stepped up and in a spirit of unparalleled generosity offered to take over the day to day care of the dogs and Firdausi so that I would be freed up to search for a new home for myself and the animals.

Never having been separated from my animals (except for four weeks in Jan/Feb 2007 when I went to Africa with ABIS) in twenty years...I was reticent, even though I knew the offer was a very reasonable and sound solution to a difficult situation.

I moved all the animals the first part of this month. After spending time getting them settled into their new living situation, I returned to Georgia to search for a new home. Part of the reason for my return to Georgia was very personal: my family needed me.

I am renting an old farmhouse up in the mountains about 30 miles north of where I used to live. Working on pulling together materials for fencing and enclosures is my first step towards getting my animals back. I am not sure how much time it will take. But even this will hopefully be only an interim solution. The ultimate goal is to return with my animals to my home in NM, Insh'Allah.

I feel grateful that the dogs are with a very close friend who is taking wonderful care of them but I miss them terribly and hope to have them back soon, Insh'Allah.

As for the lies and rumors, look to the source. If you have questions please feel free to ask me. I overcame my reluctance to post this because I was receiving what were becoming regular doses of phone calls and emails from concerned friends curious to know what was happening with me and the animals. I am grateful that people are concerned and keeping me in the loop....a loop I tend to avoid at all costs. But I will not avoid it at the cost of my reputation.

ma asalaamou,

Daoud Abdullah Abdullah

from the Ahadeeth ash-Shareef...the noble sayings of the Prophet:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

While the Prophet was saying something in a gathering, a Bedouin came and asked him, "When will the Hour (Doomsday) take place?"

Allah's Apostle continued his talk, so some people said that Allah's Apostle had heard the question, but did not like what that Bedouin had asked. Some of them said that Alllah's Apostle had not heard it.

When the Prophet finished his speech, he said, "Where is the questioner, who enquired about the Hour?"

The Bedouin said, "I am here, O Allah's Apostle."

Then the Prophet said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour." The Bedouin said, "How will that be lost?" The Prophet said, "When the power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for the Hour."

from the past...

...a photo of Jana, daughter of my first Azawakh Al-Hara's Tarada and Reckendahl's Isesi. From a litter of five she was the only one to establish a family from which to breed forward. Al hamdullilah. A haunting beauty, she arranged the life around her with bladed glances, gave no quarter and expected none. Her descendants have influenced breeding programs the world over. Al hamdullilah.

The web...

...will entrap.
The mountain will melt.
The air is pregnant with echos.
I close my ears.
I must walk forward.
Insh'Allah wa al hamdullilah.
Wa al hamdullilah.
Wa al hamdullilah.

Yubai...

...was purchased as a small puppy from me by Carlos Balestra Aguilar of Mexico City. Carlos is also a Board Member of The Azawakh Club of America. And an artist. He has a special eye for photography...the photos of Yubai always intrique in some way.

Carlos is an architect. But well, as the Russians say, a person who is talented is talented at anything.

Al hamdullilah.

another litter of Kusaylah grand-get...

...al hamdullilah....I'm a little behind on this one. Gabriele Meissen's Qarqabu whelped a litter sired by Tombouktou's Tuhaya...please click here for the page on Gabriele's website with detailed information about the litter. Al hamdullilah.

The move to Georgia has been hard and I simply haven't had much time or energy to pay attention to my blog. I am now trying to catch up.

new litter in Germany...

...bred by Christiane Thier-Rostaing, Agg Amaias Azawakh. The litter of five male and four female puppies is out of Tigidit Essamet and is sired by Tombouktou's Qutaybah, a son of Kusaylah, who is gone from me, may Allah protect him.

Al hamdullilah.

Tadawelt Idiiyat-es-Sahel...

...owned by Marya Morales (Azawakh Tinalchinan), is pregnant by Alatokh Idiiyat-es-Sahel (Alem'nemehal Al-Ifriqiya X Taytok, db). This is a close line-breeding on the desert bred Taytok (imported and owned by Gabriele Meissen, Tombouktou's Azawakh, Germany), as Alatokh is a son and Tadawelt a grand-daughter of Gabriele's desert bred Taytok (the sire of Tadawelt is Kaisoon Al-Ifriqiya). Tadawelt is due to whelp in several weeks, Insh'Allah. I have used Alatokh's brother Ailal for breeding, and another brother Asodey (sent to Corine Lundqvist, Azawakh de Garde Epee, France) now has get and grand-get in several European countries. Also their brother In-Amadjel produced a litter of three puppies in the Czech Republic out of Malika of Siverdale, bred by Werner Roeder, Azawakh of Silverdale. Another brother, Amadahl, owned by Barbara Schlatterer in Germany, produced two litters; Tombouktou's "W" litter and a litter bred in the Czech Republic by the kennel Azawakh ak Tin Akoff (X Buraida Idi n' Illeli). One son, Arish Tin Akoff was exported to Russia to the Tufuku kennel.

So Alatokh represents a fifth family descending from the pairing of Alem'nemehal and Taytok (this litter was co-bred by Gabriele and me). Since both Tadawelt and Alatokh are from the same dam line this mating represents a 'pure-in-the-strain' breeding, and the get should be prepotent for the characteristics of their grand-dam Taytok. In my opinion Taytok is one of the best taidit ever brought out of Africa (her line is the third most dominant dam line in my breeding program). Please contact Marya for further information on this future (Insh'Allah) litter. Photos from top: Tadawelt, Alatokh, and Taytok. Click here for the ancestry of the coming, Insh'Allah, litter. Al hamdullilah.

layers

For an unforeseeable period of time the dogs (all my breeding stock) and my stallion are being cared for by a friend. I have returned home to Georgia because of a health issue with a member of my immediate family. Since I am unable to photograph the dogs I will probably only be posting photos from years past...photos that used to be on my website but have been removed for one reason or another.

It is hard to be without my animals but in some way it is a much-needed break. I hope things will settle down and the dogs and Firdausi will be back with me soon, Insh'Allah.

Salaam to everyone and thank you for your support.

Daoud