On a visit to Jordan in 2007 I was invited to look around the new veterinary hospital and combined animal rescue centre supported by Her Royal Highness Princess Alia of Jordan.

If I had stayed clear of the kennels all would have been well but fate had its own plans and just returning from with his volunteer 'dog walker' was a scruffy wolf coloured pup hopping along dragging a very badly twisted leg, but managing reasonably well with this disability. He had been picked up off the roadside and no one knew his history or how he had been so badly hurt. He stole my heart and when the puppy walker explained that with his disability they doubted they would ever find him a home I heard myself saying "I'll have him."

This turned out to be easier said than done as I later found out that the pup would have to do six months quarantine before he would be allowed into the UK. With the generosity of Her Royal Highness Princess Alia, the pup, I had christened "Wolfie" because of his colour, was soon aboard a Royal Jordanian flight and on his way to the UK. I deliberately didn't visit him in quarantine as I would have been upset and at this point the pup didn't know me so I felt it was best to let him do the six months in the capable hands of the kennels.

By the time my daughter in law Amanda and I collected Wolfie he was over twelve months old. He sat on the back seat of the car peering over our shoulders at the road ahead. As I drove along I could see his large head, pricked ears and almond shaped eyes set in the wolf coloured coat in the rear view mirror and the more I looked the more he resembled his namesake...Wolfie?

When we got him home I contacted HRH Princess Alia and told her that he had arrived safely and then I casually asked..."do you have Wolves in Jordan?"

"Oh, yes," Princess Alia responded, "and Jackals, why do you ask?"
"errr....no reason but I will send you some photos of this pup later."