Paw Prints in Oman: Dogs, Mogs and Me

When Charlotte’s husband is offered a job in Oman, he persuades her to leave comfortable, rural England and join him. But playing tennis, avoiding coffee mornings and being a perfect wife and mother in the Middle East is not enough. 
Charlotte convinces a local veterinary clinic to employ her and throws herself into assisting the vets, overcoming her fear of birds and rehoming hundreds of stray cats and dogs. Cyclones, earthquakes, transvestites, unwanted paramours, cultural differences, tears and laughter follow as seven years flash by. 
Will Charlotte stay, or gather up the motley crew of pets she has collected and head for home?



I really enjoyed this book since I am an animal lover and dog rescuer. The author keeps the reader engaged throughout the entire book with her detailed accounts of life in Oman and her experiences while working at a veterninary clinic.

Some parts of the book were sad. Many of the animals who were treated at the clinic were in very bad shape, some were abandoned, and a few just couldn't be saved. This is not a book for the faint of heart animal lover. I was surprised to read about the vet who tossed around the "F bomb" to her clients and staff alike. I cannot imagine my vets in the US ever talking this way to a client.

One of the most interesting parts of the book that really touched me was the poor little kitten with two faces who sadly wasn't born alive. The author engaged the reader to share her emotions when the long time maid left her down and the pets were forced to fend for themselves. I could certainly identify with the authors feelings about that incident.

I was interested in reading about life in Oman. The parts about Ramadan were especially informative and gave me insight to life in a far away land. The author was very brave to leave her comfort zone and spend seven years in Oman.



Forget about seven years in Tibet, this is seven years in Oman! And what a fascinating seven years it is, author Charlotte Smith moving from the elevated ex-pat echelons of tennis and bridge playing high society to the down and dirty graft of co-running a vet's clinic along with her daughter. And this, in a country which is not only not friendly to animals, but often downright hostile. The earlier part of the book gave me laughs galore - especially Oman's censorship laws (44 people arrested for wearing red at Christmas? Really?) and the painted egg incident with the Dutch ambassador. Later on, as the book's tone turns more serious, we meet literally hundreds of our furry friends in terrible states of neglect, restored to happy tail-wagging and purring good health through the ministrations of the clinic and its dedicated workers. Constant companions like Billy, Frodo and Mr Frog are joined by a wonderful drop-in cast that includes Leo, the phobic cocker spaniel, the kitten who popped out an ATM machine, an obese chappati-gobbling Labrador, and of course Big Red, the gigantic 8kg mass of orange and white flab with a penchant for tuna. A delightful read this, and not just for the mogs and dogs, but for anyone wishing to gain an insight into modern-day Omani customs, culture and religion. Thoroughly recommended.