A few years ago, seeing Jordanians walking with their dogs on the streets of Amman was not a regular sight in a country experiencing difficult economic conditions, but today the scene is normal, accompanied by the spread of pet care centers, the most prominent of which is the first dog hotel.

Despite the high cost of living in a country where the average monthly wages are about $ 600, and its public debt has exceeded $ 40 billion, Jordanians do not skimp by spending large sums to care for their spoiled animals.

In recent years, dozens of pet care centers, especially dogs and cats, have spread in Amman, and stores sell kennels after the number of their breeders increases.

The project’s director, Petzone, the first hotel and training center for dogs, said that the project was established in 2018 after “remarkable growth in raising pets, especially dogs.”

He added, "We thought that whoever wants to travel wants to leave his dog in an organized and designated place for that. So we set up this hotel, which is also a center that specializes in training dogs and modifying their behavior."

The hotel offers, in the Giza region (south of Amman), which contains ample spaces for play, training and rooms to stay, services for cutting dogs' nails and their hair, bathing and drying their hair with those who care for them in the absence of their owners, and most importantly, it is available for owners of those dogs to follow them online via cameras installed in All sections.

The cost of a dog's stay does not exceed three dinars (four dollars) per day, while the cost of other services is added as needed.

And costing the bathroom and cutting hair for a dog or cat in Jordan is between 14 and 28 dollars, and cutting nails with cleaning the ears is 14 dollars.

"I told someone 20 years ago I would leave my dog ​​in a hotel who would laugh at you, but now it is normal," Al-Haj Ali says with a smile, as a worker behind him dries the hair of a German black Shepherd dog.

The man, who has been raising dogs for more than 30 years, stressed that "there is more demand for raising dogs in recent years," despite costs that may conflict with economic conditions.

Alaa Kalimat, 29, a government employee, agreed with Hajj Ali, confirming the increasing number of dogs and cats who are walking with their dogs and cats in the street after it was "embarrassing" previously.

"The financial cost is not important, compared to the importance of Lucy," she says, during a routine examination of her little white dog, "Lucy", at a specialized animal medicine clinic, "Fat Zone."

The most sought-after species in Jordan are the German Shepherd, the Guard Wheeler, the Hasky Root, the Golden Retriever, the Pomeranian dogs, Chitzo and Yorkshire little dogs.

The price of their puppies is less than two months old, according to the purity of the breed and the source of its production between about 140 and 1700 dollars, and the price of a large dog may reach tens of thousands, according to the breed and training.

As for cats, the prices of the common varieties such as "Chanchila", "Shirazi", "Himalayas", "Angora" and "Scotch fold" are between 70 and 300 dollars.

Pet care in Jordan is a burden for many in a country where the officially declared poverty rate exceeds 15% and the unemployment rate is more than 19%.

Veterinarian Alaa Shehadeh, director of Fat Zone, says that the breeder considers his domestic animal as a member of the family, and therefore "has the right to health care, food and housing."

Shehada watches the indicators while examining his colleagues, a dog called "Navi", called "Navi", who lost her ability to move the hind limbs as a result of pain in the spine.

Shehadeh explains that there is a high demand for raising dogs and cats, and he cites, for example, "A woman came to me clearly that she was not able, yet she chose to carry her pet from salt to here for a x-ray."

The FitZone Center includes an intensive care unit, x-ray equipment and lung diagnostics, incubators and blood testing laboratories.

"I consider that I have an additional girl or boy, no matter what the cost, you will feel responsible for the pet, and nothing to do with it is little," said Rima Abu Zahra, a retired employee.

"They live with me at home and take care of them is my responsibility, as if I were feeding my family members, I wouldn't look at the cost."

Abu Zuhra raises three dogs in her home for two of them influencing stories, she says while embracing "Ronnie", from the family of "French Trier" three-year-old white "I bought it after seeing his owner pulling him with a chain of iron in the rain, I pity him for the mistreatment, he seemed meager and needs attention ».

As for the "Hasky" type, the owner left her in front of his house when he left without water or food, so I took it and treated it.

Bathing and cutting hair for a dog or cat ranges between $ 14 and $ 28, and clipping nails while cleaning the ears is $ 14.

Retired employee: I consider that I have an additional girl or boy, and whatever the cost, you will feel that anything you do is little.