“We felt chosen by him …”
During a Christmas holiday last year, the McIntyre family experienced an extraordinary encounter in one of the most unlikely places — the rugged Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Over 5,000 miles from their home in Idaho, a dog that looked exactly like their own suddenly appeared on the hiking trail.
“He looked exactly like our dog, Bodhi, who we adopted from a rescue in Idaho back in May 2024,” Aidan McIntyre shared with The Dodo. “We jokingly started calling him ‘the Moroccan Bodhi.’”
Surprised to see such a familiar-looking dog in such a remote location, the family stopped to greet him. They gave him the name Azul — the Berber word for “hello” — and offered him water from their hands. Expecting him to eventually return to his pack, they continued their hike.
But Azul had other plans. Limping slightly, he refused to leave their side.
“My mom Krista and I spent the hike daydreaming about bringing him back home to Boise — half-seriously imagining him as the world’s best travel souvenir,” McIntyre recalled. “We figured it was a fantasy, not something we could actually pull off.”
Yet as the hours passed and Azul stayed loyally by their feet, something shifted. What began as a passing thought started to feel like fate.
“By the time we reached the hotel, after more than three hours and five miles of tough terrain, we felt like he had chosen us,” McIntyre said. “We agreed that if he was still with us at the end of the hike, we’d seriously look into how to bring him to the U.S.”
Back at the hotel, they asked the manager — who regularly cares for the area’s stray dogs — if she recognized Azul. Surprisingly, she didn’t. That sealed the decision: the McIntyres would adopt him.
With permission from the hotel, they brought Azul into their room that night — their last in Morocco — and began researching trustworthy shelters that could care for him during the importation process. The next day, they took him to Ranch Beldi Sterilisation, a respected nonprofit that helps prepare stray dogs for international adoption.
“Azul spent nearly six months there,” McIntyre said. “They provided vaccinations, sterilization, food, shelter, and love — everything he needed before he could travel.”
During that time, the family partnered with Texas-based Airpets International, a company that specializes in transporting animals from countries with high rabies risk. Together, they tackled the mountain of paperwork required to legally bring Azul to the U.S.
Despite their planning, Azul’s first scheduled flight in July 2025 was canceled. Determined not to give up, McIntyre flew back to Morocco himself to bring Azul home.
The two flew from Casablanca to Washington, D.C., and spent the weekend clearing customs and health inspections. Finally released into McIntyre’s care, Azul embarked on a cross-country road trip to Idaho — a journey far from where his story began.
“Even after all the travel, he was playful, alert, and full of energy,” McIntyre said. “Much more like a curious puppy than the tired, injured dog we met back in December.”
Once in Boise, Azul was introduced to Bodhi — his American twin — and Renzo, the family’s other dog. The reunion was filled with wagging tails and cautious sniffs. Within days, Azul was soaking up the new sights and smells of his forever home.
“He lay in the morning sun one day, nose twitching, taking in everything — it was clear he was beginning to feel safe,” McIntyre said.
Now adjusting to life as a household pet with help from Valor K9 Academy, Azul continues to settle into his new life. He’s thriving — and so are the McIntyres, who feel profoundly changed by the dog they met halfway across the world.
“Bringing him home took effort, patience, and a lot of love,” McIntyre said. “But it was worth every moment. He chose us — and we’re so grateful he did.”