Please, help!

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would highly appreciate your assistance in this personal matter. My husband has just been asked to take a job in Damascus, beginning in January.

He hasn't said a definite "yes" yet because we are still not very sure what to do.

This project would imply that he would need to spend 90% of these 3 years in Damascus and, as such, we have some serious issues to think about. Luckily - or not - we do not have any children so aspects likes schools, playgrounds, mothers' groups etc. are not my concerns. But I have two major concerns:

1. How can I find a house to rent? Coming from the north of Scotland, surrounded by a forest and having a river running by the side of my house, I am not sure I could put up with a flat

2. Is it difficult to bring pets in the country? And, actually, this is our major issue - we have 2 dogs, a big parrot (Green Wing Macaw) which is very noisy and a little tortoise (it is not an issue since it is so small I could attach it to a necklace!).

Of course, I have the option of getting a person to permanently look after them here, at home, or put them in a kennel. But I just cannot live with the fact of seeing them once a year! My dogs would die without us! They are really clingy and adorable (one is a little Yorkie - 7 years old - and the other is a German Shephard - 11 years old). So, as you can see, it is quite hard for them to learn to live without us.

And I am not very keen in turning myself into a constant traveller - 2 weeks with my husband and one week home or whichever version comes first.

Could you, any of you, advise on the 2 points above, please?

Thank you very much!

Yours,

Emma