Why import dogs?

A lot of rescue dogs in UK rescues are actually from abroad.

Goodness me, there are some unforgiving people here, I am rather shocked at the lack of ‘live and let live’!

Several years ago we had three cats, and absolutely no intention of getting a dog of any nationality (!) or origin but we went to Greece and we saw a young and frightened dog who had just been thrown out of a car by a woman and her two young children and abandoned on the beach. After much soul searching, we adopted him through a local animal charity there, and now wouldn’t be without him. (NB No rabies in Greece so not a problem coming to the UK). If we didn’t have him, he would have died on the streets out there.

PS for those who don’t know, ‘Sophie from Romania’, is a much loved but shy rescue dog and has been given a new life by Rory Cellan Jones and his wife, who both love her.

💕💕💕

Would be good if puppy mills were also discouraged.

The Tories kept delaying the decision to bring in much stricter laws on the importation of dogs to this country. I haven't heard Starmer mention anything so I daresay it it yet another addition to the all say and no do list.

Every week our local paper features a dog looking for adoption. The text is always the same. This lively girl/boy needs a garden with a high fence, no other pets, or children under 16, owners at home all day.
They usually are staffies, greyhounds or terriers. My daughter adopted a staffie and loves him to bits, but he is very difficult for the two of us to take for walks.
Kudos to all of you who have succeeded in your adoptions, from wherever.

I commented on another similar thread about the challenges faced when trying to adopt a UK born dog.
It’s very frustrating the way tv portrays the process as if you have a choice of dogs! Many Gransnetters also believe the hype that there are loads of dogs freely available.
Quite a few of the dogs in Battersea Cats and Dogs home are up for adoption because “owner is in prison”. They tend to be bigger, less family oriented dogs and do not appeal to your average family or newly retired potential adopter.
Most folks would like a rescue dog, but are realistic about the commitment involved.

When I retired 11 years ago I applied to the local Dogs Trust to adopt one of their dogs but was told I couldn't because I did not have a garden surrounded by a six foot fence,I bought a beautiful Shitz Tzu puppy from a reputable breeder (Mickey) some day I'm going to take him to the rescue centre and say to them you see this wee dog he is happy and healthy but you had better take him from me because because I don't have a garden with a six foot fence"

It isn’t something I’d do, but I don’t have a dog anyway. I’m sure people have their reasons.

Jaxjacky

Grammaretto I wouldn’t get a dog if it was going to be left at home all day and my two family members with dogs haven’t either.

People's circumstances may have changed since they got the dog. My friend walks dogs on a one-to-one basis and people employ her for all kinds of reasons. It's not always a case of the dog being left at home along all day.

Grammaretto I wouldn’t get a dog if it was going to be left at home all day and my two family members with dogs haven’t either.

twiglet77

They do it because the criteria for adopting foreign dogs is so much looser. I believe some of the UK charities are absolutely rigid eg on the garden having a six foot fence, or wanting a guarantee that no child under 10 will ever be in the same house.

I have visiting grandchildren and would never consider adopting a dog whose history is unknown. I don’t want to find out the hard way what ghosts in its past might trigger an attack. I would always prefer a carefully bred and properly reared, properly nourished puppy, from a breeder I know, or at least know of, whose experiences since birth have all been positive.

I think a lot of the charities importing dogs and puppies for adoption are just funding a dubious business. Someone over there is making good money out of it.

Good for you. Our family rescue dog from Romania is the best thing that ever happened. She was totally shut down for months. It has been a wonderful experience seeing her change.

Jaxjacky

I can’t fathom those who get a dog, then promptly employ walker, beats me
The rise in the number of dog walkers since Covid has been huge, local to us at least.

Surely that's better than leaving the dog at home alone all day, barking, which is what used to happen?

I can’t fathom those who get a dog, then promptly employ walker, beats me
The rise in the number of dog walkers since Covid has been huge, local to us at least.

And then you have people who may have gone abroad on holiday and fallen in love with a street dog or stray over there, and want to bring it home. People can have all kinds of reasons for wanting to adopt a dog from abroad. I wouldn't judge anyone for doing so - at least they are changing the world for that one dog.

I was bitten last year by a dog while I was sitting outside at a café table. The dog was on a lead. It was a Romanian rescue dog which, for the reasons already given, was much easier to adopt than a British dog.
The owner, an acquaintance, was almost as upset as I was so I didn't report the incident to the police though made it clear that if I had been a child the damage could have been dreadful.

She took the dog, which BTW is quite old, to the vet who told her it must be muzzled. I have never seen it since so it's no longer taken to cafés

I had to have 2 courses of penicillin as the wound got infected.

I asked why she took this poor animal in and was told, British dog charities insist on a garden and not an upstairs flat with shared garden which she has.

The dog, which was probably a street pack animal, would have had to be quarantined for months. No it's not rescuing at all, is it. It's cruel.
If you want to support these poor creatures why not give to a local charity which is dedicated to reducing the numbers of street dogs, and cats by controlling the breeding?

I think For the Love of Dogs gives a false impression of how rehousing dogs in UK goes. A family arrive at Battersea and leave with a dog. If only it was that simple. Several earlier posters have hit the nail on the head: you can't adopt because you've got a young child, a cat, a 5ft fence, you go out to work. Rehoming from abroad doesn't have such strict regulations so people will do it. You can't blame them.

Don’t they have to quarantine for weeks ? They certainly do here in case they are carrying diseases. The owner has to pay a lot.

Lots and lots of reasons. Too much red tape here in UK so consequently dogs are then killed as shelters say can't cope no room .its a scandal no one wants to know about.even big well known animal shelters are killing them and thwy are healthy dogs. It should be investigated.but no doubt won't be.

Reading all thus I'm feeling quite fortunate. We adopted a labrador puppy (just under a year old) from the dogs Trust. She had massive anxiety issues and 2 years down the line we are still working incredibly hard with her to deal with her reactivity and separation issues. However, there didn't seem to any problem with us adopting her.

Syracute

Primrose53

A woman in our village got a dog from Romania. First night it escaped from her very small garden and ran for miles. Took a couple of days to catch it.

Another person I know got one from abroad but can’t remember exactly where. It’s a right nasty thing.

This is so wrong to dismiss a dog’s character because it is from Romania ! My two are lovely, sweet dogs . First of all it was your friends fault leaving a new rescue off leash in her garden until it has time to acclimate . Secondly, it sounds like your other friend didn’t put any effort into training her other dog . It’s more the OWNERS fault not the dogs .

I don't think it is a matter of the dog's character because they are from Romania but more that there are so many dogs not able to be rehomed from the UK. There are a lot of independent dog charities who will have a better approach to getting a new home for a dog. They are run by genuine people who want the best for their dogs and there is a "return to base" clause if the adoptee's circumstances change.
There are lots of problems inherent in adopting a dog from Romania not least different diseases they carry which are difficult to treat or incurable but put UK born dogs at risk. Obviously not all rescued dogs from abroad are difficult but there's a reason (along with those buying a dog through the Covid lockdowns) why there is such an increase in a need for a Behaviourist's services.

It’s also unfair to suggest owners with reactive sensitive dogs haven’t trained them. Some people just shouldn’t have dogs but those of us who do train our dogs aren’t guaranteed perfection.
My young lab continues to need careful handling. He’s a sensitive boy and several incidents led to him becoming occasionally reactive. He’s about to take his kennel club gold test and unless an aggressive bouncy dog gets in his face during the walk along the pavement test - he’ll pass. His obedience is good, he watches me for instruction but ….. if he’s alarmed can react.
He does this with my behaviourist friends as well. He’s a sweetie, lovely with people and my grandchildren but off lead uncontrolled dogs caused him to worry

Primrose53

A woman in our village got a dog from Romania. First night it escaped from her very small garden and ran for miles. Took a couple of days to catch it.

Another person I know got one from abroad but can’t remember exactly where. It’s a right nasty thing.

This is so wrong to dismiss a dog’s character because it is from Romania ! My two are lovely, sweet dogs . First of all it was your friends fault leaving a new rescue off leash in her garden until it has time to acclimate . Secondly, it sounds like your other friend didn’t put any effort into training her other dog . It’s more the OWNERS fault not the dogs .

What dreadful stories, what a right old mess it is !

I do understand would be rescuers need to be vetted, even though few breeders vet potential buyers!

Not only someone wanting to adopt a dog can have this problem. When I approached a Cat Shelter looking to adopt a cat I was turned down because I was almost 60. Found this with 3 by the time I adopted two lovely girls from Cats Protection. Now have adopted a lovely older boy from Cats Protection who do not mind me being 80. Some rescues whether Dog or Cat have very strict rules so no wonder there are so many waiting for homes!

Because adoption rules in the UK are too strict that’s why people go abroad and I understand they need to ensure good homes before someone says anything but they are necessarily strict and healthy dogs are being pts because shelters are full because they are over strict