Another foreign rescue infected with Brucella canis

[Gloi]

There seems to be a constant stream of loose or lost dogs on my local Facebook group where they have got away from walkers or owners. Nearly every time it says they are a nervous recent rescue. One was running around the estate for a few days before it was finally caught and returned to owner. It was in my garden one morning when I was going out but shot off when it saw me.

 

[Goldenstar]

Poor doggies damaged by life the trip to a new life must be so scary .

 

[PapaverFollis]

Frankly we shouldn't be importing these dogs.

There's one up here on the loose at the moment because it freaked out and bolted...

 

[rabatsa]

A new, 18 month old, cane corso, very recently delivered to the next village, was on the loose for 4 days earlier this week.

Even worse the dog was not reported on the local facebook pages by the person looking after it, but by someone who saw the advert on a dog lost page.

Those of us with sheep were getting a wee bit concerned about it.

 

[SilverLinings]

I have a colleague who I was aware fosters dogs from Eastern Europe, so I asked her about Brucella Canis and whether they were vaccinated and/or tested. She said she'd never heard of the disease, and when the dogs are handed over to her she is given no information about what vaccinations or health checks they've had; apparently the 'charity' keeps the paperwork and only hands it over when the dog goes to their permanent home. I explained that her own dogs could catch it, and fortunately she is sensible and said she will read up on it and ask the charity to provide proof of any vaccinations the dogs have had.

It is appalling that the 'charity' don't inform the foster carers, and if they aren't vaccinating/testing then they are ethically negligent for allowing the dogs to go to homes with other dogs (and to be taken out in public).

My colleague is quite a sensible and well-educated person (she is a medical professional), but it shows how trusting people are, and how easy it is for these 'charities' to import diseases with their dogs. It's a shame there aren't better controls over who can import dogs under the claim of 'rescuing' them as there seems to be quite a few risks with these set ups.

 

[skinnydipper]

Don’t forget the fully enclosed perimeter. I could offer a rescue a brilliant home and life but I live on a farm so I’m unsuitable. If I lived in a terrace house with a tiny but enclosed courtyard I’d be considered ideal.

If you have been turned down by a UK rescue due to inadequate or non existent fencing, I don't think adopting from abroad is the answer.

Some adopters of foreign rescues appear to have difficulties keeping their new friend on their property even with the aid of a 6ft fence.

 

[OldNag]

There seems to be a constant stream of loose or lost dogs on my local Facebook group where they have got away from walkers or owners. Nearly every time it says they are a nervous recent rescue. One was running around the estate for a few days before it was finally caught and returned to owner. It was in my garden one morning when I was going out but shot off when it saw me.

Ditto, I helped with a local one that had escaped through an open window and been on the run for days. I spotted it in our local churchyard.

It certainly isn't the first foreign rescue escapee I have heard of locally.

 

[skinnydipper]

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/heartbreak-woman-forced-put-down-24762841

 

[Petalpoos]

That’s horrific.

 

[OldNag]

That is utterly awful, that poor woman, and poor dogs.

When will people wake up about this?

 

[ester]

I'm a bit unclear what she wants the government to do, why did trading standards send her the 21 day notice?

 

[rabatsa]

I'm a bit unclear what she wants the government to do, why did trading standards send her the 21 day notice?

From reading between the lines the imported dogs did not have the correct rabies paperwork, only picked up after arrival. The dog the lady had was traced from the rescue place. The 21 day notice was due to the incorrect paperwork being looked into.

I suspect the lady wants the government to implement disease controls before import.

 

[ester]

That seemed to only apply to the Ukrainian van not the Belarusian one?

 

[druid]

I'm a bit unclear what she wants the government to do, why did trading standards send her the 21 day notice?

Sort out the stream of undocumented or fraudulently documented dogs coming into the UK under a thin guise of rescue for cash?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Can someone in authority just come out and say that at source, some, if not a lot of these dogs are coming from puppy farms/are trapped ferals, is this 'rescue' or is it just selling unfortunate, sick animals to people who:
a) genuinely have no idea/think they are doing a nice thing
b) want a foreign rescue for clout
c) cannot pass or do not want to go through the more rigorous requirements of a lot of genuine rescue/rehoming operations?

Do people know exactly what they are funding?

 

[PapaverFollis]

What are the risks to the general dog population? How close contact do they have to be? It'd be awful if this, or anything else, started spreading here because of a dog being brought in. Honestly there should be a total ban on "rescue" imports and very strict controls on and testing of pet and breeding dog imports!

Most of these foreign rescue places seem to be import businesses to me anyway. Rounding up strays for free and selling them essentially. "Rescue fees"... whatever. There's probably breeding operations going on to create these dogs now because people suck.

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve said before I really though Brexit would stop this stream of ‘rescues’. It can’t even manage that!

 

[ester]

Sort out the stream of undocumented or fraudulently documented dogs coming into the UK under a thin guise of rescue for cash?

I guess I’ve more blamed the rescues given that they seem to regularly flaunt the rules that are there anyway

 

[SilverLinings]

Most of these foreign rescue places seem to be import businesses to me anyway. Rounding up strays for free and selling them essentially. "Rescue fees"... whatever. There's probably breeding operations going on to create these dogs now because people suck.

I read an article in a newspaper about 18 months ago (would have been in The Times or The Observer) saying exactly that- people in Eastern European countries are breeding dogs and in some cases openly selling them to British 'rescues' and in other cases duping said 'rescues' into thinking they are strays (and posing as rescue centres themselves, asking for a 'donation' from the British 'rescue' in return for the dog).

 

[skinnydipper]

"I’ve been informed of three litters of pups positive for Brucella Canis in the past two weeks, imported from different countries and all resident in the UK for a minimum of five months.
The litters include several intact females who have had seasons and been walked whilst menstruating, obviously the owners were oblivious to the fact that their dogs could be shedding B.Canis.
DEFRA need to stop trying to sweep this under the rug and as dogs have tested negative then positive on entry, questions need to be asked regarding the tests being used, the isolation procedure and the age of pups when tested to ensure an accurate result."

Barnaby and Bluebell on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/barnabyslaw/

 

[SilverLinings]

After this thread started I spoke to two work colleagues, one has adopted a dog from eastern Europe and the other fosters them whilst a UK home is found. Neither had heard of BC, the fosterer said she had just been told by the 'charity' that the dogs were 'fully vaccinated' but no details as to for what. She has since asked them specifically about BC and has still had no answer. Neither of these people seem to realise how serious the risk is, and own other dogs and walk them (and the rescues) in public areas daily.

There seems to be a widespread belief by the public that if a dog comes from a rescue then all sensible checks/vaccinations/examinations must have been done, which combined with limited awareness of BC sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

Does anyone know whether vets routinely raise the issue of BC (and testing) with clients who disclose that their new dog is a foreign rescue?

 

[druid]

Does anyone know whether vets routinely raise the issue of BC (and testing) with clients who disclose that their new dog is a foreign rescue?

I do but I do a lot of repro work so am probably more conscious of it than some

 

[SilverLinings]

I do but I do a lot of repro work so am probably more conscious of it than some

It's a great way to raise awareness but I realise vets already have a 101 things to think about when assessing a dog, plus not all owners would mention where the dog has come from.

I suppose the risk is that some owners won't take their dog to a vet for a year after acquiring it when they realise annual jabs are due, by which time they have been mixing in the community.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Just for people who are coming to this thread late, I want to reiterate/raise the hair on this again: if you are taking a small number of pet/sport dogs to and from the continent for leisure/competition, especially at the tunnel, the checks can be really OTT. To the extent that a lot of people I know won't use the tunnel.
On most ferries you have to bring the dogs individually out to have them scanned/passports checked at kiosks, on one route on the return leg you have to take the dog into the terminal/desk. These are well rounded dogs, who know me, used to travelling long distances in the car, sailing etc.

I do not know how people are managing to bring entire vanloads of feral, terrified animals, being transported by relative strangers, without any sort of issue, unless those who are doing the checks just can't be arsed with larger volumes of animals. I also doubt that, if they are travelling by ferry, they are being let out to clean themselves on very long journeys.

 

[splashgirl45]

I can’t understand how so many are getting through. I worry that my dogs might get infected if any foreign rescues are around. Luckily I know most of the dogs on my daily walks and tend to put mine on lead if I see a dog I don’t know just in case

 

[Gloi]

Has anyone had experience with Noah s ark Romanian rescue. A woman I know got a terrified little dog from them which was meant to be spayed but wasn't and is now thinking of getting another dog from them.

 

[AmyMay]

Has anyone had experience with Noah s ark Romanian rescue. A woman I know got a terrified little dog from them which was meant to be spayed but wasn't and is now thinking of getting another dog from them.

There seem to be a lot of dogs brought over for adoption rather than having been adopted.

How does that work?

 

[splashgirl45]

I think people see a photo of the dog and agree to have it then they pay the transport fee so it seems that the rescue doesn’t have to pay up front and when the dogs arrive they are quite often not what has been advertised regarding medical and temperament. The ones I have known about have been petrified of men and not much better with women and they will often escape and live wild, this has happened at least 4 times in my area that I know of. It’s a disgrace, those dogs would have been better PTS in their home country rather than undergoing a long journey to a lifestyle that they hate.

 

[skinnydipper]

Has anyone had experience with Noah s ark Romanian rescue. A woman I know got a terrified little dog from them which was meant to be spayed but wasn't and is now thinking of getting another dog from them.

Could you advise this person to ensure that the dog has had a blood test (serology) to test for Brucella Canis before importation and ask for a copy of the lab report and to arrange for the dog to be retested 3 months after importation.

 

[Gloi]

Could you advise this person to ensure that the dog has had a blood test (serology) to test for Brucella canis before importation and ask for a copy of the lab report and to arrange for the dog to be retested 3 months after importation.

Still trying to persuade her not to get it