Rescue importing sick dogs

[s4sugar]

Elfen, I am glad you are happy, but in all honesty I completely disagree with what you did. You may not have actually imported him, but you are perpetuating the problem. I see this as no different to buying a puppy from a store that gets it's puppies from "puppy factories"

How long before it's profitable enough to start stealing dogs to ship across? Starve them for a few weeks, cover them in mud, instant 'rescue'.

It is deplorable and we have enough issues in this country. All of the money spent on 'rescuing' those dogs could have been put towards a) euthanizing them b) orphanages in the respective countries. How do these dogs even get in to the country if they are "very poorly" given our quarantine controls? I think you've been told whatever they thought would make you adopt in all honesty.

There is no reason to travel any dog to an uncertain future. ( & actually it is illegal to use the Pets Passport for commercially traded dogs) Dogs are being PTS in pounds in the UK daily and these at least will generally have some inkling of life here.
The money that people spend would be much better if used to humanely cull the pack dogs and educate the people abroad. Some people are making quite a bit of dosh from these imports.

 

[Ptolemy]

Some people are making quite a bit of dosh from these imports.

Indeed.

Having just imported my own pets from abroad (I have been living abroad and opted to bring them with me rather than try to re-home them) I know the amount of paperwork and the expense of importing pets. It's not straightforward. Vaccines, chips, blood tests, worming, transport, vets fees, the list goes on. On top of this, my healthy pets were incredibly stressed by the experience. It took them some time to adjust to life here, the cat adjusted quicker, but the dog... it was probably around 2 months before he started to calm, another month before he was "normal".

The cost of doing this for one dog could have put the end to the suffering of many, many dogs. Any *true* animal lover would take that route. These people are simply in it for the money.

 

[Elfen]

I got him from a reputable rescue home. I had no idea he was from Romania until I'd put forward my interest and had seen videos pics etc of him. I don't really care what anyone else thinks - I'm really pleased to have him join my family, he's settled really well and gets on with my children cats and dogs. The state of the dogs in Romania is appalling - he's been starved and beaten, belonged to a family who left him at a pound where he was attacked my other dogs. It's not something I went out of my way to do. As for adoption fee i covered some of his vets fees.

 

[JosieB]

The mass cull doesnt involve dogs being pts as they are over here... people have tried to get vets to go over and be allowed to pts the dogs but this has been turned down. I really dont think some of you have an idea what goes on out there. I dont say bring them all over here etc and if they could be pts that would be good but sadly the romanian way is to batter and starve them or just keep them locked up in appalling situations till they die.. and if you read my post above you will see i have my eyes wide open as to the money making etc that goes on under the disguise of dog rescue. However the dogs i have known that have been brought over are wonderful despite what they have been through, very adaptable, loving and alot just puppies. There are schemes run to neuter and release.. there are shelters run by genuine rescuers... there are people trying to do good, however the authorities there are actively against help of any sort.. they are quite happy carrying on as they are.. I think if people want to help a foreign dog, thats up to them.. i just hope its from one of the decent rescuers and not from one of the ones that do it to line their pockets...

 

[CorvusCorax]

How do people feel about the human Romanians and Bulgarians coming over here for a better life?

If I wanted to import a dog, which I may do in future, I will pay for it out of my own pocket, I'll drive over to the continent and select a pup and pick it up and drive it home, or I will go out there and pick it and arrange to have it flown over when it is old enough, I will not give money to someone else 'to do it for me', or beg for financial help off other people.

If I wanted to rescue a dog, I would go to the local council pound.
Hang on, I will just check what they have in this week.
Four collies, all 'unwanted pets' - IE someone has either LEFT them at the pound and they have a week to live unless someone rehomes them, collie cross, unwanted pet, yellow lab, stray, terrier, stray, Jack Russell cross, (what would probably be called a Jackahuahua and sold for £££) stray.
£70 and assistance with neutering and chipping.

 

[blackcob]

In our council pound this week there are 30+ staffies, mastiffs and crosses thereof plus a GSD, black lab, rottie, springer spaniel, CKCS, a husky cross puppy, two dobermanns, three collies, half a dozen small terrier types, two staffie cross puppies and this pair of poor old crusties who are utterly bombproof and lovely. No need to look any further than our own doorstep IMO.

 

[AmyMay]

the whole import process has been terrible, the dog was fostered by a woman experienced with fostering dogs who then neglected his needs (apparently she shut him away and not tend to him) so he ended up with open sores, then she phoned the RSPCA as she was concerned for his welfare-all sounds very odd to me-dog has been vet assessed and the decision has been made that he is not in pain and it is reasonable to treat him.

Actually I suspect the situation was a little different. Yes the rescue have dealt with this dog poorly an in a very unprepared way. And yes I think the foster cater was totally unprepared for the condition of the dog. However I'm not sure she neglected him. She phoned the rescue when it became apparent she couldn't cope and asked them to collect the dog. They sent a third party who the fosterer (rightly imo) refused to hand to hand the dog over to. It then took another two days for someone from the actual rescue to turn up for the dog.

In the fosterers position, I'd have called the rspca too. Clearly the rescue are not equipped to be importing dogs into the uk. They have no resources, no facilities and no back up.

Of course the dog is not in pain - he has paralysis in his back legs. The vets also did not say that it was reasonable to treat him.

 

[CinnamonChristmasCookie]

Wasn't there also mention on internal injuries, the fear being that he had been run over back home?

At my local rescue, there are several staffies, a collie, a yorkshire terrier, a GSD, several terriers, several lurchers, three labs, all different colours, take your pick, a brussels griffon x, 2 patterdales, a designer chi x, a Rottweiler x, a corgi x, 2 beagles, a mastiff x, some more lurchers and some more staffies and a lowchen (!!) and what look like imports, or at least they have Eastern European names (I think). IMO, no need to go more than a couple of miles to rescue.

http://www.nawt.org.uk/watford/anim...atusname=Re-Homing&AnimalStatusid=2&archived=

 

[twiggy2]

Actually I suspect the situation was a little different. Yes the rescue have dealt with this dog poorly an in a very unprepared way. And yes I think the foster cater was totally unprepared for the condition of the dog. However I'm not sure she neglected him. She phoned the rescue when it became apparent she couldn't cope and asked them to collect the dog. They sent a third party who the fosterer (rightly imo) refused to hand to hand the dog over to. It then took another two days for someone from the actual rescue to turn up for the dog.

In the fosterers position, I'd have called the rspca too. Clearly the rescue are not equipped to be importing dogs into the uk. They have no resources, no facilities and no back up.

Of course the dog is not in pain - he has paralysis in his back legs. The vets also did not say that it was reasonable to treat him.

you have quoted me out of context am, the RSPCA vet was concerned about pain from internal injuries from what was posted and they agreed to let another vet assess the dog and go from there, as they are going to be treating the dog then the second vet must feel it is reasonable to do so.
I don't agree with it but that is how it appears to read

 

[AmyMay]

I don't agree with it either.

The specialist vet said there were options for treatment, but they didn't recommend them.