Rescue Roulette: Dogs from Abroad

There are a lot less foreign dogs because there are fewer foreign dogs that’s not a helpful metric.

They do seem to be the ones that stay out longest when gone though, we had one living at the local tip catching rabbits for a year when they eventually caught him the owners didn’t want him back as they’d got a replacement
 
blackcob said:
How quickly everyone forgot the very public example #sophiefromromania
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to my mind that was a very public example of how not to rescue any dog from either UK or abroad. Someone described it as "social media clout" which was a good description. How on earth was a nervous/anxious dog ever going to settle with a TV camera but I guess it made good viewing for the public. Very very poor example of a rescue used for public entertainment. It would have been heart warming for Sophie if they had put a covered crate in a dark quiet corner and left her to decompress for as long as it took. OTOH that would not have made good viewing.
People no doubt look at that very biased example and half think how heart warming for the dog and the more enlightened think what idiots.
 
DabDab said:
Of course, because most people have a general level of graciousness and civility. If you had started a thread on here saying 'hey, I got a new dog' with a brief mention of them being a foreign street dog and maybe a cute picture, then the vast majority of posters would have just said something akin to 'ah that's nice'.

But you didn't do that, you burst onto a thread where people are specifically discussing the issues with foreign rescues in your usual combative posting style complete with sarcastic smilies. So other posters responded in kind.

From my pov, these dogs are a disease risk, are frequently mal-adjusted to domestic UK life, the charities involved range from excellent to appalling, and with people mostly coming across these dogs on Facebook it is hard to tell from a Facebook post whether the charity you are with are good/responsible or not. I also find the claim that there are simply no UK-origin dogs available absolutely ridiculous, no matter how many times people insist on it. I think people (typically those who spend a lot of time on Facebook), see something that they want, think it is a perk that they can get the rescue feel good factor, and then crack on with getting the dog.

I'm never going to think rehoming a dog the way you did is either responsible, or in any way necessary. But if I was to see you and your dog out and about and you mentioned where he came from I would probably say something along the lines of "oh well he looks like he's doing really well with the change, well done" or similar, because obviously I'm not going to stand there and insult someone's dog (or say anything that could be construed as an insult) - it is their dog and no doubt they are very fond of it.

I find it curious that you came on this thread the way you did, seemingly very invested in convincing everyone that rehoming a Rommie was actually a really great idea, and all the words of warning are just invented propaganda.

Why do you need people to agree with where you got your dog from? Why don't you just do what everyone else does and get the dog, enjoy the dog, and don't mention where it came from unless the conversation specifically goes there? Why does it always seem that people with foreign rescue dogs a)feel the need to tell everyone that it is a foreign rescue, and b)seem to want everyone to say how marvellous that is?
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I didn't start a thread about my new dogs and never intended to. If I had wanted nice comments I may well have done but I wasn't asking for nice or gracious comments, they are irrelevant to me either on here or IRL. Without this thread I doubt I would have even mentioned my dogs on the forum.

I came onto this thread because of the considerable bias against foreign, especially Romanian rescues. This is a discussion forum and I posted for balance. I mentioned and used examples of my own dogs because my experience was based on real live Romanian dogs not on comments I had read somewhere or documentaries I had watched. Most comments appear to be based on what someone has watched/read. My 2 dogs are at t he entire opposite end of the spectrum so I have real life experience of both ie one very forward and one very nervous and anxious.

personally I don't claim UK rescues are not available. They were to me, I was offered one I just didn't happen to want a UK one. As I explained to you earlier I chose one particular dog not any others whatsoever.
As for you thoughts as to if it was responsible then I disagree although your own view doesn't concern me much. The dog was tested, twice in fact for BC, vaccinated, health checked etc etc. When he arrived in the UK health checks (ie blood tests and faecal analysis etc) were carried out by my own vet at my request. I cannot see I have been irresponsible in any way. As to necessary well it was the only dog I wanted so it was either have him or alternatively not have any dog. I suppose I could have missed out by not having any and that dog could have lost out on having a home.

I am not here to convince anyone to have a foreign rescue. It is entirely up to them I just don't happen to share the prejudice here from the majority and I see no reason not to give another view/comment. I don't need anyone to agree with me,, it makes absolutely no difference. However there are always 2 sides and I think it is reasonable to post of success as well as failure. There are other success stories on here, it is not just me.
 
paddy555 said:
It would have been heart warming for Sophie if they had put a covered crate in a dark quiet corner and left her to decompress for as long as it took.
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IIRC they did eventually twig that this was not the mail order dog they assumed they were getting and left her to exist in a state of terror behind the sofa, emerging only at night to crap on the rug, for upwards of six months. Thing is it wasn't a biased example, they did nothing hundreds (thousands) of other adoptees of foreign rescues haven't already done and are still doing - seen a dog online and had it shipped to their door in a van with a dozen others.
 
splashgirl45 said:
On my Facebook reels lately there are videos of people holding puppies and saying they need homes and are ready to ship to the UK, they all look cute, as all puppies do, but also not relaxed and nervously licking their lips. It’s more like a business than rescue, why can’t they put their energies into neutering and therefore stop the huge numbers of puppies being born .
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When I was looking for a pulpy I went through a lot of ads and one rescue was a registered charity but when you looked at the filings it looked very unlikely that it actually was.
 
DabDab said:
a, and all the words of warning are just invented propaganda.
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the real word of warning IMO for anyone thinking of getting a foreign rescue is to get it BC APHA tested before import. If it is Romanian dog it will already have been done for you but to pre empt problems in the future if it comes from elsewhere make sure it comes along with an APHA cert (an online one) showing it is negative.
 
paddy555 said:
I came onto this thread because of the considerable bias against foreign, especially Romanian rescues. This is a discussion forum and I posted for balance. I mentioned and used examples of my own dogs because my experience was based on real live Romanian dogs not on comments I had read somewhere or documentaries I had watched. Most comments appear to be based on what someone has watched/read. My 2 dogs are at t he entire opposite end of the spectrum so I have real life experience of both ie one very forward and one very nervous and anxious.
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Did you deduce that people on holiday let their dogs run off leash with local dogs because it's something you saw in person or saw/read/watched/imagined?

Cause most people on this forum are dog people who speak from practical experience. When you're in it for a while, you realise most people only think about their own dogs/lives/situation. Some of us take a wider view and look at the bigger picture.
 
paddy555 said:
I didn't start a thread about my new dogs and never intended to. If I had wanted nice comments I may well have done but I wasn't asking for nice or gracious comments, they are irrelevant to me either on here or IRL. Without this thread I doubt I would have even mentioned my dogs on the forum.

I came onto this thread because of the considerable bias against foreign, especially Romanian rescues. This is a discussion forum and I posted for balance. I mentioned and used examples of my own dogs because my experience was based on real live Romanian dogs not on comments I had read somewhere or documentaries I had watched. Most comments appear to be based on what someone has watched/read. My 2 dogs are at t he entire opposite end of the spectrum so I have real life experience of both ie one very forward and one very nervous and anxious.

personally I don't claim UK rescues are not available. They were to me, I was offered one I just didn't happen to want a UK one. As I explained to you earlier I chose one particular dog not any others whatsoever.
As for you thoughts as to if it was responsible then I disagree although your own view doesn't concern me much. The dog was tested, twice in fact for BC, vaccinated, health checked etc etc. When he arrived in the UK health checks (ie blood tests and faecal analysis etc) were carried out by my own vet at my request. I cannot see I have been irresponsible in any way. As to necessary well it was the only dog I wanted so it was either have him or alternatively not have any dog. I suppose I could have missed out by not having any and that dog could have lost out on having a home.

I am not here to convince anyone to have a foreign rescue. It is entirely up to them I just don't happen to share the prejudice here from the majority and I see no reason not to give another view/comment. I don't need anyone to agree with me,, it makes absolutely no difference. However there are always 2 sides and I think it is reasonable to post of success as well as failure. There are other success stories on here, it is not just me.
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prejudice
preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

I think in my case it is not prejudice because every person I know of who has adopted a rescue dog from outside of the UK has had long term problems or health issues that have been very expensive to treat.
My help walks dogs and the average modern owner doesn't seem to have enough basic knowledge about dogs and thier training even to look after and meet it's needs even if dog that comes straight from a UK breeder. A dog with no known history and undiagnosed problems is well above a lot of owners competence.
The sad thing is their owners wanted to do a good thing, and so matter how difficult the dog is they feel a failure if they give up.
 
paddy555 said:
the real word of warning IMO for anyone thinking of getting a foreign rescue is to get it BC APHA tested before import. If it is Romanian dog it will already have been done for you but to pre empt problems in the future if it comes from elsewhere make sure it comes along with an APHA cert (an online one) showing it is negative.
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Ah yes, but thats not mentioning the fake paperwork that has caused issues on multiple occasions that people are told to rely on.

And is it bias? These dogs are being imported and bringing diseases here that we dont have. Its not bias to say, well just dont bring them then. Never mind all the other issues.
 
I'm Dun said:
Ah yes, but thats not mentioning the fake paperwork that has caused issues on multiple occasions that people are told to rely on.

And is it bias? These dogs are being imported and bringing diseases here that we dont have. Its not bias to say, well just dont bring them then. Never mind all the other issues.
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My advice was to APHA test and I'm not sure how you would fake that as a rescue.

on the diseases I got insurance quotes from several companies and spoke to some.. Mine were based on 25 kg plus Carpathian crosses and the premiums were very reasonable. I dont think the insurance thought they were too much of a risk.
CorvusCorax said:
Did you deduce that people on holiday let their dogs run off leash with local dogs because it's something you saw in person or saw/read/watched/imagined?

Cause most people on this forum are dog people who speak from practical experience. When you're in it for a while, you realise most people only think about their own dogs/lives/situation. Some of us take a wider view and look at the bigger picture.
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re para 1 if there is absolutely no risk to UK dogs abroad why have Langford (and they are not the only ones) introduced screening tests for dogs that have travelled outside of the UK. Only 2 reasons I can think of are firstly it is simply a money making exercise for them. Secondly they believe there is a risk that needs to be identified.

Practical experience for me is having taken on a foreign rescue not speaking from what they may have read. DEFRA identified a risk and mine were tested as a result.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Meanwhile MurphysMinder and I will be waiting for the next frantic post on local Facebook to look out for terrified Romanian rescue dogs which have escaped from their new owners and gone on the run. There’s a prolific local importer of these dogs 🙄.

Along with the usual orders ‘Don’t approach, dog is a rescue and will be very frightened’ even though they’ve had the dog for a long time. Last one was on the run for several days in and around town complete with harness and trailing lead after breaking free on a walk. Town seemed to lose its mind worrying about this poor furbaby which was eventually discovered alive but exhausted and asleep on a river bank. Poor beggar.

The fur baby brigade then went wild cooing over the safe return of the dog and opined that the new owner was doing such a wonderful thing giving a loving home to this rescue dog.

Rinse and repeat with slightly different circumstances each time.
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It is the same over here….and we have hundreds maybe even more in rescues and pounds desperate for proper homes…
I feel so sorry for foreign dogs looking for homes, but can we deal with our dogs first please….
I also see posts from genuine rescues who are sending dogs to countries like Sweden….something does not make sense
 
paddy555 said:
My advice was to APHA test and I'm not sure how you would fake that as a rescue.

on the diseases I got insurance quotes from several companies and spoke to some.. Mine were based on 25 kg plus Carpathian crosses and the premiums were very reasonable. I dont think the insurance thought they were too much of a risk.

re para 1 if there is absolutely no risk to UK dogs abroad why have Langford (and they are not the only ones) introduced screening tests for dogs that have travelled outside of the UK. Only 2 reasons I can think of are firstly it is simply a money making exercise for them. Secondly they believe there is a risk that needs to be identified.

Practical experience for me is having taken on a foreign rescue not speaking from what they may have read. DEFRA identified a risk and mine were tested as a result.
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So you have no practical experience or first hand eyewitness knowledge of people letting their dogs on holiday go mingling with others?

Please don't continue to accuse me and others of only basing our opinions on what we have read, because it's not true.
 
Marshpiper said:
It is the same over here….and we have hundreds maybe even more in rescues and pounds desperate for proper homes…
I feel so sorry for foreign dogs looking for homes, but can we deal with our dogs first please….
I also see posts from genuine rescues who are sending dogs to countries like Sweden….something does not make sense
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Some countries like Sweden have such strict ownership rules that they effectively have little to no stray/rescue dogs available "in house"
 
Personally I find it wild that I have to give my name and address to buy a bag of sheep nuts, but people can bring dogs into the country willy nilly from all over Europe with essentially no restrictions.

I'm not surprised that the vets have got fed up with the status quo and decided to start screening for certain diseases.
 
blackcob said:
IIRC they did eventually twig that this was not the mail order dog they assumed they were getting and left her to exist in a state of terror behind the sofa, emerging only at night to crap on the rug, for upwards of six months. Thing is it wasn't a biased example, they did nothing hundreds (thousands) of other adoptees of foreign rescues haven't already done and are still doing - seen a dog online and had it shipped to their door in a van with a dozen others.
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Dogliveroo.
 
Anybody that thinks that some rescues won't try to circumvent the rule on testing dogs from Romania before importation needs to cast their mind back to 2022 when there was a temporary ban on importation of dogs from Romania, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine.
 
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I think a large number of people on here absolutely do have first hand experience?

I'm one of them.

I've already highlighted the problems a family member endured with a urine stained, shut down and terrified dog who did not move from the spot he was first placed. A dog who was handed over to them from a crowded van in a car park.

I was actively involved in his care. I was there.

No home check. No meet and greet with the other resident dogs.

My opinion is not based on what I have read or seen on TV.

It's based on my first hand experience of how little regard these 'rescues' have for the animals in their stewardship.
 
skinnydipper said:
Anybody that thinks that some rescues won't try to circumvent the rule on testing dogs from Romania before importation needs to cast their mind back to 2022 when there was a temporary ban on importation of dogs from Romania, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine.
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I was at a competition in France over ten years ago where a team from Eastern Europe was sent home because their Rabies paperwork was incorrect.
 
Jenko109 said:
I think a large number of people on here absolutely do have first hand experience?

I'm one of them.

I've already highlighted the problems a family member endured with a urine stained, shut down and terrified dog who did not move from the spot he was first placed. A dog who was handed over to them from a crowded van in a car park.

I was actively involved in his care. I was there.

No home check. No meet and greet with the other resident dogs.

My opinion is not based on what I have read or seen on TV.

It's based on my first hand experience of how little regard these 'rescues' have for the animals in their stewardship.
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Yep as I mentioned, among other experiences, a person I know well with a full time job working long hours with a big commute, five kids ranging from toddlers to teens, being allowed to re-home a dog from Eastern Europe which has turned out to be MUCH larger than expected, has already bitten at least one tradesperson, and the suggestion that he not be allowed free run of the house when there are unknown guests, seemed like a revelation.
I was briefly on the page they got the dog from, CONSTANT beggy, heartstring-tugging posts and to be honest all the dogs look the same/seem to be from the same 'source'.
 
CorvusCorax said:
a person I know well with a full time job working long hours with a big commute, five kids ranging from toddlers to teens, being allowed to re-home a dog from Eastern Europe which has turned out to be MUCH larger than expected, has already bitten at least one tradesperson, and the suggestion that he not be allowed free run of the house when there are unknown guests, seemed like a revelation.
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They had probably been turned down by a UK rescue but they managed to get a dog from somewhere :(
 
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Sophie from Romania a year ago, stressed half to death. What a miserable process for all concerned


They did after 6 months get her on medication and things have thankfully improved. But the time and money and not to forget the emotional toll its taken to get to this point is substantial


None of them should have had to go through that.
 
The worst I had was presented in a crate as they couldn’t get a lead on it- they’d had it in their house 8 months. It behaved like a wild fox immediately bolting to dark spaces, but was in worse condition than most foxes. It had a terrible untreated tumour that had eaten most of its hard pallet away but of course no one had been able to assess it until we knocked it out like a zoo animal. It was skin, bones and soiled mats.
Saw 2x American bully’s, a doodle and a Rommie on Saturday. Only the Rommie tried to bite me without warning.
The history of the people running some of the rescues can often be quite revealing with a quick Google.
Of course there are good ones, running to high standards. And there are several terrible uk rescues and ‘not for profit’ organisations. And even worse ‘breeders’.
 
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