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Good Karma Rescue

14 replies

GameofPhones · 05/02/2020 23:46

Does anyone have experience with Good Karma Rescue? They rehome dogs from Roumania, Greece and Cyprus.

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GameofPhones · 06/02/2020 01:26

OK, have just read the thread about importing rescue dogs. High risk of behavioural problems, as many are feral.

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bunnygeek · 06/02/2020 15:25

You'll get people who've had good experiences, others who will have had awful experiences. UK rescues are the only ones who pick up the pieces when an adoption goes wrong as many of these foreign rescues don't have as much UK-based support as you would get from a UK-based rescue.

Adopting from countries like Romania won't fix the stray dog problem in those countries either. If anything, it creates a bit of a market for imported dogs that some dodgy people have been known to exploit.

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LochJessMonster · 06/02/2020 16:24

I know plenty of people who have adopted dogs from abroad and they are lovely dogs. I know people who have adopted dogs from here and they turned out to have problems.

I also know the reverse.

You just need to make sure the rescue has 'rescue back up' in the UK, so if something doesn't work out, the dog can be returned to a foster.

I have no issue with people adopting dogs from abroad, a dog is a dog and needs a home no matter where it has come from.

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Whynosnowyet · 06/02/2020 16:28

Imo UK have enough ddogs needing homes...
Choose one of those.
And I say this after some research myself of a particular breed I wanted.
Actually felt guilty for considering it.

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Minkyscamp · 06/02/2020 16:42

I have used Good karma when we adopted a dog last year and they were great. They were extremely thorough and very careful about matching the right owners to their dogs. We have two young children and an older rescue dog (from the UK- pre kids) and they took all of this into account.

In response to previous posters, no, adopting a Romanian dog won't make a difference to the huge stray problem they have in that country or others similar, but it is preferable, in my view, to give a home to a stray if possible. We couldn't adopt a rescue in the UK due to having young kids. They also do a lot of work to contribute to neutering programmes which are key to managing the issue.

Our dog is lovely. She's really affectionate and has responded well to training. No problems there, and our UK rescue (who is anxious) has far more problems. However, as I say, Good Karma took our circumstances into account when matching us, and so we got a young dog who was confident - she had been living on a farm with her siblings and mother, and was well looked after by a local vet who the charity works with. We wouldn't have been matched with a 'feral' dog, but I know lots of others who have had street strays from Good Karma through the fb group you can join after adopting, and there's so much support, all seem very well adjusted dogs.

I don't think all organisations are quite as strict/picky and I've heard quite a few stories of bad experiences with people adopting from abroad, so it pays to do your research into the different charities. Ones that rehome loads of dogs might not be as thorough.

Hope that helps.

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GameofPhones · 06/02/2020 19:24

Thankyou for replies.

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Booboostwo · 07/02/2020 08:12

If there is any kind of financial incentive for the locals in these countries to hand in stray dogs, not only will rehoming from these countries not help, but it will make things worse as people will breed on purpose to get the financial reward from the 'stupid' English rescue.

Have you heard the story of the British people who came to France and tried to save horses from the meat market? It was about a decade ago now. This couple, with no experience with horses, relocated to France and were shocked to find that in France horses are bred for meat. So they bought a couple of horses at their local horse meat market to save them from slaughter, then realized how difficult and expensive it was to look after them so they set up a charity. They bought more land, started rehoming the horses and shipping many of them back to the UK (at a huge cost comparatively to the value of the animal). This became very popular very quickly and as a result more meat horses were rescued...driving the meat horse prices up. Since demand was up, supply rose to meet it. The ended up creating a surge in horses bred for the meat market, horses that are not bred with the temperament or conformation to be ridden and have a useful life, so their owners face 25-35 years of bills for an overgrown lawnmower that shits all the time.

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Piglet208 · 07/02/2020 09:02

I don't know Good Karma Rescue but I have adopted a dog from Romania through a different charity. I would suggest you check to see if they offer ongoing support after adoption in case of any problems as like any rescue dog from anywhere you do not know the full history and behavioural problems can emerge. The rescue charity I used are superb. Really supportive and helpful with a UK centre as well as one in Romania. They offer lots of pre adoption advice to help settle your dog. The volunteers are very dedicated to reducing strays in the area they cover and I believe they also work with programmes to neuter strays in an attempt to reduce the problem in the future. I've been incredibly lucky. My dog is absolutely wonderful with a joyous personality and no problems in the 6 months we have had him.

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Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 08/02/2020 17:41

So glad I saw this thread. We are looking at adopting a dog from Good Karma. They have been great so far and very thorough and helpful. Even if we don’t end up adopting him, I feel they have been honest and helpful in the process so far. We have previously adopted from a UK rescue and has a different experience.

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Xigris · 28/02/2020 18:38

Really pleased to have found this thread! We’re also liaising with GKR about adopting a Romanian puppy. They’ve been incredibly helpful and thorough. Far more so than the two English rescue centres we’ve previously spoken to.........

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MaddyJ2011 · 18/04/2020 19:30

We adopted a Romania puppy six weeks ago through Good Karma Rescue. They were so helpful throughout, and really do take care to match the dog to the right family. Our girl wasn't feral not all Romanian dogs are but she was very nervous. Now she's a gem. No problems at all. I'd definitely recommend adopting through them.

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Ylvamoon · 18/04/2020 22:18

These guys are already in the UK...

www.battersea.org.uk/dogs/dog-rehoming-gallery

... and there are many more waiting in other rescue centres.

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MaddyJ2011 · 19/04/2020 13:26

I think ultimately you have to go for the dog that's right for you. We looked every day for weeks at Battersea, Mayhew, Dogs Trust, RSPCA and various small rescue organisations and every time we found a dog that seemed suitable it had already gone when we contacted them. With Battersea you have to ring in after you've registered, to see what new dogs have come in, because lots of them are adopted before they get to the website. We happened to see Lola on Good Karma's page, and they've been very good.

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Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 19/04/2020 13:43

We used Good Karma and I’d highly recommend them. They were very thorough in their checks. I think many rescue dogs come with some issues. We’ve had two, one from Romania and one from a UK rescue, and you do get a lot of love from them and great to watch their confidence grow! Good luck!

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