To think that "rescuing" an imported dog is a bad idea?

[pepsicolagirl]

So last lockdown (ahem, and the one before) we had the company of our dog to motivate us to get moving everyday. She was an old girl who sadly had to be put to sleep in September due to old age and early stage heart failure.

Since then I have been looking for a new dog to join our family. I feel very strongly that I'm just a better version of myself when I have a dog around and we can offer a nice family home with years of dog ownership experience and a nice big secure garden. I work from home (did so pre lockdown) so no issue there

But OMG the prices of dogs at the moment!!!
Now, I understand that cheap dogs are not a good idea because of people buying them on a whim but even though I KNOW I can afford the day to day costs of feeding and properly caring for a pup I can in no way justify upwards of 1500 to buy one and I am absolutely gutted about it.

I have been looking at rescues too, it would be nice to have a young puppy but I am absolutely aware of the amount of work involved and I would be happy to open our home to a rescue but there are none out there suitable for a home with 6yrs+ children so that's not an option.

The other thing I'm seeing all over the place are dogs/puppies which have been rescued in places like Romania and then sold in the UK.
Now, the prices are lower and many accept kids 6+ but why does it feel like such a bad idea to me!?
If you've got one of these dogs I would love to hear from you as to why I'm wrong in feeling like this about them?

it's not a bad idea for someone who is experienced in dogs and wants to rescue a dog that otherwise may not get the chance of a happy life. join some rescue groups on Facebook to get more information. I I know of a few people who have got rescue dogs from other countries, it's something I would do in the future when I no longer have a dog.

@KarmaNoMore

I would be a little bit wary of getting a grown up dog “imported” from wherever... have you seen how many adults dogs are being stolen during walks and from homes in front of their owners to be sold straight away??? Hundreds!

So your new pet may not be coming from Romania but from a heartbroken family 10 miles away.

Would be interested in seeing the independent research for your claim.

The £400 is likely to have gone towards the costs at the shelter (rent, utilities, food, any vaccinations and neutering, ticks and fleas treatments, etc) plus the travel to the UK. Depending on how long the dog had been in the care of the shelter, the cost would have been much higher.

As with any dog, it depends on the dog.

My two are both Romanian rescues and are absolute stars. I could not ask for better dogs. I mean, one rolls in fox poo and has a terrier temperament so does not always come back when yelled at in frustration asked to, and the other is a little prone to a runny bum so sometimes I have to get up in the middle of the night to take him outside but they have very sweet temperaments, love a snuggle, adore my family (adults only), are great with other dogs out on walks, and are generally wonderful little furballs.

If you want to look into getting a Rommie, mine were both from here: www.facebook.com/lasthope2life

They were fostered by my friend first, which is how I came to adopt them, so she gave me very honest feedback about their personalities and behaviours and what training was needed, so I knew what to expect. I would not have got a dog I had not met first, who was shipped over from Romania especially for me.

I think if you have children, the younger the rescue the better (suspect puppies brought up with children are probably better suited to living with them) as they are less likely to be traumatised and have behavioural issues. Do look at fostered dogs as their fosterer will be able to advise you as to how well a certain dog is likely to suit you.

Good luck finding a great dog for you!

We’ve had our DDog 1 year and 10 months. He was in a kennel in the UK but had originally been brought over from Romania. He was, we were told, a 4 year old much loved pet whose vet owner did not have time for him.

However the rescue, as well meaning as they were, had not done their homework properly. Turns out the Romanian vet had rescued him from an abusive owner and, I imagine, omitted the full details of his history in order to get him on a van to England for a better life. We found this out after reaching out to the rescue in desperation at his reactive behaviour, who contacted the vet in Romania who gave his full history.

Fortunately, with his full history we were able to spend over a thousand pounds to work with behaviourists. Today he’s still a little reactive but his anxiety is better managed and he’s happy.

He is my BABY and I love him so very much, but I would NEVER get another rescue dog unless it was from a very reputable UK rescue.

Incidentally, it also turned out he was 8 years old, not 4, and after 8 years living in a small concrete yard took over a year to be reliably housetrained. He still marks things when especially anxious.

I started a 'AMA' in the doggo section about this, as I have a Romanian rescue dog (3 months, coming up to 4) and endevoured to be brutally honest about it.

I haven't been back mainly because of the baiting posts, although I'll prolly check it out soon.

It's nothing to be done on a whim, not that I am suggesting you are. To take on a Romanian rescue you really do have to be prepared for, and actually want, the challenge. There's always stories about how people have rehomed them and 'it's been a dream' but I assure you that is far from the norm. I think it makes a big difference whether you rehome from a UK rescue who is importing these but also helping the dogs with transition, versus importing yourself.

I imported direct from the rescue in Romania. Most of the dogs have never seen a house. Most are far more comfortable with the company of other dogs than humans, and they are extremely frightened and nervous.

In my limited experience, Romanian dogs don't exhibit the same 'normal' (or what we know as normal) behaviour that UK dogs do. They are far more instinctual and a different kettle of fish.

And an above poster mentioned about constant escaping. She is absolutely correct - if you are not foolproof there's no question if they'll break free and escape, it's a question of when. Most places advise the use of a slip lead at all times in addition to a harness. You use the harness to walk the dog, but the slip lead is there for WHEN they break free of the harness (and only then, don't use it otherwise), so you don't lose the dog or it gets hit by a car. A back up slip lead has saved us on about 8 occasions - and trust me, we've hardly been taking her for long strolls as she was too frightened to, we had to build up extremely slowly.

I see posts frequently from people at their wits end days, or even a couple weeks in, and it shocks me because it's clear they weren't realistic about what they were taking on. No matter what the rescue tells you - prepare for the worst. A dog arriving in a shut down, almost catatonic state like ours did.

I love my dog to pieces. It will stretch your patience. You will have at least one small moment of regret along the line, but probably more. Above all, please do not do it unless you are seriously determined and will not give up the dog if in 3 months (or 6, or even 9) it's still not acting like what we know as a 'normal dog' .

Oh, and romanian rescues do homecheck. If they don't - go elsewhere. I have not come across a genuine rescue yet who has not done home checking. They utilise rescue volunteers (or those with rescue and homechecking) in the rehoming country, who yes will check you have permissions to have the dog (or own your own home), your living situation, garden, and will quizz you on what you intend to do in example situations. They are also there to give you a wealth of advice and many of them are owners of rommies themselves.

They make wonderful dogs if you are realistic and informed. The reward is amazing. But you must know what you are getting into or you will likely be disappointed.

I thought it also important to mention. We will be rehoming our second rommie this year. It has not put us off. We very much wanted to put all the work in and have found it to be deeply rewarding. But it is not for everyone, and I did also say on the thread that personally, I would not advise rehoming one in a house with children unless 18+. I also mentioned there that not every Rommie is suited to life in a house. Hopefully some things to think about and help inform. Best of luck whatever you choose to do. :)

@pepsicolagirl I presume you’re not asking re the dog’s personalities, rather the ethics.

Yanbu most of these ‘rescues’ are private ‘charities’ and not muck more than dog traffickers, there was a fairly recent programme on it, we have one near us called Halfway Home Rescue, they have a large following however our Vet told us to avoid, not because of the poor dogs but the owners.

Many of these places have make a lot of money because of the quantity of dogs they traffic, they only need to make £50 on a dog but sell many of them, very little rules, hardy any home checks.

Sorry to post again - but a couple of things I forgot.

If you do rehome one, I advise leaving a lead attached to the harness (NOT slip lead) on in the house, for a while. This is a great tip I learnt from the home checkers for extremely nervous dogs, as really when a nervous and terrified dog is new to your house you should not be touching or even getting in their space enough to touch, and definitely no cornering them. You can then pick up the lead when you need to do anything with the dog, and invite them into your space. It really was a saving grace in our case.

Our dog was house trained in about 5 days. We had two accidents in the house at first. Then one further down the line. Don't punish them for it. Usually dogs who have lived in concrete kennels for years typically prefer to do it outside anyway. I found that aspect easier than house training a pup. But as you can see from someone elses experience above, it's not always the case.

I adopted a Romanian pup for £400 a few months ago. Beautiful dog. Sadly I've recently had to rehome her via the charity as I was really struggling. As a first time dog owner and a single parent I made a massive mistake adopting her and I hold my hands up that I wasn't a suitable owner. Not the dog's fault at all, she will be a fantastic pet with experienced owners and the right training. Please no one jump on me for this it was a difficult decision and I've learnt my lesson I will never have a dog again as much as I love them, I am definitely not cut out for it. The charity I rehomed through also promised rescue back up when I adopted her but once she was here they weren't interested despite me contacting them multiple times with my struggles and concerns.

She came into the UK health checked, vaccinated and with her passport. I took her to the vets when she arrived to be safe and they said she was in great health. She was a lot of hard work but so so loving. An escape artist and a digger which is very common with Rommies! She managed to escape from her harness so double leading is advised. She learnt to jump the fence so I had to make it higher. When I made it higher she managed to push the fence slats out. In the end she couldn't be in the garden alone which she hated.

[quote FAQs]@pepsicolagirl I presume you’re not asking re the dog’s personalities, rather the ethics.

Yanbu most of these ‘rescues’ are private ‘charities’ and not muck more than dog traffickers, there was a fairly recent programme on it, we have one near us called Halfway Home Rescue, they have a large following however our Vet told us to avoid, not because of the poor dogs but the owners.

Many of these places have make a lot of money because of the quantity of dogs they traffic, they only need to make £50 on a dog but sell many of them, very little rules, hardy any home checks.[/quote]
You do realise that a lot of these rescues have these dogs for years before they find a home, yeah?

They also pay for the dog to be spayed, vaccinated, fed, vet trips/check ups, passports, wormed, de-flead, the harnesses they need to travel with, and not to mention the amount of time and back up that the Romanian rescues will spend with prospective and current owners?

Have you rehomed a rommie? Because if so I'm surprised if you think the rehoming fee covers that.

UK rescues are making a shit ton more on their rehomes. There is zero way that a dog in their care for years is earning them any money on their rehoming fees at all. A dog in their care a month or two with the spaying and other preventative treatments will have already well exceeded the rehoming fee cost. Most will be more than happy to show you as much, too.

I've also just debunked your home check theory. A genuine rommie rescue will perform thorough homechecks through UK homecheckers. If a 'rescue' isn't - it's not a rescue.

Have you tried a British rescue centre? Apparently they are inundated with dogs that people bought during the last lockdown and now can't be bothered with.
Buying (or "rescuing" as it's a business really) from abroad is a minefield though - many of these dogs are semi wild and many also have incurable diseases. Many have been imported illegally. If you go down that route be very careful.

My ndn's dog was a street dog and taken into a rescue in Spain and assessed for several months before being brought over for adoption. He's a little dear.

@Youdonut the local one to me doesn’t do home checks, my parents adopted one 3 weeks ago from a ‘Ronnie’ rescue, in their 70s, no home check, a 4 month old puppy, that rescue, in Hampshire also had a large emotional following and waiting list.

The long journey over in the vans are also often incredibly traumatic for the poor animals.

They are not alone, and yes I do have experience, my dog is from a UK rescue however I have experience or trying to assist when it all goes wrong.

Many of these ‘rescues’ are merely dog traffickers although you’ll obviously disagree.

‘Rommie’

@SnackSizeRaisin

Have you tried a British rescue centre? Apparently they are inundated with dogs that people bought during the last lockdown and now can't be bothered with. Buying (or "rescuing" as it's a business really) from abroad is a minefield though - many of these dogs are semi wild and many also have incurable diseases. Many have been imported illegally. If you go down that route be very careful.

Absolutely agree, even the importers who appear to be genuine sadly.

@SnackSizeRaisin

Have you tried a British rescue centre? Apparently they are inundated with dogs that people bought during the last lockdown and now can't be bothered with. Buying (or "rescuing" as it's a business really) from abroad is a minefield though - many of these dogs are semi wild and many also have incurable diseases. Many have been imported illegally. If you go down that route be very careful.

I have been looking at rescues, as our old fella passed away earlier this year. We have cats. Dogs Trust - filtered to 'can live with cats' - four dogs in the whole of the UK, two already reserved and the other two about 300 miles from where we live. That's just cats. Heaven help people with children as well!

This is my Croatian rescue now 7 years old. Got him aged 6 months and he was a street dog. Used to eat anything, but he's more fussy now!

He is a lovely, amazing dog.

We got a rescue from Greece via a uk based rescue organisation. He was very nervous of us to start with but got on very well with our other dogs straight away. He's the happiest, most affectionate, kind and calm dog you could wish for and we couldn't have got a better dog if we'd picked him ourselves.

@Youdonut great post.

What would concern me about this most would be what the long term implications of this sort of dog trade are.

Rather like overseas adoptions of infants, people who found it increasingly difficult to adopt where they are look to places where unwanted infants seemed more plentiful, living in orphanages.

But this has not always been positive, as it can tend to create a sort of trade or industry around it, even within orphanages which come to depend on these adopters infusing them with cash. It affects the government response to the problems behind the situation too. This is why groups like UNICEF are now much moe cautious about recommending international adoption and it isn't allowed in more and more places.

I can easily imagining that if the importing of dogs continues in this manner, you may see the same kinds of problems cropping up.

@TiddyTid 💕 he is gorgeous! 🥰

@ChestnutStuffing

What would concern me about this most would be what the long term implications of this sort of dog trade are.

Rather like overseas adoptions of infants, people who found it increasingly difficult to adopt where they are look to places where unwanted infants seemed more plentiful, living in orphanages.

But this has not always been positive, as it can tend to create a sort of trade or industry around it, even within orphanages which come to depend on these adopters infusing them with cash. It affects the government response to the problems behind the situation too. This is why groups like UNICEF are now much moe cautious about recommending international adoption and it isn't allowed in more and more places.

I can easily imagining that if the importing of dogs continues in this manner, you may see the same kinds of problems cropping up.

Your post is interesting, I suspect and hope, you are correct, the leap in known numbers of imported dogs has certainly hugely leaped in the past decade, it’s becoming a big business.

*preventituve measures and legislation