Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Romanian dog rescue

403 replies

Preciousmemory · 22/02/2025 17:30

I am in an awful situation that I can find no solution to. Please if any one could give me some advice.
i have rescued a Romanian dog which has turned out so badly.
He arrived 10 days ago and has serious problems I am not able to deal with so am asking if anyone can offer me advice.
The rescue have a policy that I must give him back to be rehomed but are not able to find anyone although it is a short time they are describing him on the advert as a dog that loves humans and children and dogs. A huge part of this is not right I have not tested him with a child but as for people he definitely does not like them , only me.
He attacks my husband in the morning, in the evening when he returns home from work and then randomly at any other time. The attacks are getting progressively worse. But yesterday he met my 80 year old tiny dad for the first time which I had also for the first time put a muzzle on him after 7 days of training with it.
The attack was so ferocious on my dad that he was foaming at the mouth leaping as high as his shoulders to grab him but because he was muzzled there was no damage. my dad immediately left. I despair to think what may have happened otherwise. My daughter turned up shortly after the same thing happened. I was thinking he maybe afraid of men but it seems not.
I have constantly tried to work with the Romanian Rescue which could take months for them to find a suitable home, the only option I have from them is to stick this traumatised dog into a kennel which will cause further damage to him, but I am not able to keep him in my home with this level of aggression.
Dog rescues are full up. I have contacted a few that specifically deal with dog aggression. I do not see how this poor dog can just be homed in a normal family environment as this will happen again. He is a large growing powerful dog that could cause serious damage to a person.
Thank you for reading , this is such an anxious problem that I see no solution to.
I am grateful for any advice possible .

OP posts:
ToBeOrNotToBee · 22/02/2025 17:31

The dog needs putting to sleep. It is simply not safe.

W0tnow · 22/02/2025 17:32

He sounds dangerous. You took him in good faith but it sounds like they weren’t honest with you. I would seriously consider euthanasia.

MelainesLaugh · 22/02/2025 17:33

This is the problem with rescues from abroad. They are a totally unknown quantity.

I would definitely be having him put to sleep after that

Sloelydoesit · 22/02/2025 17:33

Poor dog is terrified and confused. I would say putting to sleep wouldn't be a bad thing

FionnulaTheCooler · 22/02/2025 17:34

If its that aggressive have it put down. Its beyond me why people bring dogs here from abroad when there are plenty of dogs here in shelters already.

Thehop · 22/02/2025 17:36

Please have the poor dog put to sleep. This will not end safely any other way.

TitusMoan · 22/02/2025 17:37

I am sorry to say it but this dog needs to be put to sleep. No one would have hesitated to do this twenty or thirty years ago. Foaming at the mouth? The dog is literally mad. There is no coming back from this. You cannot fix it.

This country has enough out of control dogs without importing any more.

Floralnomad · 22/02/2025 17:37

Ok , you email the rescue and tell them that if the dog is not removed from your care by 10 am on Monday that you will be arranging to have him pts on Monday as he cannot stay in your home . Phone and tell them the same . Then actually follow through and do it before someone gets seriously injured .

TizerorFizz · 22/02/2025 17:37

It’s a massive risk and it has not paid off. You have a dangerous dog that is vicious. There’s no alternative to getting it put down. Why not rescue a dog from here?

Potsofpetals · 22/02/2025 17:40

And this is why you should support your local rescue.

ShodAndShadySenators · 22/02/2025 17:43

He is a large growing powerful dog that could cause serious damage to a person.

He's also extremely aggressive to people who have not tried to harm him in any way. It will only get worse and I would personally take this dog to my vet to be euthanised without any hesitation at all. Human safety should be priority over a dangerous dog.

(I'm another who doesn't understand why, with British animal shelters overflowing with unwanted animals, people feel the need to import more?)

Coercivecontrol · 22/02/2025 17:44

I’m really shocked that these types of rescue dogs are allowed to be rehomed this way. I see it all the time on Facebook posts about the ‘happy bus’ for the dogs coming to the UK it’s very romanticised (and clearly lucrative for someone it’s almost dog trafficking!) and I’ve seen so many cases where these dogs have huge issues medical and/or behavioural (I used to be a vet nurse)

BotterMon · 22/02/2025 17:45

Straight to vet and have it put down. If you rescue another dog, please go to a UK rescue rather than bringing in from abroad.

TaylorSwish · 22/02/2025 17:46

I would pts.
You have done everything you can and it’s not your fault that it will end this way. 💐

oakleaffy · 22/02/2025 17:46

@Preciousmemory Our vets tell many a similar story with Romanian dogs.
Human aggressive and have bitten peaceful members of the family and other dogs.

The lies the sellers ( “ rescues”) tell are shocking.
Many that were sold in the area in lockdown are now euthanised-
We don’t live in an area where dog aggressive/ human aggressive dogs can be safely owned.

Hope you can return this dog ASAP and warn people that it is aggressive.

oakleaffy · 22/02/2025 17:48

@Preciousmemory I too would suggest PTS before it is passed on to another family and someone or their pet is bitten.

BabyBoy765 · 22/02/2025 17:49

God, I'm Romanian, and I don't understand this at all. Stray dogs in Romania are horrible. They traumatised my childhood. I spent every walk to school being terrified I may get attacked.

Do people really think Romanians are heartless shit humans who won't take in perfectly nice dogs? Have you stopped for a second to think why these dogs can't find a family home in their own country? Maybe because people there know they're hopeless and should be put down in the first place?

A dog that vicious needs to be put down. If you give it back and allow whatever dodgy charity you got him from to give it to another family, you are just as irresponsible as they are.

oakleaffy · 22/02/2025 17:50

Coercivecontrol · 22/02/2025 17:44

I’m really shocked that these types of rescue dogs are allowed to be rehomed this way. I see it all the time on Facebook posts about the ‘happy bus’ for the dogs coming to the UK it’s very romanticised (and clearly lucrative for someone it’s almost dog trafficking!) and I’ve seen so many cases where these dogs have huge issues medical and/or behavioural (I used to be a vet nurse)

It IS Dog trafficking.
Extremely lucrative.

There are very nice Irish and U.K. greyhounds who are properly assessed with great backup.

Our vets see these a lot- the other day it was sighthound a go go in the waiting room - and very peaceful!

lalalove · 22/02/2025 17:51

Please don't take the advice to have the dog put to sleep as you will have a contract with the rescue, they will not respond well to you doing that.

I think you need to be really really firm with the rescue that they need to find a suitable foster or help raise money for the dog to be placed with a paid fosterer or boarding facility temporarily.

DinoLil · 22/02/2025 17:52

You will have to have the dog PTS. I can't see any other option.

Also, rehoming from abroad brings sooo many other problems, let alone not being able to insure and finding it difficult to register with a vet due to Brucella Canis. I'm sure the charity told you all about this before you rescued? No? Neither did the charity my friend rescued a dog from abroad.

Why on earth did you think rescuing from abroad was a good idea, when we have so many dogs here that need homes??

Get it put down. This has disaster written all over it, least of all for the dog, never mind your family.

ThatEllie · 22/02/2025 17:52

Get an emergency vet appointment and have it euthanised.

You can inform the “rescue” if you want so that they can take it back before the appointment but personally I would feel responsible if they passed it on to someone else and they got hurt. I would have it euthanised and ask the vet to write a letter about the dog’s behaviour at the appointment so that if the rescue kicks off you have documentation from a professional about how it was acting. It will probably be very aggressive when you take it in so they shouldn’t have an issue doing this.

Mingenious · 22/02/2025 17:54

I would have him put to sleep too. The rescue sound incompetent and negligent.

Mumofyellows · 22/02/2025 17:54

Very similar happened to my friend with a Romanian rescue, it also ate her entire skitlrting in the hallway and managed to escape and run away twice a long long way. It became agressive and guarded her to the point her young kids and husband couldn't go near her without being attacked. It went back and was subsequently PTS as they could not rehabilitate or train the issues away.
OP I have the most wonderful rescue from a UK based shelter, she's soft as butter and the best girl. I urge you to look at some of the dogs we have here as there are some fantastic ones waiting for homes ❤️

lalalove · 22/02/2025 17:54

Has the dog seen a vet in the UK? I would seem their advice and also have the dog checked out as could possibly be very sick which could be affecting its behaviour.

Coercivecontrol · 22/02/2025 17:54

lalalove · 22/02/2025 17:51

Please don't take the advice to have the dog put to sleep as you will have a contract with the rescue, they will not respond well to you doing that.

I think you need to be really really firm with the rescue that they need to find a suitable foster or help raise money for the dog to be placed with a paid fosterer or boarding facility temporarily.

The rescue wont be regulated and they will likely just rehome elsewhere saying it’s safe around other pets / children. I couldn’t have that on my conscience if that was me and something awful happened. This dog needs to be PTS. I love dogs but this is kindest and safest for everyone.

Swipe left for the next trending thread