Rescue dog from Romania. Anyone else did this. Any tips.

[Worryabouteverything]

We are thinking of getting a rescue dog from Romania.
We have tried in this country to be told our fences too low and bungalow is not suitable to adopt.
Fences are 6ft so can't be made higher. Whether the charities are very fussy or what.
We lost our last rescue in January. We think he was about 16 and he had no problems.
It's a rescue we want not a puppy.
We are both retired. Both in very good health. We even have a back up if taken Ill etc our ds is willing to step up.

Anyone else did this. Have you any tips.

Don’t do it would be my only tip. Surely there must be a way of getting a rescue dog in the UK if you have 6’ high fences??

Well your fences aren't too low so what's the real reason? Are they not 6ft all the way around? Do you have sections that aren't fenced and are just hedge? Romanian rescues are often a huge flight risk.

I really dont get why people adopt strays from foreign countries when there are more than enough charities etx in this country

Are you looking for a large breed hence the sizing of your home.

I’ve fostered for them , but wouldn’t again. The journey leaves them a stinking mess on arrival. It’s not a very calm start to their life with you.
Some of the charities importing dogs are hardly different from puppy farms. I’d strongly recommend supporting those dogs by donating to a neuter/release charity.

Have you looked at breed specific rescues? It all seems to be done via Facebook these days, rather than through a website.

There’s no way all rescues have said your 6ft high fences are too low, so what’s the full reason they said no? What’s wrong with the bungalow? If you want a rescue it makes more sense to spend your money making your garden secure and then adopting one from the UK

We rescued one a few months ago, I’ve had lots of dogs but she is the SWEETEST dog I’ve ever had, despite living on the streets for 3 years.
£500, delivered to the door, neutered.
apparently some can be “runners” that try to escape but she isn’t.
Look up “evermore dog rescue”
The dogs over there have a much worse life than the dogs here…:

I have a very in the family and have only heard bad things from them about foreign rescues

A lot of the time they are dogs that lived full time on the street - they're used to that life and don't want to live by anyone else's rules

I have 2 and they are absolutely amazing, can't fault them at all

Don't do it. We have a rescue from Eastern Europe. We're lucky - he's a good natured boy with humans. But his time on the streets has made him incredibly reactive with certain other dogs, so we can never let him off lead. After the independence he had on the streets, it feels like we've taken his liberty. We try to give him a good life, but I think he'd have been happier staying on the streets with a regular source of food. He's just not designed for UK home life.

Friend has one. It has been a nightmare with endless medical issues, never managed to get it properly house trained after years of street living, yet also has terrible separation anxiety. Too many unknowns. There must be a rescue in UK that would work with you.

Don't do it.

If you really want a dog and can't find a suitable one from a rescue, try looking on Preloved. Obviously you need to be sensible about it but I know several people who have got dogs from there for a similar cost to the donations that rescues want.

My very good friend adopted a Romanian rescue dog about 5 years ago. She arrived dehydrated, malnourished, underweight and full of fleas and worms. She has never been a very well dog, and has ongoing digestive problems. She is also nervous of other people and other dogs. She is no longer as bad as she once was, but she’s not brilliant.

I understand that this is not unusual for a Romanian rescue, so you need to have the resources to deal with it.

I worked in rescue for many years and this frustrated me, people who fail a homecheck from a UK rescue go abroad.
The instances of foreign rescues dogs escaping in a new home are very high due to mostly the stupidity of the new owner.
A six foot fence is not a reason to be refused, insecure garden, no way of managing dogs flight risk, home too small, your circumstances don’t suit a dog.
OP is missing some info here.

As others have already said, don't do it. Apart from all the behavioural issues you need to be aware of diseases like leishmaniasis and brucellosis. Many imported dog rescues don't test for these and the UK is now seeing an increase in these diseases that didn't exist here previously.
There must be another way of getting your new companion without resorting to an imported animal.

It bloody infuriates me that this country allows people to import strays. We have enough here.

I was very lucky with my Romanian rescue compared with the anecdotes shared here. Because she was raised within a pack and never handled by humans she is impeccable around any and every type of dog, dogs like this simply can’t afford conflict on the streets. It would be life or death. A larger dog, loose in the park, bit her once (she is beagle sized) and she simply flipped him onto his back and stood over him until he submitted. Some Krav Maga level of self defence skills there. Similar story when some Irish travellers set their dogs on her as we walked through a public car park where they were encamped.

She has never soiled in the house beyond once during the first hour of her arrival, but will also not use our garden for that which is a little inconvenient during heatwaves (which she weathers well). It was easy to teach her loose leash walking, easier than other type of dog I’ve ever encountered and her recall is 100% excellent.

I would not trust her around small children and food. I never leave her alone, only with friends or family she knows well. She didn’t understand kibble but has done very well on a raw diet. She hates water, like unnecessary conflict with other dogs I imagine wet fur is also life or death on the streets. She’s the best and easiest dog I’ve ever had, I can and do take her anywhere.

The reason for choosing a dog from Romania over a local rescue is simply that the kill shelters there do not euthanise dogs humanely. You can Google this for yourself but it is worse than anything you think you can imagine.

Check out Oldies Club who rehome dogs aged 7+ and retired greyhound charities. I don't imagine you'd want a younger dog? I honestly don't think the fences were the reason you failed homecheck if they are 6'. Are you both in reasonable health and mobile? We're in our 70s and adopted an 8 year old lurcher from local rescue.

My friend was denied a Romanian rescue because their garden wasn’t secure enough, so I’m not sure it is a solution.

I don’t like the idea of it though, there are plenty of dogs here that need a home without importing more, you know nothing of its health and background, and having been to Romania and seen what looked to be happy and healthy street dogs, I also think it’s a bit cruel to take an animal away from a lifestyle it’s always known and put it in a house as a pet.

You have not been turned down by multiple local rescues because your 6ft fences aren't high enough!

What's the actual reason? If all the local rescues are refusing to rehome to you I wouldn't just seek out somewhere that's more lax.

This.

Plenty of dogs in Uk.

Don't go with a rescue dog from abroad. So many bad stories.

I adopted from Spain and I know several people who have adopted dogs from Spain and Romania. Nobody has had a bad experience, although some of the dogs are more anxious than others. I have a very dog experienced friend who is happy to have anxious dogs with separation anxiety because she rarely goes anywhere without her dogs so it suits her. My dog is the absolute sweetest angel boy and I have zero regrets.

I have four rescues from Spain (specific breed). My brother and a friend both have rescues from Romania. No bad experiences at all. Fabulous dogs. Yes, they are work, and they all come with issues which need to be dealt with, but rescues from here wouldn’t necessarily be any different. You need patience, love, and money whatever dog you go for! Go with a reputable charity that provides some ongoing support. Go for it.

It's illegal to import a dog without testing for them and you can't get vet cover if you don't have a follow up test after 3 months

Why can’t you get one from the UK rather than supporting the breeding of countless mongrels abroad to be wrongly described as strays?

I think it's cruel to make a dog go on that journey. It's a case of your wants being put above actually meeting the welfare needs of an animal. This importing strays business (and it is business) should be banned.