I've rehomed a dog from abroad - actually done it twice. First time was a dream and the second a nightmare.
Reason we went with a dog from abroad (Romania) was firstly because uk rescues wouldn't touch us despite being experienced dog owners as we had a 2 yr old and a 5 yr old. Second reason is because while there are dogs here needing homes, the dogs in some other European countries are in terrible trouble. The dog we rehomed was born into a public shelter (google public shelters in Romania to see what an atrocity those places are) These dogs are poisoned and beaten repeatedly and the shelter is not much better.
Anyway, our first dog I planned as well as I could. We opted for a younger dog (6 months old). She'd already travelled to the UK and was in a foster setting where they had been able to get to know what kind of a dog she was. I was sent photos, videos and given lots of info about her nature and her story. It was too far to visit to meet her, but we would have been allowed if we wanted to.
Once I'd paid her fee she was travelled down to us on a van which was dedicated for moving animals around safely and comfortably. She arrived and was timid at first but within a week was a part of our family. She is the gentlest, kindest most wonderful dog. Amazing with the kids. We are so lucky to have her.
Fast forward a couple of years and I'd been saying I wanted another dog as company for our first and as we'd moved to a much larger home we had the space. Well dh then decided to try and rescue one without me knowing as a kind of show of love. Very silly thing to do and he made huge mistakes. He used a different rescue than I chose before, he didn't ask enough questions about the dog, he saw a very brief video but not enough to get an idea of her temperament. The rescue had put him in touch with a woman who didn't speak a word of English so he had to translate conversations into Romanian. He was assured she was child friendly, dog friendly and had been in a foster environment.
Well I found out about it after he'd already agreed to the adoption and he sort of talked me round into having her as he'd committed. Foolish on my part. I didn't want a female for starters as I knew they'd be more prone to fighting and the whole thing felt rushed and not well planned.
She was travelled directly from Romania to the uk. The bus she was on did not look of a good standard. She came out of the bus dehydrated and very quiet. I got her home and checked her over. She was completely matted, had fly strike, was full of fleas, and absolutely stank of urine. I ended up taking her to the vets and she had to be sedated to have her shaved and treated. We tried to get her settled over the following months but she attacked my existing dog repeatedly, and had bullied my dog to the point where she wouldn't come out from the back of the sofa - she was terrified.
The rescue said they hadn't realised the state of her, the adoption was through a third party. It turned out she'd not been in a foster, she'd been caged for years! They paid for her vet treatment, arranged a behaviourist to help with the aggression (which they said would be far worse had it not been for my dog being so passive), but she attacked my dog badly in the end and caused injury. I made the rescue take her back eventually as I feared for my dog and children.
I guess the message here is if you want to adopt from abroad do not go ahead unless the dog had already come to the uk and been in foster first. I would not use a different rescue again if I was to get another, I would do my research and if in any doubt at all DO NOT GO AHEAD. I will never make those mistakes again.