Romanian dog rescues

[Glitters100]

So Mumsnet, I need the help from doggy loving members.

We’re have spent the last 18 months looking into getting a puppy/or a rescue dog if it fits our needs and vice versa.

Once Covid happened we saw prices sky rocket so put plans on hold, but still kept an eye on what dogs are out there.

So we stumbled upon someone selling the type of dog we’re after, it ticked all the right boxes, in size, temperament, child friendly, low prey drive, minimum shedding...And in was in our price range.
After some digging I realised it was a Romanian dog rescue and the dog would be coming over from Romania if we gave the go ahead.

We have turned it down but it’s got me thinking, this page only has good reviews, nothing negative about them online. So people are using them and seem happy with it, and updated pics of their dogs show the dog is happy too.

Could I have your stories If you’ve used them or know someone who has used them- good or bad.

I’m going to be telling my teenagers these replies as they are disappointed that we’re not going for it, but they do grudgingly agree getting a dog from a proper breeder is best, if we can’t find one that needs rehoming.

Hope I don’t get shot down in flames with this post! We are still doing research into dogs so we can be the best owners when we get one.

.And in was in our price range

These dogs need genuine people with 100% commitment. You just wanted a cheap dog, is what you're saying?

Yes because that’s what I said

Most people have a price range for a dog- we budget everything in our life, even what we spend on our kids so why wouldn’t we have a price we are willing to go to for a pet?

I suspect it will be a puppy farm.

Funnily enough we got one yesterday after hearing nothing but positive stories from friends and friends of friends.
We have a dog nervous child and a 4 year old so didn’t want a puppy, weve talked about it for years but had other pets which precluded it until last year. I’m now working from home like most people for the foreseeable but we have dog walking service literally on our street when I do go back which will only at most be 2 days a week anyway so felt we wanted to proceed. I know U.K. rescues are notoriously difficult to rehome with families and frankly the types of dogs in U.K. rescues largely aren’t our type.

He’s Aged 2/3 small hound (spaniel length on terrier legs) Was neutered, vaccinated, fleAd and wormed. He spent 2 days travelling by van then 2 days quarantining but it’s better than a short lifetime in a public shelter over there starving before being put down.

Got him home yesterday around 6pm he’s been amazing, slept all night, no accidents in the house, he’s completely rejected the crate we were recommended to get him as he’d be terrified but he’s sleeping in the middle of the lounge while the youngest plays loudly on the floor. Obviously it’s early days He needs groomed as he’s stinky and Has a vet health check this week to make sure he’s well (he’s pretty thin) but has started well. However he was a street dog who we think had lived in a house previously and he never went through the trauma of the kill shelters as he was picked up by the shelter our rescue uses so we might have an easier run that some

I’ve been following this rescue for a few months now and they do such great work and the positive stories of how these poor dogs have come on have been plenty.

I know some people are against the practice and there are U.K. rescue dogs (and possibly will be more once all the lockdown dogs are revoked) needing homes but I really don’t think it’s right not to save these dogs if there’s opportunity to and with brexit looming it might be much harder to in future

Two of my friends have older dogs from similar operations (Bulgaria and Cyprus I think) and they’ve been great successes.

Horsey- yes this is why we turned it down- I won’t give my money to a puppy farm in the U.K. or abroad... do you think they are all like that? Some must be genuine?

I actually feel sad over the whole dog issue at the moment, I’ve told my kids to wait till next year as I think the shelters near us will be bursting with ‘lockdown dogs’ and maybe there will be one suited to us.

Figgy, hope you have a lovely happy life with your dog.
The Shelter I found only had positive stories too so hopefully there are good shelters out there, Same as England I suppose- good and bad breeders.

Is it a U.K. based rescue you’ve found who bring the dogs over?

Don’t know where you live but scruffy dog rescue in Shropshire and paws and claws in portishead Bristol are two good ones

Speak to your vet. A lot of vets I know are really anti them. Risk of introducing new diseases to the U.K., often very nervous dogs, poor post adoption support, risk of coming from puppy farms...

If you want a family dog, I honestly think a foreign rescue is the worst way to go about it.

I hear and see nothing but horror stories. Dogs coming from different countries to what the owner was told. Dogs who have been abused and neglected, who've never lived in a home. Dogs with a totally unknown history (so could potentially be biters), brought over here and given to a new family with no chance for them to decompress from the long journey - it's all a recipe for disaster.

I also see a LOT of posts online from people whose foreign rescue dogs have escaped and bolted within days, which would worry me if you had small children to consider.

Have you tried a local rescue?

saferescuefordogs.co.uk/

We rescued a dog through this charity last year and she is wonderful. Most of their dogs are already over here living with foster carers so you get to meet them before committing yourself.

From what I have seen, foreign rescues are a mixed bag. I've known a couple that have panned out very well, one that did well after bascially being the owner's main project for a year, and one or two that are okay, but I also knew one that bolted and was never seen again, know of another that bolted and was picked up several villages away, and one that is so dog-aggressive that it is never off the lead.

Check out the rescue very carefully: some do seem to have a good idea what their dogs are like and offer on-going advice and support, but some re-home dogs that are probably not what their new owners either wanted or expected.

my friend has a romanian dog. Hes a beaut and very calm.
Another friend has a cyprus rescue dog and ive got a spanish one, so do a couple of my friends.

A dog in need is a dog in need in my opinion, although personally, id want to meet the dog first, but it doesnt matter where they originate as long as theyre healthy and the right temperament

One of my friends has a couple of dogs from a Romanian rescue. She's very happy with them. The problem is I guess that you don't get to meet them before you commit to it.

I wouldn’t use one that wasn’t 100% upfront about it being an overseas rescue.

But we’ve got a Balkan rescue and ages thoroughly lovely - everyone thinks so. Cat-rested, kid-tested, good basic manners, housetrained, fully health-checked etc.

I know people are against it but she’s honestly great.

Mines super with everyone. Dogs, cats, kids. Loves people. Was housetrained so must have lived in a home. She has been a dream dog really

@vanillandhoney

If you want a family dog, I honestly think a foreign rescue is the worst way to go about it.

I hear and see nothing but horror stories. Dogs coming from different countries to what the owner was told. Dogs who have been abused and neglected, who've never lived in a home. Dogs with a totally unknown history (so could potentially be biters), brought over here and given to a new family with no chance for them to decompress from the long journey - it's all a recipe for disaster.

I also see a LOT of posts online from people whose foreign rescue dogs have escaped and bolted within days, which would worry me if you had small children to consider.

Nothing but?

There are lots of families with happy, healthy foreign dogs. They do tend to be bolters initially but you can plan for that. Ours is a bit nervous but we manage. Absolutely not a biter. He's a great family dog. Making sure it's a UK based charity, properly set up and ideally with proper fostering first.

I had a Romanian rescue dog come and live with me 7 & 1/2 weeks ago. She is amazing. She was just over 6 months old when she came to me. She gorgeous, gentle and desperate to be loved. I had been following the rescue online for over a year. Unlike other rescues they bring the dogs over before they have homes to go to and they go to a network of foster carers who asses the dogs and the potential new homes before the are rehomed.
Apart from being a little wormy when she arrived she was in good health and is thriving with lots of love and attention. She has quickly become best friends with my older Labrador.
I paid £250 for her. I have a good history for her under the circumstances. I know it has cost the rescue more than what they were asking for in the way of a rehoming fee.
I had thought about offering a home to a dog from a uk rescue. I was turned down by 3 different rescues because I work full time - despite the dogs coming with me 100% of the time.
And no I couldn't afford £3000+ for a puppy. I think that's far to much for a puppy and so would never pay the current prices people are asking for.

We got one, our first dog, last year and he’s been absolutely brilliant. We wanted to adopt in UK, but found it impossible with two young children.

We did a lot of research and would only have gone for one that was already in the U.K., so we had chance to meet him and see how he was with the kids.

He’s fab with them, and our cats, and he’s so loving and affectionate. He has got dodgy recall, which we’re working on, but accept that may not improve given he was on the streets for a couple of years.

The charity we adopted through have a post adoption FB group and I’ve seen nothing but positive stories- the odd issues with recall, or fear, which I think is to be expected given their histories. But mostly the dogs seem overwhelmingly grateful to be in homes.

We would definitely do it again, but worth researching different charities first.

Check out Hessa's Homeless Hounds on Facebook. Amazing rescue based in Bucks (I think)' who rescue dogs from abroad, inc. Romania. They totally assess the dogs and socialise them before rehoming. They care about the dogs and will only rehome to a suitable family.

@vanillandhoney have you actually had personal experience of rehoming a Romanian rescue dog? The internet is full of horror stories about all sorts some true others less so. It's rather harsh to write them all off based on a few stories.
My trainer actually says that foreign dogs are often the easiest of all the rescue dogs she works with. They can be challenging to begin with because they have next to no life in a household experience. But that the vast majority come round to being really good well rounded family pets

My trainer actually says that foreign dogs are often the easiest of all the rescue dogs she works with. They can be challenging to begin with because they have next to no life in a household experience. But that the vast majority come round to being really good well rounded family pets

The impression I get with mine is that he's desperate to please. If he understands what you want. Pathetically so, actually. Having a family (preferably all on the same sofa with him in the middle) has made him very happy. So he wants to understand and so what you say. He just didn't get what we wanted for a while. Lots of concepts were a mystery to him. He still doesn't understand that when I pat the sofa next to me, I mean to give him permission to get up.

I’ve not rtft but my friend got a Romanian rescue dog earlier in this year end it’s been an out and out success.

We adopted a Romanian rescue this year. My family have only ever had rescue dogs as opposed to ordered from a breeder as a pup and I would rather give an unwanted dog a home. Because we have a cat and an 11 year old, this ruled us out of adopting most dogs from many UK charities which is where I looked first.

In the end, we were very lucky and got a dog with a fantastic nature, already housetrained, 2 years old. However we were prepared for anything and when interviewed by the charity they were keen to check how we would approach dealing with behavioural issues etc.

The charity have a 'Happy Furever After' Facebook page where people can share stories and tips. It's been an incredibly positive experience.