We have a phone appointment with an overseas rescue :)

[CloseYourEyesAndSee]

I'm very excited!
it's a reputable rescue - I have a friend who has adopted through them and now volunteers for them. DS has wanted a dog forever but I WOH so couldn't. DP has semi moved in and he also wants a dog so a dog we are getting :)
DP has had dogs and I have when I was a child and teen. I have a cat so that's something that will need to be managed. DP is self employed and his office is close to fields so he will walk the dog during breaks.
I will be asking for lots of advice here I'm sure but for now does anyone have anything they think I need to think about??

I work in dog rescue. Issue free dogs get hundreds of applications. We choose the best one for the dog.

Most dogs in rescue have issues. Strangely we don’t get many applications for those.

And the issues are all caused by people.

Working in dog rescue makes you really hate people.

So forgive me if I can’t muster any sympathy for people whining that rescues won’t let them have a dog.

We're not whining.

We are responding to those who say 'you should adopt from a UK rescue' - and saying that we have tried to.

When that wasn't possible we then chose to adopt from overseas.

People aren’t whining, they are answering those who ask why they aren’t getting a UK rescue.

Should people like me and others on this thread not have dogs then?
I'd never buy a puppy, I don't think it's a good idea to encourage breeding for profit so it's either a dog from a rescue who will agree to home a dog with us or no dog. I'm not whining, though I do think it's a huge shame that my well behaved quiet teenager is a barrier to getting a dog from a rescue is the U.K.

Keep trying. My rescue will let dogs go with over 5s where appropriate.

My friend adopted when she had a three year old.

Maybe try other rescues.

Or adopt a Staffy.

Or an oldie.

Or apply to foster.

I agree with you except for one thing, I really believe that a lot of these over seas rescues are likely building a demand and therefore a business in this, it will simply encourage people to want to provide the dogs in the first place and that will involve puppy farming.

Some people don’t want a UK rescue. Someone else’s untrained dog, or a badly bred puppy farm dog with health issues, or a retired greyhound or husky. I don’t really see what’s wrong with getting a healthy, vaccinated, vet checked dog from a responsible rescue abroad. One that homechecks, asks sensible questions and provides rescue backup for life.

At least us soppy wallies can crack on with our lovely dogs - if rescue kennels are full and dogs with issues are not being rehomed maybe it’s time to look at the real reasons why.

Exactly.

DDog is living the life of Riley (and giving back 1000%!).

If she hadn't been available for adoption she would have been semi starving on the street (she is quite timid with bigger dogs) or PTS.

And we wouldn't have a dog, and would have missed out on the fun, love and new friendships this has brought. The huge benefit to our mental health, in a couple of years where DD has struggled with her mental health to the point of CAMHS involvement.

A healthy young dog with no behavioural issues found a home with a family who were able to offer a home that met her needs as well as theirs.

Surely that's a good thing? Better than breeding a puppy in the UK and leaving the existing dog to a harsh life?

Now this is a genuine concern that had not occurred to me. Thank you!
I am fairly confident that this rescue is ethical but I can't be sure where the dogs come from. However they only ask for a small adoption fee and the bigger cost is in shipping so I'm not sure how profit is being made?

Sorry but these healthy vet checked dogs from overseas, why are they in rescue?

Surely that's a good thing? Better than breeding a puppy in the UK and leaving the existing dog to a harsh life?

It's not as simple as that, though.

See everyone else's posts about how the increasing amount of imported dogs is fuelling backyard breeding and the puppy farm trade.

How do you know all the dogs being imported are being re-homed? They could be importing, say, 30 dogs, re-homing five of them and selling the rest.

I think its more that anyone can set themselves up as these rescue places, if you've done your homework then you should be ok. Romania was one of the worst places for this I think.

Because there more dogs and fewer people to adopt them.

DDog was healthy, not aggressive, and 6 months old when we got her. The rescue in Spain didn't see any prospect of her being adopted there. She would be snapped up (so to speak!) here.

The positive about this is that there are fewer strays, street dogs and therefore ad hoc breeding here. Which means far fewer unwanted dogs, and therefore the ones that are unwanted are more likely to be because of behavioural issues than simply 'more dogs than people who want dogs'.

The small organisation we found her through have a focus on dogs that would enjoy being family pets. They have a relationship with three rescues overseas. They bring in a tiny % of the dogs available from those rescues as their criteria are quite strict. They pay for vaccinations, health screening and neutering before the dogs travel. They will take back any dog if the match doesn't work.

They have successfully rehomed over 250 dogs in the past 3 years.

Now this is a genuine concern that had not occurred to me. Thank you!
I am fairly confident that this rescue is ethical but I can't be sure where the dogs come from. However they only ask for a small adoption fee and the bigger cost is in shipping so I'm not sure how profit is being made?

if you have any concerns, choose another rescue. I have photos from the day my Bulgarian street dog was found on the streets right through to his journey to the UK. I'm in contact with the wonderful rescue who work hard to ensure their dogs are lead trained, socialised and know basic commands. He is wonderful with cats and other animals.

Oh, and as for profit and fuelling puppy breeding overseas - we paid £300. DDog was spayed, vaccinated, and transported to the UK from Spain. Not much profit to be had...

I don't have concerns about the rescue. I meant that the idea that overseas adoption was fuelling breeding was a concern that hasn't occurred to me. Thanks

I meant that the idea that overseas adoption was fuelling breeding was a concern that hasn't occurred to me

Breeding and dog theft actually. In many cultures, dogs are let out to roam the streets, especially during the day.

At night time, they return home to do their job as a guard dog.
The dogs aren't brushed or bathed. They don't wear a collar or other form of ID, so can be mistaken as a stray.
I'd be very weary of people claiming to "rescue" dogs from abroad...

Just sign up with your local rescues and wait for a suitable dog. Or go to a breeder, get a puppy, an ex breeding bitch or one that has been returned. At least you know the dog is genuine.

Yes, because every breeder is genuine... puppy farms don't exist in the UK...

We were just talking about this at home,,,, you're right but its easier to check them out here and there are better laws and safeguards in place to protect. No country is perfect with its human or animal welfare but the UK is one of the better places to be a human or a pet.

Just come across a documentary on BBC iplayer on the subject. It seems the concern from the Dog's Trust and vets are for specific breed puppies brought in from Europe.

Not rescues and street dogs, which don't go for thousands of pounds.

I've got an overseas rescue and my relatives have 3 between them. All with varying degrees of problems.

Be prepared for major car issues and nervousness. I thought mine had settled in well but a few months down the line we are struggling with his anxiety over leaving the house and he's terrified of the car - probably because of his long journey to get here involving planes, trains and automobiles!!!

We've had to stop walking him at all this week to help him destress because he was trigger stacking. I was all for foreign rescues when i first got him, but over time it's become apparent he's got a lot of issues which are relatively minor but i dont think he would have those issues if he wasnt a foreign rescue. i wanted a dog i could take anywhere and everywhere with us. But he hates traveling (even 10 minutes in the car to the local park) but also hates being left. He's so anxious about going out he hides and cowers if we put our shoes on. He's a fantastic dog, we love him to pieces and we are working on all the issues, but... our next dog will be a well bred and well socialised puppy from the uk.

@Runnerbeansflower - you can check out a breeder,

For example check what type of breeding licence they have: Kennel or home breeding? How many stars for the establishment 4/5 for the highest welfare standards. This can be cross checked with the council.

You can visit the breeder several times, meet them and their dogs....