Are dodgy dog rescues a thing ?

[curtaintwitcher23]

We are trying to get a rescue dog and as well as looking at the big centres and expressing interest as soon as we see a good fit , google searches direct us to lots of small scale rescue places.
A few we have contacted seem dodgy to me, the dog's locations and origins are vague or inconsistent but often seem to have come from Ireland or a Europe and I'm not sure there's much investment in the dog's individual needs/ personality etc.

I appreciate these places are still doing good work and no doubt well intended but are there any red flags we should be looking for or am I being over cautious?

Sometimes rehoming groups work with other smaller rescue organisations to save dogs, and these are often dogs that are found as strays. Quite a few dogs in English rescue centres are from Ireland, just because England has a lot higher population, therefore more people looking to rehome dogs. Others specialise in rehoming Romanian, etc strays.

So, a lot rescue dogs' histories are vague - our chap was found as a stray in Ireland, emaciated and matted. The Dogs Trust helped him recover, and put him up for rehoming.

They were fully open about the fact that his past was a mystery - that he seemed very friendly, and house trained. He was also neutered when they found him, and we realised he understood basic commands (sit, paw) so it was obvious he'd been in a home that cared to some degree. He's lovely with children.

We've had him for nearly 11 years now, and I do still occasionally wonder what his story was (especially as he's a fancy crossbreed). Was he stolen, then let loose by the thieves? Did he do a runner and his first family couldn't find him (his recall was terrible when he was younger, if he saw or smelled something interesting he'd just sprint)?

Some smaller rescues aren't dodgy, but they might be a bit overly relaxed about potential issues with a dog, or haven't correctly identified a dog's needs. My in-laws took in a rescue who was supposed to be good with other dogs, and she was a tiny murder beast to their two terriers. Turned out she was only OK with dogs bigger than her, and sadly they had to send her back, for the well being of their other two dogs.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about the dog's behaviour - how are they around children, other dogs, cats, etc, have they ever shown signs of aggression to people, etc. A good rescue will be glad you're asking questions, and honest with questions they're not sure of the answer to.

Personally I wouldn't re-home any dog that had come from overseas.

I've seen it go wrong far too many times for me to ever be convinced it's a good idea; unfortunately.

Thankyou
I appreciate stray dogs don't come with a history, I suppose it's always a bit of a leap of faith but I totally get you about asking lots of questions.
One place has avoided answering anything.

Having seen first hand the conditions dogs were kept in in a local rescue I wouldn't support them at all. To rescue a dog from them would be a work of pity which in turn would enable said rescue to leave more dogs in the poor conditions we witnessed. The larger rescue don't let their dogs go because they receive so much funding that, if they didn't have the dogs in, they'd lose their income and by extension their lifestyle.
I don't doubt there are good rescue centres but, as with charities, someone at the top is making a small fortune off the back of the volunteers.

Sorry, this isn’t directly answering your question but if you are looking for a good rescue I can vouch for Many Tears. Brilliantly run. I got my rescue in November. The process was quick and efficient - about five days from application to picking up my dog. They also rehome to people with kids if that applies to you.

The background of some of the dogs was a bit vague. When I asked the rescue about this I was told it was because they offer a no questions asked policy, this is so that puppy farms and intensive breeders weren’t put off giving up a dog. That being said, they do a full and very detailed personality/socialisation test of each dog.

I would have thought Ireland should be ok, but I'd really avoid the dogs from Eastern Europe, Romania seems like a common one. They often have behavioural problems, it's also hard to tell which rescues are genuinely asking for a travel fee vs just scamming you out of hundreds of pounds. One of my friends got a dog from there and when it arrived it was a different dog to the pictures! The plight of these street animals is terrible but I'm really not sure that catching individual dogs and shipping them over to other countries is a good solution. It would be like selling pet sparrows - there is an endless supply.

Ireland is the home of puppy farms - I believe there are more there than anywhere else in Europe.

I'd be concerned about the dogs not being socialised or healthy, and the UK rescues acting as a front so they can get rid of the unwanted puppies and breeding bitches/studs legally while still making some money off them.

That's how Many Tears work and an increasing number of smaller rescues. They take the puppies and just enough of the parents to keep people happy but largely the puppy farmers carry on and unsold puppies are dressed up as rescues.

I've seen it first hand.

Yes I'd heard that about Many Tears as well @Newpeep 😞

Lol no, on the big rescue comment. I work for one. My lifestyle is not glamourous, I could be earning double, even treble, what I earn now in the private sector, but ewww no, my soul would not allow it. Same goes for those more senior than me, they are all the loveliest senior team members I've ever worked with, who live and breathe the charity, and work their little socks off. Big charities take a LOT of maintenance, and it's a lot more than feeding a dog in a kennel.

What we do every day is 100% focused on finding our animals their ideal home, that's what we live and breathe. It's finding them the right home as so many sadly are signed over due to behavioural reasons. If someone has applied to lots of rescues and keeps getting turned down, it's not the rescue that's the problem.

As for dodgy rescues, we have no real rescue regulation. Anyone can stick a few kennels in a back garden and call themselves a rescue. It takes a lot of homework if you're adopting from a smaller rescue, to make sure they're legit and not a front for something dodgy, or a hoarder situation.

I really appreciate the responses thankyou, I'm glad my hunches were correct especially about places not too bothered if we were suitable.
We will be patient and keep our eyes wide open, we live in a semi rural secure location with no children or cats so I'm sure our dog is out there 🤗

Puppy farms can disguise themselves as rescues; the ASPCA calls it puppy laundering.

You need to be very cautious with overseas rescues. Of the dogs I've known round here, it's 50/50 whether you'll get a dog who, with a bit of training, will fit in well and have a great life with you, or one that legs it off never to be found (1) / has dog aggression severe enough to limit walks (2) / is a more of a project dog than you signed up for (2) / is totally unsuitable for your lifestyle and gets handed back (1). The out and out successes seem to come more from breed or type (eg pointer) specific rescues. I think in those cases those placing the dogs know what to look for in both dog and potential owner.

My ex colleague paid over £500 to get a dog brought over from Romania, in a van with lots of other dogs. Definitely looked like a scam to me.
he is a sweet dog though.

That is unkind.
I have 7 dogs all from Romania and Greece and they are lovely quiet loving dogs.
If you work with a reputable rescue they won’t send you a different dog. Best to visit a dog on foster first if this is a worry.
Any dog can have problems whichever country they are from.

It’s not a scam. That price includes a pet passport, vaccinations, any vet treatment needed plus transport costs. Trust me no reputable charity is making money doing this once you have factored in vet bills, neutering and speying etc. It’s a bottomless pit and animals in these countries barely have a chance compared to the life they will probably have here.