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Original poster

Mad to rescue a 5 month old pup from Romania?

147 replies

Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 12:09

Has anyone rescued a not-very-young puppy - she's just turned five months? She's in a private shelter in Romania, due to travel later in August. The rescue is reputable and offers back-up with many success stories. We have done our research and been weighing up the decision for two years. We adopted our last rescue, a lab collie x at about the same age and had him PTS just before his 16th birthday. He was a joy, but we feel we got lucky with him. We have a five-year-old rescue cat who is very bonded to me and I know she won't be happy initially. She hadn't lived with a dog before. We'll be crating (not as a punishment) and will have a puppy run and use Feliway for the cat. Both my husband and I mainly work from home and we have good back-up. My main concern is that the puppy will have ingrained behaviours already and that we will have missed vital windows in terms of behaviour and training. Is that the case or am I just scaring myself? So this thread doesn't get derailed...we have done lots of research about rescuing from abroad and also on crate training (which wasn't successful with our last rescue!). Many thanks in advice for any advice you can give me or your experiences, positive and negative about welcoming a dog of this age into your home...

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hereismydog · 06/08/2025 17:37

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:09

Clearly since you work for one of the organisations you are going to have a particular perspective..

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I have a Romanian rescue, I volunteer for the same rescue and I don’t recommend these dogs! I do the home check interviews, and if I am even slightly suspicious that a prospective adopter wouldn’t be able to manage a dog with behavioural issues, it’s a no.

Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 17:37

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:11

Thank you. We have a cat and Harley isn't approved to live with cats.

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3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:49

Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 17:37

Thank you. We have a cat and Harley isn't approved to live with cats.

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Yes he is

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:51

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:49

Yes he is

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He is even in a photo sitting with a cat

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 18:00

https://prodogsdirect.org.uk/archie-toy-poodle/

Buildingthefuture · 06/08/2025 18:01

Have a look at Yappy Ever After. They are a decent rescue, all dogs in foster and are very sensible with their rehoming criteria.

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 18:02

https://prodogsdirect.org.uk/patto-chihuahua/

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 18:03

https://prodogsdirect.org.uk/smudge-shih-tzu-type/

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 18:03

https://prodogsdirect.org.uk/pippo-chihuahua/

Newpeep · 06/08/2025 18:05

Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 16:10

@Newpeep Your post reassures me - in that I am coming to the conclusion we might have to look to buying responsibly. The thought does make me sad though. It feels as though I am breaking some sort of personal code. I think I was rather smug before. I was very much an 'adopt don't buy' person until the past few days. I did wonder why friends have bought instead of adopting - and possibly felt a bit outraged (and maybe a little superior too) they didn't adopt. Just today, I have visited so many websites. The Spaniel adoption organisation a PP mentioned has 35 dogs available for adoption - and none of them can live with children (we have lots who visit and are thinking ahead to grandchildren), cats and as an only dog in the home. I have filled in two application forms (giving lots of detail, just as I have in the past). One of them is needed to register with a UK based charity (I'm registered with about eight others). The other is to see if a UK based dog from a UK based charity might be suitable (even though she isn't that keen on men and I live with my husband with my daughter's partner visiting often). Sigh. I keep thinking 'I just need to try harder'...but as a PP who works with a rescue has said, there are just so many applications for 'untroubled' dogs, the likelihood of finding one is very low. To be transparent, we were first in line for a puppy from a UK charity about two months ago, but they understandably wanted us to meet her with 48 hours as they had a huge number of applications within a few hours of her becoming available (I'm signed up to their 'new dog' alerts). We were away for a big family event and couldn't make it. By that afternoon, she had been reserved. I know some of the PPs who say (in some cases, as if it hadn't occurred to me, 'adopt don't buy' or 'adopt from the UK only' are trying to be helpful...but it's really not when there are lots of us out there trying and failing to do exactly that. We adopted our previous rescue from a small UK charity (I visit their website daily) and had him for almost 16 wonderful years. I'm sure it was much easier back then...

Things have changed. When we adopted our last dog the rescue was full of just unwanted dogs and puppies. No real issues just overbreeding. Neutering was less common and lots of people let their dogs have litters. We could have had the choice of many young dogs from one rescue. You turned up, looked round, chose dog, had home check and brought dog home.

Now most rescues have medical or behavioural issues. Some considerable. So they need specific set ups. Puppies are in hot demand.

The final straw for us was a long chat to a rescue behaviourist about a young terrier who was stone eating through boredom as he was in a home with children. They wanted a home which would continue the work they’d done and would give him an outlet. They liked the sound of us so we put in an application. After two weeks we’d heard nothing so contacted them and he’d been rehomed to a first time owner with small children - pretty much the same home he’d come out of!

So we bought. It took a while to find a breeder and litter we liked but I don’t regret it. Three years on I think we’d still be waiting.

EdithStourton · 06/08/2025 18:22

Newpeep · 06/08/2025 18:05

Things have changed. When we adopted our last dog the rescue was full of just unwanted dogs and puppies. No real issues just overbreeding. Neutering was less common and lots of people let their dogs have litters. We could have had the choice of many young dogs from one rescue. You turned up, looked round, chose dog, had home check and brought dog home.

Now most rescues have medical or behavioural issues. Some considerable. So they need specific set ups. Puppies are in hot demand.

The final straw for us was a long chat to a rescue behaviourist about a young terrier who was stone eating through boredom as he was in a home with children. They wanted a home which would continue the work they’d done and would give him an outlet. They liked the sound of us so we put in an application. After two weeks we’d heard nothing so contacted them and he’d been rehomed to a first time owner with small children - pretty much the same home he’d come out of!

So we bought. It took a while to find a breeder and litter we liked but I don’t regret it. Three years on I think we’d still be waiting.

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I'm not sure things have changed that much, but perhaps it was to do with where we lived, the fact we had a baby, and how the local rescues operated. We tried to rescue >20 years ago. We had young DC (inc. the baby), but they (except the baby) were dog-savvy (PILs had a rather uncertain terrier, and they knew to leave him alone). DH and I had grown up with dogs since babyhood, our garden was completely secure, and I was a SAHM at the time. Two rescues turned us down as we had DC under 5, another actually laughed at me because I was hoping to rescue with DC under 10, one was vv off-hand so I didn't call back, and another did suggest a dog for us, but I couldn't find out why the dog was being surrendered which made me suspicious (I asked, but I had the strong feeling that there was something about this dog that I wasn't being told).

So we got a puppy. She had 15 bloody good years with us, two walks a day, lots of outings.

Sadcafe · 06/08/2025 18:30

Kuretake · 06/08/2025 10:11

Can you tell me what shelter you used? I can't even get a acknowledgement! Maybe I'm unlucky.

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Dogs trust

Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 19:00

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:51

He is even in a photo sitting with a cat

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He is! Sorry, have so many windows open was looking at the wrong one!

OP posts:
Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 19:02

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 18:33

Beautiful - but needs a resident dog...

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Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 19:06

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 18:18

These two are gorgeous. Thank you. Will follow up, though I think they will discount us as our cat isn't dog-savvy.

OP posts:
Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 06/08/2025 19:21

@Newpeep Exactly our experience when we rescued our old boy. Hard to believe it was 18 years ago. He was so beautiful - and we were spoilt for choice. There were just so many suitable dogs. We had young children, hadn't owned our own dog before, both worked full-time (we had great dog care and lots of back-up) and had no problem at all. He had a lovely life with us and grew up with our children. He really was the perfect family dog. I honestly thought it would be that easy again. Times change I suppose. I felt terrible yesterday after deciding not to go ahead with the Romanian rescue - so torn between differing opinions, warnings, success stories (I know there are lots) and my FB feed which is stuffed with cute furry faces and emotive language from foreign rescues. I hope this thread helps other Mumsnetters who might be facing the same dilemma. I've had some great suggestions here. If I don't have any luck in another six months, I'll start looking at breeders.

OP posts:
Campingisnexttogodliness · 06/08/2025 19:24

I signed up for Dogs Trust after seeing an absolute copy of our existing ddog. Same breed /nature /perfect for our family.
In their ad it states you can't apply for a specific ddog. Spoke to a man who rang to confirm my application.. Told me there were 500 applications before they would be looking at mine. So that poor ddog is sat there in the meanwhile..
Obviously you can select a ddog to donate funds to though.

An absolute scam.

WaterOfADucksBack · 06/08/2025 19:24

3bluellamas · 05/08/2025 12:20

Just don't for goodness sakes. The sooner these overseas purchases are banned the better. The dog is likely to be highly stressed as a result of the travel and you have no opportunity to get to know it prior to it being shipped. By buying a puppy from abroad (I know they call it adoption but it is just buying a dog), you are perpetuating cruel puppy farming practices, asking for behavioural problems and potentially bringing in diseases and poor genetics.

Adopt from a rescue centre in the UK. Or at least buy in the UK from a reputable breeder.

This and neet the dog a couple of times first.

Oldraver · 06/08/2025 19:36

I think adopting animals from abroad should be banned. We have enough animals in rescue

So no

LoveMySushi · 06/08/2025 20:26

3bluellamas · 06/08/2025 17:09

Clearly since you work for one of the organisations you are going to have a particular perspective..

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Its non profit, i have nothing to gain from it. Ive been there in “our” shelters dropping off food and building huts/ fences. I go there once a year during my holiday to meet the new rescues and write profiles on them, take pictures, get to know them.
We try to educate people in romania and we run several castration campaigns a year to help the situation. We work hard to help these dogs and we do our best.

Its fine if you dont agree with it, but calling animal protection the same as puppy farms is simply incorrect and hateful.