Foreign Dog Rescues

My friend, who has a heart as big as a bucket, is adopting a dog in need which is being brought over from Greece next week. I have mixed feelings about this.
Part of me thinks that for every dog that is adopted from Romania, Greece, Cypress etc there is one that won't be saved from our own rescues.
But the other side of me says, if an animal is suffering and in need of a decent home, does it matter where it comes from?
What do you think?

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

A similar programme is going on at a dog rescue near me only,.Romania is the country they are bringing them from .They say a cull is on going at the moment brought about by the Authority there giving permission for anyone to club to death a stray street dog ...While my heart goes out to any stray dog that lives on the street i do wonder how that dog is going to adapt to being Owned,in a country which speaks differently to what they understand .
I would rather see a Rescue Centre over in Countries abroad ,
And educate the people on spaying to control the numbers rather than clubbing an animal which could lead to suffering a long painful death ..

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

I am with you on this one Eliza I would rather see countries taking the responsibility for their own dogs and education on neutering and respect for the animals as living things ~ too often you hear of animal atrocities in other countries but none of this will change without education

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

We are killing too many unwanted dogs here to be bringing them in from other countries, sad I have to say that as the dogs do need help but we are turning dogs away daily now from our rescue we just don't have room for them all.

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

Careful, it might not understand English and might not want to fit in with local customs, it might have strange foreign ways or rabies.

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

I'm ambivalent on this one. I can totally see why a Romanian stray would tug at her heart - my friend travelled out to Greece after a holiday with me to do exactly the same, but the dog had vanished (poisoned, we suspect). On the other hand of course there are plenty of unwanted dogs here to adopt so why choose a foreign animal? I think on balance that any dog that's saved from a life of cruelty or neglect is worth the effort, and your friend must be a very special person to do it. Most people who want to adopt a dog would obviously choose one from here, so perhaps it balances it up a bit. Of course there should be more rescue centres abroad, but that's not something we have control over. Good on her, and I hope the animal settles in here and soon becomes a loving pet.

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

This story reminds me of one we have had here this week. A dog being bought in a Pub killing a 6 day old baby in the house. That dog understood English. No one knows this Greek dogs nature. So being an animal lover I know how they tug at your heart strings but you are entering the unknown here no matter how kind you are being.
Education is what is needed.
I remember going to the Devon Donkey sanctuary years ago. They had rescued a black donkey that was going to be crushed to death in a ceremony in Spain. We stood near him and I spoke Spanish to him and his ears pricked up and he listened to the Spanish and gave me attention.
So there is a ring of truth of foreign animals not understanding English.
Hope everything goes well but I wouldn't put any kids near it.

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

I have mixed feelings about this . Yes the rescues here have many dogs but in Battersea for example ( and they are fairly typical ) 70% of the dogs are Staffies or Staffie crosses . I know they are lovely dogs but the sad fact is that many people for whatever reason do not want this breed of dog . Just as many people would not have the breeds of dog that I like . So some people who want to give a rescued dog a good home may give a home to one from another country . The dogs in Romania are clubbed to death or die in even more inhumane ways than that . Yes education and spay neuter campaigns are the answer and these things are being done but in the meantime many dogs are dying .

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

I, too, have heard about this Eliza, and even worse, I have heard that the people (even kids), are being offered a financial incentive for the number of dogs they can kill.
In many other places the street dogs are being mass poisoned. Beggars belief doesn't it.

Re: Foreign Dog Rescues

This particular dog my friend is taking is in a sanctuary with English people, so the language shouldn't be a problem. They have also sent her a video of the dog looking quite relaxed around a child and other animals, a donkey and loads of cats, so its a bit of an insight of temperament.
They have to be fully vaccinated, including Rabies, and she has been spayed as well. So most of the usual sensible precautions have been taken.
Personally, I think I would prefer to meet a dog first and test it with my own dogs too, before I offered it my home.