Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

I have put this is debates rather than pets as I think it might make a good debate .

Here goes

Should the uk allow animal charities to bring in dogs from Romania Ireland and Afghanistan etc ?

These are not pets but dogs that have been abandoned on the streets or just semi feral dogs .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-17668242

There is also a growing trade in importing puppies for sale from Eastern Europe .

We don't know how true their health certificates are ?
Surely this is dangerous .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle...a-disease.html

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

Not sure how I feel about this one, Muddy.

Part of me feels if we can rescue animals from starvation - or worse - then maybe we should, I loathe the idea that any animal is suffering because I did nothing.

Part of me feels that by so doing we are encouraging 'puppy farms' and other horrid practices. We have enough of that going on here.

Yet another part of me questions - do we not have enough animals of own in shelters up and down the country that would love to have a good home?

I donate to animal charities in the UK with the expectation that I am helping animals in UK shelters. Do I have the right to stop/discourage them from using my donations to help elsewhere?

It is not a straight yes/no situation

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

Answer. is no we should not, we4 have far too many unwanted pets here already. Dogs /Cats are not endanged species. Spend the cash on our own homeless, sick, and disabled.

Improve their lot,instead of walking by.

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

I've been following one of these rescue centres on FB. The adult dogs worry me as they say they're good with kids etc. I don't know how they know these things.
The puppies are cute but no one can know their origin. There seems to be quite a lot of large breeds.
The price for adoption is high, I think it's a lot to pay for a dog without a history. I suppose you could say the same about dogs abandoned here.
Even some local animal rescues are rehoming these dogs.
Yes, I think our own home grown dogs should be rehomed before looking at those brought here, however well meaning the rescuers are.

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

I feel similar to Tabby on this one.

My first thought is No, our own shelters are already bursting at the seams with unwanted animals as it is. It might be different if our shelters were half empty, but they're not.

On the other hand, it's not the animals fault they are unwanted, so walking past them and leaving them to die on the street is similar to ignoring a homeless person as well.
Some are so badly treated, starved, beaten, poisoned, some even have their legs cut off,, presumably so they can't find food. Nothing deserves to be treated like that.

Not all the dogs are half wild at all. My friend adopted a huge dog from Romania a year or two ago, and she is very affectionate and sociable - except she doesn't like some men.

I don't dispute they need rescuing at all, but perhaps it would be better to build more shelters and educate people in their own countries rather than ship so many out?

I often wonder if these dogs from abroad understand a word we are saying to them.

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

As much as we would like to, we really can't protect the whole animal world from the cruelty of mankind, so my thoughts are that we should concentrate on our home grown animal welfare problems and get that under control first before importing more.

Regarding puppy farmers and anyone else that treats their animals badly, if it were me I would put them into the same cages that they keep the animals in and throw away the key...

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

I have a Romanian rescue dog, looks a bit like a Corgi. I have had her for three years now and despite never having had a small dog before I have to admit that she is the most loving biddable little animal. So obedient and a quick learner, and now understands all commands. She obviously had been ill treated because if I move my arm quickly she flinches and ducks away and gets very worried by raised voices, but does not react aggressively.

At the time I took her from the rescue centre she was a depressed very nervous animal crying all the time, today she is transformed, loves people and enjoys company. She is fit and healthy and never needed to go to the vet.

A friend of mine has a dog she rescued from the streets of Thailand and paid all the fees to bring him over.

Edited to add, I paid about £100 to the centre, then bought a travelling crate for her, a bed and bowls etc. On top of that I had to pay my landlord a £300 bond in order to have a dog in this property. Having always had pedigree dogs in the past, this rescue dog must have cost almost as much as a homegrown pedigree.

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

It's a difficult one isn't it? Similar to why people adopt children from abroad when there are so many Children in their own country needing homes. One answer could be that many rescue centres make it very difficult for people to adopt an unwanted animal, even though they could give it a good home.

Another answer could be that people actually see photos and videos of the dogs in other countries, left in the streets to starve, get run over, etc, etc, live and visual scenes have a much greater impact on people than, for instance, visiting a shelter/rescue centre, where the animals are at least safe from running the streets and are being fed and housed, albeit not in luxury.

Some people see appalling sights of abandoned animals for themselves, when on holiday and want to do something to help, they may even see a particular animal that creeps into their heart and determine one way or another to give that animal a loving home.

I don't know about understanding anything said to the animal, I believe it is said by various "experts" that animals don't understand words so much as the different tones of voice. That may be true, I really don't know.

The one thing that is true, and I personally can't see it changing, is that there are people in this world who treat animals, children and adults in the most appalling and evil ways possible, some out of ignorance and some because they are, to put it plainly, vile people.

Is there really going to be any answer? I don't think so, certainly not any time soon.

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

I also donate and support the Dogs Trust here, so do my bit for UK strays.

Re: Should animal charities bring in dogs from overseas ?

Just last week two greyhounds were brought to Canada by a greyhound rescue group, showing signs of illness.

There are now several cases of canine flu in the area which left untreated can result in death. It is under control but people are told not to pat any questionable dog as it can be passed to another dog.

The biggest worry is a mutation form starting from canine flu and human flu.