International ‘Pet Rescue’ – what to watch out for

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Bringing a dog home is a very exciting time but there’s a lot to think about beforehand. One of the biggest decisions to make is whether to re-home a rescue dog or to buy a puppy from a breeder. Everyone will have their own reasons for whichever option they choose but for those that choose a rescue dog, there then follows another decision to be made – do you re-home a dog from the UK or do you re-home a dog from abroad? The latter option is becoming much more popular, with the numbers of foreign rescue dogs ending up in the UK exploding in recent years. But why should you consider this as an option for your family? How should you go about re-homing a dog from abroad? And are there any pitfalls to be aware of?

Owning a dog

When getting a dog – any dog – there are a lot of things to consider.

Owning a dog is a lifelong commitment, with many dogs living twelve years or even more. The needs of that dog will change over time, from puppy to adult to senior and they may come with health issues or behavioural needs.

Having a dog in the family can also be a tie – who will look after the dog when you go on holiday? What about day to day if the family are out at work or school? How will a dog fit into your lifestyle?

If you have children in the family, the choice of whether to get a dog, and if so, which dog, is incredibly important. For a child to grow up with a dog in the house is a special opportunity but must be thought through and carried out carefully.

There are also the costs to think about, not just the purchase cost of the dog (which for some puppies can run into thousands of pounds), but the cost of owning a dog over their whole lifetime. Could you afford the vets bills, especially the unexpected ones? Can you afford to pay monthly insurance premiums to help with vets’ bills? What about food? Dog walkers? Kennels? The average cost of owning a dog over their lifetime is now given as between £6000 and £18,800 depending on the size of dog, with an average yearly cost over all breeds of £2000.

Breeder or rescue?

The choice between getting a dog from a breeder or getting a rescue dog is often an emotive one and everyone has their own reasons for their choice. By getting a dog, usually a puppy, from a reputable breeder, you are able to choose a specific dog breed to suit you and also are able to own the dog from a very early point in their life – you’re starting with a (nearly) clean slate. This means you know all about their first few weeks and are able to more easily help them adjust to family life. However, it is important to still do your homework as there are sadly many unscrupulous breeders still out there.

Many people feel that ethically, they ought to get a rescue dog as there are many thousands in shelters all over the UK, the majority through absolutely no fault of their own. Knowing that they’ve given a rescue dog a home is a great feeling and obviously is an amazing outcome for the dog too. Choosing a rescue dog, however, can come with more hurdles. Because of their past, dogs in re-homing centres can often struggle with new situations and may lack social skills. This can be evident in unwanted behaviours or even aggressive tendencies. Due to this, re-homing centres tend to be cautious and will allocate strict criteria to each dog such as not to be re-homed to families with young children, or to ensure they are the only pet in the household. Although these rules are put in place for the safety of both the potential new owners and the dog, and rightly so, they can make it difficult for families searching for a new dog to find one that would be suitable for their situation.

Re-homing from abroad

In 2021 there were 66,000 dogs imported into the UK for rescue, mainly from EU countries. The majority of these – around 32,000 – came from Romania. Here, the exponential rise in rescue exports is as clear as day. In 2013, there wasn’t a single Romanian dog imported into the UK. In 2014, there were 3,600; in 2018, there were 15,500. One of the main reasons for this rise was the introduction of a law in Romania in 2013 that any stray dog in a shelter could be euthanised after 14 days. This is a big part of why the business of adopting from abroad has grown – stories of these dogs in “kill shelters” in Romania and other countries obviously tug on the heart strings and the option to save these dogs and give them a new life is appealing to many.

The approach to animal welfare in some countries is very different to our, thankfully, relatively strict legislation. Animal abuse laws tend to be much fewer and far between and generally not even enforced, with dogs seen as property rather than pets. This is not the attitude everywhere but is certainly more widespread than we may be used to.

A 2019 survey showed that many people that adopted a dog from overseas, did so because they found the process easier and less restrictive – 21% did so because they had been rejected from UK rescue centres either because they had young children or because of the amount of time they spent at home. But does easier equal better?

Pros

Re-homing dogs from abroad is saving them from death or suffering

Rescue charities will use this as the main reason why people should adopt from abroad and in a lot of cases is the sad truth.

Ease of the process and fewer restrictions

For a prospective owner, this can be an important factor and often, everything does work out ok, but it always pays to be cautious and if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Making a difference

There genuinely are thousands of rescue dogs abroad looking for new homes so it can be a real win-win situation

Many have a UK base

This means dogs aren’t coming directly from abroad so it gives them more time to settle and be assessed prior to re-homing.

Cons

Lack of regulation

The rescue industry is not regulated meaning that there is no legal protection in place to ensure the dogs are well cared for, healthy, or have been thoroughly assessed.

Scams

Unfortunately, wherever there is high demand and people’s emotions at play, there will be people that take advantage of this, either financially, emotionally or physically by overselling, misrepresenting or even falsifying documents. One of the worst examples of these is using being an overseas rescue charity as a cover for puppy farming.

While we don’t know exactly how common this is, it certainly does happen, and may be more frequent than we think.

Unable to meet the dog

Often, simply through logistical reasons, it isn’t possible to meet a potential new dog prior to re-homing. All reputable charities should carry out home checks, ideally face to face, but unless the dog is already in the UK or a potential owner is prepared to go out to the country of origin to meet the dog, often the first time the owner meets the dog, is when the dog arrives at the house.

Disease importation

This is a big issue for the UK, especially since the relaxation of pet travel legislation in 2012. The only current legal requirements for dogs entering the UK is that they have had a rabies vaccination and have been wormed. However, vets are seeing increasing numbers of cases of previously exotic diseases such as leishmaniasis, brucellosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and Dirofilaria (heartworm). These can pose a real risk to not only the health of our pets in the UK but also to human health too.

Behavioural issues

A big issue that is commonly seen in imported rescue dogs is that of their behaviour. Although some of these dogs will have been raised in a home environment, many won’t, or that environment will have been a very negative place for them. They may well have come off the streets and never been used to affection from humans.

To be taken as a stray, put into a kennels, then transported abroad, usually by road, and end up in a house with unknown people, unknown sights, sounds and smells and maybe other animals – this can all be very overwhelming for many dogs which can lead to a lot of nervousness, anxiety and even aggression. As with most behavioural problems, these are not quick fixes and can take a huge amount of time, perseverance, patience and money to treat. For some dogs, they’re simply not happy living like we would like them to.

Tips for re-homing a dog from overseas

If you’ve got your heart set on rescuing a dog from abroad, there are a few things to watch out for to try to ensure you and your new dog can live happily ever after.

Firstly, always look around at different re-homing charities to get an idea of your different options

Ensure they are a registered charity and have strong ties with people on the ground in the country to ensure smooth transitions and that they are not working for profit.

Have a look at how they ensure that you are a good option for the dog

If they don’t ask many questions or there are no home checks and it seems too easy, walk away. A legitimate charity will do their utmost to make sure the dog is going to the right home. It’s even better if they carry out a full behavioural assessment, ideally once the dog is in the UK, so that you have a better idea as to whether you would be a match.

Is there disease screening?

Even though it’s not a legal requirement to health test dogs coming into the UK, it is the right and responsible thing to do, and many charities will do this as standard. They should also issue you with the appropriate paperwork, confirmed by the dog’s microchip number. If a test comes up positive, there is still the chance you can take the dog on but the charity needs to be clear about any treatment required and follow up testing needed.

Once a dog is in a UK home, that shouldn’t be the end of the story

Many charities will provide follow up support as needed and if the situation doesn’t work out for whatever reason, it is imperative that the charity agree in advance that they would take the dog back.

The way these dogs are brought into the UK is also something to look at

Unbeknownst to most people, imported rescue dogs should not travel on a Pet Passport, as they are not a pet travelling with their owner, but are classed as a commercial import. They must therefore be brought in under Balai rules. However, a study in 2020 showed that 89% of imported rescue dogs were brought in on a Pet Passport and only 1% under the Balai Directive (the remainder were unknown). This is likely either due to a lack of understanding of the rules or because the Pet Travel Scheme is cheaper and easier to use than the Balai Directive which involves not only the rabies vaccination and microchip, but a veterinary health check 48 hours before leaving and completion of an Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate by an Official Veterinarian.

Generally, if done properly, through the legal channels, with thorough vetting of both dogs and potential owners, then adopting a dog from overseas can be incredibly rewarding

But prospective owners must be aware of the potential issues, especially around helping the dog settle into life in the UK. However, it isn’t necessarily ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than adopting from within the UK and either can be a valid option. Wherever you’re looking, doing your homework before committing to getting a dog is vital to ensure a long and happy partnership.