Adopting A Dog From Abroad

[~Annie~]

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I've been involved with various rescues over the years and recently did a home check for a Spanish rescue on a family here in Wales who were adopting a Podenco from them. The family had been waiting some months for their Podenco which had been living in the rescue kennels in Spain since puppyhood ... it can take for ever to get the all clear re. rabies and sort the paperwork etc. which all costs quite a bit of money. A couple of my friends involved in rescue in the UK have been very critical of my involvement as in their view every dog rescued from abroad means a dog left in need of rescue here. Just wondering what others think about this.

Annie

 

[meddling]

I just think that any dog who's life is made better by a rescue is great, a dog doesn't have less feelings just cos it comes from a country where animal rights may not be so important!

Keep up the good work!

 

[Nicola]

Are the family paying all the costs, or is it the rescue organisation? I'm undecided. It does seem to be diverting help away from rescue cases in the UK, but I can see the attraction of wanting to adopt a Spanish podenco, and if someone's willing to go to all that trouble, it sounds like a nice thing to do. I don't feel convinced with my reasoning, more my heart speaking really. :wacko:

 

[~Annie~]

++

Are the family paying all the costs, or is it the rescue organisation? I'm undecided. It does seem to be diverting help away from rescue cases in the UK, but I can see the attraction of wanting to adopt a Spanish podenco, and if someone's willing to go to all that trouble, it sounds like a nice thing to do. I don't feel convinced with my reasoning, more my heart speaking really. :wacko:

As far as I know costs are shared Nicola.

To be honest I did the homecheck because someone had to do it and it was local to me but I was a bit uneasy about it ... I've yet to come across many folk homing any old mutt from abroad, it's nearly always Podencos or Galgos ... a sort of one up on the Jones dog rescue it seems to me ... but who am I to talk, I just got chucked off a rescue forum because I've bought a puppy!

Annie

 

[dolly]

Although i think its wonderful for the dog from a far to be adopted. i feel the cost of it, could help more dogs in this country rather that just the one.

I suppose we dont always know all the circumstances behind each case.

 

[meddling]

++

Are the family paying all the costs, or is it the rescue organisation? I'm undecided. It does seem to be diverting help away from rescue cases in the UK, but I can see the attraction of wanting to adopt a Spanish podenco, and if someone's willing to go to all that trouble, it sounds like a nice thing to do. I don't feel convinced with my reasoning, more my heart speaking really. :wacko:

As far as I know costs are shared Nicola.

To be honest I did the homecheck because someone had to do it and it was local to me but I was a bit uneasy about it ... I've yet to come across many folk homing any old mutt from abroad, it's nearly always Podencos or Galgos ... a sort of one up on the Jones dog rescue it seems to me ... but who am I to talk, I just got chucked off a rescue forum because I've bought a puppy!

Annie

Blimey Annie, thats a bit extreme isn't it!!!

 

[Hula]

I know someone who goes over to help in a Spanish rescue . She also has adopted a podenco from there . She tells me the cost paid by the person adopting is minimal ( in fact less than you would pay from a rescue here ) . I am quite happy for any rescued dog to get a home doesn't matter where from

 

[~Annie~]

I know someone who goes over to help in a Spanish rescue . She also has adopted a podenco from there . She tells me the cost paid by the person adopting is minimal ( in fact less than you would pay from a rescue here ) . I am quite happy for any rescued dog to get a home doesn't matter where from

Don't misunderstand me, so am I ... my friends argument, in part, is that adopting from abroad because you specifically want a Podenco or a Galgo means that another dog already in the UK may well be subsequently euthanased, and I have to say I'm uneasy about that part too, and about the fact that, as dolly says, the cost overall might be money spent to greater good elsewhere. But like Nicola I'm not sure if my thinking is clear on this, hence the question

Annie

 

[k4tie-d]

before we moved there was a lady up the road who adopted a dog from abroad, not from a rescue though, it was a friend who had had a accedental litter of pups, and one was born with one eye, so they were going to put it down, but the lady said she would take it.

it took nearly a year and cost her almost £1000 for this dog who was cross of somthing or a few things? and with only one eye, to me seems madness, but at the same time if they hadnt had done it this wee dog wouldnt have got a chance at a family :huggles:

it was a lovely wee thing we met it a few times and it was the nicest dog, but to pay £1000 when you could have went down to your local rescue and for the same money, dontated close to £900 and still come out with a dog, im just not sure if i could have justified it myself :b

i suppose it depends on what you can afford, and what you want to do, if the dog gets a good home that it wouldnt have had otherwise then i would have to say its a good, just not what i would do

 

[bertha]

I can see both side of this. However, the poor dogs in Spain have the most appalling time, so illtreated and the owners don't get prosecuted as they would here.

Any dog that needs a home from anywhere needs help and if people are willing to take them, so what. Does it really matter where they come from?

As for the idea that buying a puppy means a dog will be PTS else where, what a load of tosh. If dog breeding stopped today and there were no dogs to rescue, what would these so called animal lovers do? There would be no dogs to rescue and no dogs at all. Is that their aim? A dog free world?

Now I'm ranting. :angry:

 

[affieluver]

i met a lady a while ago that had rescued an ibizan hound from spain i have to say i too can see both sides of he coin dogs abroad often have horrendous lives which will never get better as there is often no room at these little rescue centres to take them in and seeing that lovely dog that day a breed that she would probably never get to own in this country i would do the same

like ann says there is nothing like the rspca in these countries that will look out for these dogs so if i was in a position then i would definatley do the same

 

[FeeFee]

This is always a controversial subject, but I think most people who adopt a dog from abroad genuinely do it to give a chance to a dog that will have no hope of being adopted in it's own country, rather than because they are going for any kind of one-upmanship by having a less usual breed.

The rescues who bring dogs over from the Continent are usually small rescues, self-funded and run by someone who has links with that country and a passion to try to help. There's nothing to say those resources would find there way to general UK rescue if they didn't exist.

I know the situation in the UK is bad with lots of dogs pts, but I doubt the few dogs coming in from abroad is having much impact on that one way or another. Also where do you draw the line? Lots of English rescues try to fit in a few dogs from Ireland when they can because the situation over there for rescue dogs, particularly greyhounds, is even worse than here. Two of my dogs came from Wales, probably at the expense of a local rescue. At the end of the day the dogs don't choose where they are born, and a dog in need is a dog in need imo.

 

[whippetwise]

I think if you are going to rescue a dog you deserve nothing but praise, no matter where that dog is located. You are helping a dog in need and thats what matters IMO.

 

[Happy Humber]

The galgos are sooo beautiful I really want to have one before I turn up my toes.

 

[Julie D]

what do Galgos and podenco look like ?

 

[FeeFee]

Galgos: http://www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/adoption/adoptionFrame.htm

Podenco (Ibizan Hound): http://www.ibizanhoundrescue.com/ibizan_ho...gallery_01.html

 

[Julie D]

cheers !

 

[jgear]

I foster for greyhounds in need, and last year I had a Galgo for 4 months while he was waiting for his forever home he was a lovely dog and heart breakingly handsome. So easy baring in mind the lack of care they receive in Spain, my greyhounds adored him.

How Greyhounds in need work is the charity pays for the quarantine and the person adopting the dog makes a donation of £70+ although most people donate more. People donate to pay the quarantine of £1000 per dog or just £5+ a month or a one off donation. Or the money is found to pay the quarantine through fund raising.

These are the dogs available check out Timida is that a beautiful face or what.

http://www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/adoption/adoptionFrame.htm

I know a few people who have Galgos and they are brilliant dogs some are quite nervous initially but they blossom so quickly and are so loyal.

 

[FeeFee]

Presumably dogs from abroad no longer have to go into quarantine, and can come to the UK on a pet passport? Obviously that means they have to be held for several months before they travel so they can have all their jabs etc, but I'd assume that is much cheaper than keeping them in a quarantine kennels.

 

[Dar Khan]

Exactly correct