Adopting a dog from abroad. Why?

Whilst trawling through Facebook I came across a post from a lady that wanted to know why if there are so many dogs in need in the UK, people want to adopt from abroad?  Are not there enough dogs in this country already? The post did not want to be critical or combative and was just looking to understand a question that baffled her and many of her friends.

As we feel that many people share this concern, we wanted to dedicate this blog to give an honest and clear answer on behalf of our charity.

We will start by explaining why so many of us volunteer to help dogs from abroad and not from the UK.  The reality is that countries like Spain, Romania, Greece, China where many foreign dogs currently come from, are just only awakening to the concept of animal care. Dogs in Spain get abandoned in the thousands yearly by the hunting communities, and without even going to the level of abuse they suffer under the hunters care, if not killed, they all end up in council pounds.  These pounds do not have the “luxuries” that UK shelters have, such as a kennel for each dog, veterinary care when needed, sufficient food, daily walks, adequate hygiene and access to adopters.

Council pounds in Spain are truly dreary places where more than 20 dogs may share a small kennel. The kennel will be exposed to the cold, wind, rain and in summer, searing heat. Pounds with the capacity to house 100 dogs are currently housing more than 250 dogs and the stress levels of these dogs sky rocket. The food is scarce.  Some of the pounds in the north of Spain for example give the dogs just kitchen carcasses. These bloat them and creates lots of health problems for which the veterinary care is non-existent. Dogs in pain are left to their own devices. Very recently a photo of bleeding dog was posted in a pound without any pound staff making any attempt to cure him. Taking a dog for a walk is nothing more than a dream for some of these dogs. Their days are just four walls without reprieve.  Without volunteers or associations from abroad, these dogs would continue to have a life resembling hell on earth until they die.

So, whilst dogs in the UK do need help, we know that their time in the rescue centers are managed to make their lives as comfortable and safe as possible. When I volunteered at a well-known rescue center in the UK, the dog’s kennels were cleaned daily, the dogs taken for walks and everything possible was made to minimise the anxiety of the more vulnerable ones.

A common belief is that dogs from abroad have had such hard lives that they will never get accustomed to live in a home. People often mention that a friend had a dog from abroad and they had to give it back as he could not settle. Is this true? Most probably. But is this a statement that we can generalise about dogs from abroad?  Certainly not.  Most of the dogs that come from abroad go on to live happy lives with their adopters. We tend to focus and remember the few cases where adoption did not work.  As human beings we are biased to always focus on the negative. In fact research shows that we all tend to make decisions based on negative information more than positive data. Hence these cases tend to be remembered more.

 In our experience most of our dogs do go and settle in their homes as they have been there all their lives. Hundreds of our adopters can attest to that.  However, some will have had hard past lives and traumas that will need to be managed on arrival to their UK home. A dog behaviourist will be able to help these dogs manage the transition from pound dog to pet and this may take time but all dogs will get there.

If you are looking to adopt a dog because “it would be fun to have one” then an abroad dog may not be for you, but neither may be an UK one either. If you are looking to get a dog that needs you, a dog that you want to help, teach and support, a dog that will also make you laugh, love you and give you their full loyalty, then you cannot go wrong with an abroad dog.

Adopting a dog comes with responsibilities and a high level of commitment, and one of them is the responsibility to understand your dog, to be patient, to put resources in place to address any issue that the dog may show, to put his needs ahead of yours and to want to give them time to lose their fears and start enjoying their own lives. This is true for UK dogs but even more vital for overseas dogs.

Lastly, a dog in need is a dog that we must help, it does not matter if it is in the UK, Spain, Greece or China. Dogs do not have nationalities. A dog from Spain will have the same needs, anxieties, and wants as a dog from the UK, China, Greece or any other country. That is what is so beautiful about them. They all have a need for a human to care for them and give them love and attention. It is us, who need to look beyond their place of origin and help dogs that most needs us, it does not matter where they are or come from.

Blog written by Victoria Vazquez, Spanish Stray Dogs UK