A new wave of immigrants is sweeping across the porous borders of Europe and heading for Britain. This time it is dogs.
Britain may not be the most welcoming nation for refugees from north Africa, but a rescued dog in Romania has a decent chance of being whisked over here for a new life.
There are about 30 charities bringing in dogs from overseas and figures have been rising steadily, reaching about 30,000 from the European Union last year, according to government figures.
While that may warm the hearts of the country’s dog lovers, there are growing concerns that these canine imports bring problems for the rescued dogs themselves. There are also fears about the fate of the 81,000 dogs that are abandoned in Britain each year, thousands of which are put down.
Most dog imports — not all of which are rescued dogs — come from Romania (11,659), Ireland (9,631), Spain (3,367) and Cyprus (2,721), according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Some end up in rescue centres in Britain, facing the possibility of death.
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“We shouldn’t expect them to fit into life as a family dog — it takes time and patience
The cost of importing a dog from Romania is about £230: £19 for neutering; £32 for a rabies vaccination; £18 for a pet passport; around £15 for microchipping and about £150 for transport.
Dogs Trust, the animal welfare charity, estimates that 3,463 stray dogs were put down by local authorities in the UK between April 2015 and March 2016. The total figure is likely to be far higher, as many rescue centres also put down dogs.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home said it put about 970 dogs to sleep last year from its intake of 4,868. The Blue Cross charity had 2,619 dogs pass through its shelters last year; 227 of them were put down.
The difficulty is that the foreign dogs are rescued for the best of reasons, but not always with the best results. “People do it because they want to give these dogs a good life,” said Carolyn Menteith, a canine behaviourist.
“We think we have rescued this dog but its entire world has changed. And that’s a scary thing. The causes of aggression in a dog are fear and frustration.
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“These dogs have always been free-ranging with no restrictions. We shouldn’t expect them to fit into life as a family dog — it takes time and patience.”
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home said it was “fully aware that the stray dog and cat problem in some countries can be severe” but warned: “Bringing some of them to the UK is not the solution, and can cause considerable health risks.” The charity wants tighter controls on the cross-border trade.
Dogs Trust agrees. “While we understand the instinctive desire to bring dogs from overseas back to the UK, we worry about the impact this has on dog welfare in general,” it said.
“International rehoming does not address the root causes of stray dog problems abroad. Furthermore, there is a real risk of dogs from overseas harbouring diseases that are not found in the UK.”
Rescue centres report a growing number of animals being brought to this country and then ending up either abandoned or given to dog shelters because of behavioural problems.
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Lynne Spencer, founder of the Give a Dog a Home charity, said: “We rescue dogs from public and private shelters in Romania, Greece and Cyprus. The public shelters are often particularly cruel . . . Many stray dogs in them are at risk of extermination.” The charity typically brings about 12 dogs at a time to Britain.
Fi Weir of Blackheath, south London, has taken on one of the charity’s dogs from Greece. Douglas was fearful of people to begin with but has become more welcoming and has bonded with Weir’s other dog, Purdey. Weir had been training Douglas to come back to her when he was let off the lead and it was going well — until he discovered squirrels. “So it is slightly one step forward and one-and-a-half back,” she said.
Lara Higgins, a criminology student at Kent University, has a rescue dog, Pasha, from Romania. “We still have to be cautious when letting him off the lead and he’s very greedy with food, but other than that he’s perfect,” she said.
Government regulations demand that before being brought to the UK dogs are microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and have a pet passport or a vet’s certificate. Once that is done, however, the borders are open.
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Publicity hounds
https://mobile.twitter.com/jrgillespie2000 The charity Give a Dog a Home is one of many offering dogs from abroad — and it attributes endearingly human characteristics to the animals. Its founder Lynne Spencer said the dogs, including the three here, had a life expectancy of only about two years in their native countries.
Aida
Romania, female
Born: July 2015
‘A young, affectionate and gentle girl. Whoever chooses to nurture this calm girl will [have] a loyal companion’
Sausage
Cyprus, male
Born: 2015/16
‘Sausage is a friendly little boy — good with people, other dogs and cats. He is a sweetheart’
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Harper
Greece, female
Born: March 2016
‘A young and endlessly energetic lady with a quick brain and cheeky nature. She enjoys being busy‘