In truth Carrington I knew that most on here would be far from agreeing with me, it was clear from the other thread. For my part I just wanted to stand up for them. I knew I would be a lone voice.

I am not so closely in rescue that I cannot see the wood for the trees. I have argued for a euthanasia policy to be introduced, with a committee based decision making process rather than a blanket non destruction policy which is bad for both the dog and centre in some circumstances.  But, I can see how if you had some spare kennel space how it would be all too easy....

Then again it is all easy when you're just standing back from a distance and making judgements.

To Harley: Which is why we just can't be taking in dogs in from other countries too, as much as we might feel their plight..........

For my part I just wanted to stand up for them. I knew I would be a lone voice here.

You make me want to give you a big {{{hug}}} I'm really sorry most of us do not agree and I respect you for standing up for something you feel greatly about. We'll have to agree to disagree, but I fully respect your opinion. :-)

No misconceptions from me I do rescue :)  also i have a friend who brings thrm in from Europe and i know she forks out alot to do these trips and comes back more traumatised d each time.I just think when tons upon tons of dogs are pts here cant see why we would fetch in more. Think our house needs putting in order before we bring in more.

Carrington - thank you. You have made me feel all warm inside. Yes we can agree to disagree but still be able to respect the opinion of others, and I do understand the points of view expressed. Nothing in life would ever get done if everyone needed to agree LOL.

Apart from the dog that was brought back the others all had to go on a waiting list which didn't go down well with those trying to rehome them.

This is when people need to start taking responsibility for their own actions -and rescues like Dogs Trust need to start putting dogs to sleep. Those people that were told there was a waiting list could then have been told they could bring the dog in to be put down as there was no space for it -I bet it would make at least some of them think twice. I think it's so wrong to dump dogs on rescue and just hand over the responsibility. They cannot keep the dog, fair enough -then find it a new home yourself! As it is now, what will happen to these dogs that couldn't be taken in? Chances are they will be dumped somewhere and later picked up as strays.

I really don't see the logic in rescues having a policy of not putting healthy dogs to sleep. Sometimes there is no choice.

Something to think about in the same vein

http://batterydogfarmingdealerspetshops.blogspot.co.uk/

There is another problem associated with the importation of Romanian dogs which appears to be growing. These dogs are coming over here only to be unwanted by their adopters in a very short time, because these people are not equipped to cope with a dog with serious issues-- there are also cases of foster homes saying they don't want to keep the dogs after they arrive. This is actually hardly surprising-- these foster carers and adopters make contact through Facebook and other sites on the internet, many of the adopters falling for a photo of a particular dog with a particularly sad story. They are then "home checked" by people who are often also contacted via the internet by well meaning rescuers in Romania, so nobody really knows these people and how much they know about dogs. Some of these dogs are already friendly and relatively easy to assimilate, but some of them have lived as a pack and roamed for miles with little contact with people, or have had terrifying abusive contact with people-- it takes an extremely knowledgeable dog person to be able to rehabilitate them to the point where they are any where near a family pet. In some cases I think it amounts to cruelty to transport very nervous and traumatised dogs over here, certainly when they land up in the hands of people who are not able to cope when they reach their destination. I think the hundreds of pounds spent transporting them would be better spent building safe compounds with shelter and food in their own country where they can live as a social pack, after spaying /neutering of course.

Excellent point well said Zan

Zan you write with common sense and I agree with what you are saying.  I think there are too many people getting on the band wagon of rescue without taking the long term responsibilty of the dogs when they arrive in the UK. This can be seen with the Romanian dogs it is not unheard of them escaping enroute or on arrival in a fosters home.

Yes - I think it's too easy to be swayed by a terrible story & sad picture on the internet without realising what you are getting into - but sometimes if the dogs are young and the people experienced it works out fine.  I met a lady with a lovely pup from Romania (some sort of GSD x) at a Kamal Fernandez training day - the lady was very experienced & the pup was coming on well.  Last summer (having spend months banging on about the importance of well bred and well brought up pups!!!) I replied to a post on Facebook about a Long Haired Vizsla pup in Hungary which needed a UK home (they are viewed as throwbacks in Hungary & usually culled).  I went over to visit her - she was about 4 months old & had been starved rather than abused.  And also a big difference was that she had been very well socialised with dogs & humans.   So of course I had her & I think she is going to be my best dog - so things can work out well. 

Yesterday in the park I bumped into a lady who had 2 elderly Vizslas & 2 rescue dogs from Cyprus.  She was commenting that the rescues were very hard work - she thinks they had roamed free and consequently kept trying to get out.  Fortunately she is experienced and committed to them.

I am involved in doing home checks for the Hungarian Pointing Rescue society and we re-home mostly Vizslas from Hungary.  Most have been superb - but at least 2 have had to be re-homed (one successfully, one not).  I think the difference here is that it's breed specific and most of the potential homes have experience of the breed.  In addition we have a network of fosterers so if an adoption falls through we can look after the fall-out.  In addition, there are regional Vizsla groups that meet up regularly for walks and so there is plenty of help and support.

I have another friend who was very heavily involved with Cyprus Rescue and they found the biggest problem was that they just weren't being told the truth about the dogs - she lost out financially (having contributed a lot of her own money) and emotionally it was very stressful.

So it's a mixed bag.  Personally I think there are plenty of dogs here which need rescuing and it's daft to spend the money bringing in dogs from abroad.    But it's very difficult to make sure your head always rules your heart.  And if I hadn't listened to my heart I wouldn't have my Hungarian Heart dog . . .

I hear that some people were going to a Greek home and bringing in dogs.  Sadly many have been done out of their money and no dogs have arrived.  These people hadn't even gone over to see the dogs home in question and some of the dogs that did arrive have had quite a few health problems.