Rescue Dog Considerations

There is an increasing trend in the UK and the Isle of Man to rescue dogs from abroad and import them. Although these dogs are often in desperate need of homes, there are a number of things to take into consideration when adopting a rescue dog from abroad.

Many of these dogs have been living as strays or have lived their whole life in a kennelled situation. These dogs may be poorly socialised, and owners should carefully consider how these dogs will adapt to an urban environment, lead exercise, children, traffic and house-training. A well-chosen pet will reward you with years of pleasure. However, selecting an animal online without knowledge of its background is risky.

To be allowed into the UK and the Isle of Man, dogs must be compliant with pet passport, micro-chipping, rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatments. Although rabies itself is rare, dogs can carry other serious exotic diseases such as Leishmaniasis, Trypanosomes, Heart worm and other blood borne diseases that do not occur naturally in the British Isles. Because symptoms are not initially visible the animal may not become ill until it reaches its new home, by which time treatment may be complicated and expensive.

The time, expense and possible disease implications should be considered before importing a dog from abroad. There are routes other than adoption which can help the wider plight of foreign rescue dogs and improve conditions in the long term.

Rescue charities in the UK and the Isle of Man are working to rescue abused and homeless dogs in the UK/Isle of Man and to re home them. It is worth considering if a UK/ Isle of Man rescue dog could meet your needs.