By that reasoning we would stop all International Aid.
The UK is an Island - but still influences what happens in other countries. By tourism, by financial policies, by influence and by historical intervention.
Do you really think Ireland would be as poor as it is if the English had stayed out of its affairs? Try reading up on the Potato Famine and the Corn Laws if you believe we have no responsibility for what happens in Ireland.

As I said earlier that is for another thread here we are talking about dogs not people.
We are not responsible for what has happened in the past either - if we were we would be treating Japenese, Germans etc very differently today.

Yes - that was my reason far asking - I was trying to work out if the people who do not agree think it is more about money or more about the homes available.

A few rescues have been set up through people seeing the dire situations abroad and wanting to do something about it - it will all have started with an individual going out there or bringing a dog back.....

i agree with this too.

its a very difficult situation, when you are faced with a individual dog.

There is a very heartwarming story in the last "Boxer Quarterly" about a young Boxer from abroad, that was owned but mistreated by some people, over a period of a couple of yrs, couple A , watched with despair , being able to do nothing about it, the dog got very very thin, wa left unattended for weeks on end, in a back hot yard.

Eventually forces got to work, they "rescued" the dog, from the back yard, and took it to a safe place, with the help here in the UK, and with monetary backing from the breed club and individuals, the dog was brought to the UK, it is now livign a very settled happy life with a family and other Boxer friends.

the story is heartwarming and shows when people put their minds to it, you can do something to make a difference.

How could you not applaud that rescue,

But them we still have such a problem here that to continue to bring dogs in from "pounds" from other countries, will not make it easier.

It's about looking after our own dogs first but faced with individual dogs it's hard to make a persons head rule their heart.

The main point of difference in opinion seems to be that if dogs are brought in from other countries it reduces the availability of potential homes in the UK for the dogs already in rescue centres in the UK.

I don't have any info or statistics to hand, but I do wonder if this really is the case? The decision on whether to take on a rescue dog (& I'm not including breed rescues in this) can be hugely varied, but I've nver heard anyone say that they want a UK dog, rather than an "imported" dog!

To my mind the harsh conditions & treatment often suffered by dogs in other countries is far worse that in the UK, so why not help those dogs? By only taking in & rehoming dogs that are already in the UK, we are, in turn, condemning the non-UK dogs to a far worse life than possibly a UK stray/unwanted dog would get. And possibly the worst that would happen to a non-rehomeable UK dog is painless pts. But can you imagine the long drawn out & painful death of a diseased, starving & injured dog in a 3rd world country . I know which I'd prefer happened!

But as I've said before, apart from private individuals rescuing, importing & paying for vet & quarantine costs for a particular dog, the only country that anyone has mentioned as being the source of regular "imports" into the UK is Ireland. Given the huge difference in euthanasia stats posted by Claire, and the prevalence of puppy farms & BYBs in Ireland, I am glad that the DT is trying to help these dogs. But I would think there's a good case for somehow putting pressure on the Irish government to put it's own house in order on BYBs & PFs ~ anyone fancy starting a new charity/campaign ?

I really wonder if the numbers imported from Ireland by one (or perhaps a few) charities really makes any difference in the great scheme of things. A dog's life saved is a dog's life saved, regardless of origin. I couldn't, in all honestly, say that UK dogs are more deserving of a loving home than dogs from other countries. I couldn't do this for people, let alone for animals

This is an interesting debate for me, even though I am not in the UK, as we have the same dilemma here too. There are rescues who brought up dogs from Hurricane Katrina, and there is a rescue in Edmonton who brings up dogs from California, there are alot of dogs that come up here from the US, and Mexico, and rescues that support that initiative. And as I have 3 dogs from the US, I have gotten into the debate myself, a couple of times. And honestly, I really dont know where I stand on this issue.

Our rescues and shelters are full, but dogs aren't in such dire straits here as they are in the US and Mexico, dogs coming from disasters, such as Katrina, need a safe place, and I applaud the rescues that went to such expense.

The shelter situation in California is scary, but should we be trying to help empty their shelters, at the risk of putting more pressure on ours? I dont know the answer to that....

My own 3 that came from the US was an individual choice, and, as I want to rescue specific dogs (deaf smallish dogs) I dont come by my criteria all that easily up here... And honestly, the deaf dog problem in the States is HUGE, so I made the choice in each situation... I do look in Canadian rescues first, but not that many Deaf dogs here.

It's something that I've had to defend a time or two, but most people respect my choice, and applaud me for the choice of adopting deafies... I did have some one tell me that I should just rescue hearing dogs then... ummm, no.

On the other hand, people BUY dogs from the US all the time, and some of those dogs end up in our shelters too... If we dont want rescues bringing dogs into our counties, then would we want people to stop buying dogs from other countries? I'm not saying so... just food for thought

Like I said, a very interesting debate, I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. I honestly dont know where I stand.

We can`t rescue all another country`s dogs. That would be nonsense. BUT every rescue, every dog, cat, donkey that is brought to the UK is an ambassador for the situation back home.
I don`t see how supporting Rescues in this country prevents one trying to help abroad. I have 3 dogs - 2 british rescues, 1 irish. The Greekie just passed on.
If you don`t want to support a Rescue or Charity with links abroad, you vote with your feet. I don`t see why or even how you can prevent people doing what they wish with their own time and money - even if you don`t approve.

6,500 dogs destroyed in Ireland in 2009
9,000 dogs destroyed in UK in 2009.

Yes, given the respective size of the countries, Ireland's figures are worse, but that doesn't get over the fact that there were 9,000 pts in the uk.

(am looking to see if I can find figures on these re how many were pts because of lack of rescue space/homes).

I agree, being pts by a qualified vet is not the worse fate that can befall a dog.

But with the imports from Ireland, I believe that the vast majority are being brought over to prevent them being pts.

As we already pts more dogs than Ireland does, what is the point of doing this? Saving one dog from Ireland so another in the UK sufferes that fate?

Its not just the long term homes that are the problem, but the shelter space/foster homes etc. There are still too many dogs in the UK who are pts because there is 'no room for them at the inn'.


I think we've all agreed that for individuals, rescue is about personal choice. Some might want to help a certain breed or age of dog, for you, you have the skills and means to help the deaf dogs. There are fewer willing homes for such dogs and if justiciation is needed for your personal choices, I think that is good enough reason.

Good point about buying from other countries...though over here, import buying tends to be pretty specialist and I can't imagine that anyone going to that trouble would be the sort to allow their dog to end up in shelter.

It's really interesting to have a perspective on the problem from another country ~ thanks . I didn't realise that Canadian rescues took so many US dogs. I can understand the immediate & urgent help for animals caught up in natural disasters ~ I would hope that all over the world people are trying to help animals & humans in a dire but hopefully temporary situation.

And I suppose part of me understands that a hugely consumerist society like the US would include an element of people that consider pet dogs as yet another "consumer" item.

And I totally understand your personal position in wanting help small deaf dogs ~ we all try to do what we can as best we can.

The suffering of dogs (& other animals) is very often man-made & I just thought that animal lovers all over the world would be united in helping dogs, wherever they come from. I am quite surprised by the "nationalist" outlook voiced by some.

The only point in favour of helping UK dogs before non-UK dogs that I can see is if it costs twice as much to help one dog in another country than it does to help, say, three dogs in the UK ~ simple economics means that it may be better to spend the money helping 3 dogs. But my point was that the suffering of some dogs in 3rd world countries can be extreme whilst at least in the UK, the option of euthanasia is available to put a stop to extreme suffering & maybe this is not available in other countries.