Just wanted to comment on the only saving dogs from our own country

I got Ben from Dogs Trust down the road
I got Mia shipped over from Ireland

In the same van as Mia were a load of dogs destiined for the Dogs Trust I got Ben from

I have no idea of Bens history - me 'saving' a dog from Scotland could still have been a dog from Ireland

One person can not save them all, but they can save the one - and if the one that tugs their heartstrings strongly enough is from overseas then why not save it? borders are a human invention - as is cruelty to dogs

Hear hear!

Agreed, I really don't understand the mentality of those who say you should only rescue dogs from the UK...I have to wonder if they're the same people who won't donate to starving masses in Africa because 'Charity begins at home don't ya know!'
What the heck difference does it make what nationality the dogs (or people) are?
Suffering is suffering in my book.

But if you rescue a dog from overseas's they wont understand English and saying sit in Spanish or Romanian will be hard for the new owners

Pereg is bilingual dontcha know!

This thread is actually stupid. My dogs between them cost £200, one £40 more then the other. One was a accidental mating, one was bred for working. The one bred for working cost less. To date, touch wood, only the one bred for working between them has health problems, he has three and a half toes one one foot, and a slight heart murmur. You can also tell in their personalilties who is who. But these dogs are perfectly suited to me, they have been all their life. From when I was at school, then college, to when I was jobless, to now with my busy working life. If someone could sell me another dog that would suit me just as well, whether pedigree or not, I would pay what I wanted. And if the dog fits in my lifestyle, it would not be stupid, but paying twenty quid for any dog that wouldn't fit my lifestyle would be.

Also, if I could I would import a Pondenco or a Galgo from Spain. In fact I'd love to. Luckily for the dogs there are charities doing this already. Saving many from death, or a fate worse then. I could justify this, I couldn't however justify paying money for a dog who too many of the breed can't give birth on their own, and where AI can be recommended because of increased risks because of their confromation IMO these things are not a reason to pay more for the pedgiree, but a reason to run a mile.

http://www.bulldoginformation.com/bu...emination.html

Also another reason to run a mile would be IMO people breeding for extreme characteristics in a breed would be, whether for size, big or small. A huge build, wrinkles, or even colour (blue seems common for this), anything where a breed characteristic is taken, and made into something that it should never of been, where one thing become a selling point, whether a tiny Chihauhau or Yorkie, to a Giant Great Dane, or DDB. These things could throw up health problems that a don't believe a average cross would be so prone to. And in that I mean that a dog that has been bred biggest to biggest or smallest to smallest over time for money, would I believe have its health compromised because of this, whereas the average family cross breed, who hasn't had so much emphasis put on size has less chance of suffering from things associated with this breeding.

Also, yes it is nice to get a dog from a rescue, but again not all rescues are created equal, much like everything in life. Sometimes its best to walk away from them too, and at this point I'm thinking of Crunchies rescue, one local to me that was raided by the RSPCA.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/949...rescue_centre/

And I do appreiate pedigree animals, I think a well breed animal with good conformation and a sound temperment is a beautiful animal. But that doesn't take away that cross breeds can be just as good. One type of dog does not neccasarily equal more then another type. And actually I know that without pedigrees we wouldn't have, well technically we wouldn't have the cross breeds, as they are cross breeds. And the whole dog world would be different if people didn't breed pedigree dogs responsibily. But I don't think it should be like a boxing match, different types in each corner, pitting it out to determine what type is better.

I do believe that with animals you have to be careful where you get your new best friend from. Nothing in life is simple and black and white. And even with health tests, if the conformation of the dog brings problems, the health tests do not make a pedigree worth more then a cross breed IMHO. And if someone does want to pay money for a pet that you wouldn't, thats up to them, as long as the dog is loved and cared for, who are we to say their right or wrong? All JMO of course.

Should these dogs be left to suffer, just because they are in a different country, even if only a handful can be helped?

http://www.sos-animals.org.uk/Podenc...2096151%29.htm

All this talk of money has me confused when we get a new doglet we look for one that will fit into our existing family and one we "fall in love with" when we meet it. If we find one fits the bill we are willing to pay as much as we can afford at the time, has been £30 to £300 at various times. If the dog is pedigree or mongrel we don't mind just as long as we can love it and it can love us.

Anyone paying more won't love their dog more it's just they can afford more I would suggest and no dog once it leaves the original owner keeps it's value much like a car driving off the forecourt so what is a dogs value ? Nothing you can measure in pounds and pence IMO.

wow, several people here have a budding career in parliament.

RE dogs spend money on what you want to spend money on. However I wouldn't pay for a mutt from a breeder, from a rescue, yes, but for an accidental mating no. To the same ends if a pedigree dog had had an accidental mating i wouldn't pay. I don't want to encourage bad breeding practices. I am a massive, massive geek for doing your research when looking into breeders, I have two breeds which get a bit of stick. However my parents did their research, and Sweep, my CKC (i was 6 when we got him) has never due to breed related issues been lame sick or sorry, he's got a perfect set of organs and is 14 years old and still going strong. My grey cost a loootttt more than him and isn't KC reg, but if a really nice dog, and the breeders are really really decent people, who are huge on the welfare side of racing, and he's since given up breeding after losing his favourite grey he doesn't want to breed anymore, and has set up a rescue. He follows me on twitter and often asks me how Rob is/for photos of him and sends me vids as a pup. (i got him at 18 months). I don't think many 'accidental' breeders offer this.

£2oo for a 4x cross they might just get it but not from me I have been asked if I could get a friend 2 kittens as they have just lost their old cat at 18yr and on checking around I have seen a post from someone asking for £80 and its not even a charity £80 x 6 POOR mum cat if they get it u can see what going to happan could be the same with this poor dog as well