30/07/2025
Have you watched the BBC documentary that came out yesterday all about dogs rescued from overseas?
It is eye-opening and at times distressing, but a very fair summary of the state of the import sector at the moment. If you are considering adding a dog from abroad to your family, I highly recommend you watch it.
We are a nation of animal lovers and the desire to adopt a pet in need is strong, and very admirable, but we do need to be sensible about how we go about it.
Which isn't always easy when social media and selling pages are full of desperate stories and cute pictures and when transporters will offer a dog to anyone who asks, often conveniently dropping them off (after long journeys in crowded vans) right to your door.
But this lack of oversight and any sort of due diligence by some, not all, organisations is causing huge issues and heartbreak for owners, animals and the responsible charities trying to deal with the fallout.
It isn't that UK based rescues make it too hard to adopt, it is that many of the overseas ones make it far too easy.
That is not to say that overseas adoptions cannot be successful. Many dogs settle well into pet and family life, but many do not and we have to respect the fact that generations of living independent lives mean they are often happier where they are, being watched over by humans but not sharing the sofa!
In fact, many of the most experienced charities now make population management and care in-country the focus of their work, with rehoming being a much smaller part, and only for those dogs who they have fully assessed and know will thrive in a new place.
I have linked below some excellent resources, pages, and articles for you to read if you are researching overseas rescue but the most important things to look for are;
* A dog imported under Balai Regulations, not just on a pet passport. You can find this out by asking the organisation and you will receive extensive importation paperwork, not just a pet passport and health test results.
Importing via Balai is the legal route for pets being rescued and shows the organisation is committed to obeying the law and doing things properly. If they cut this corner, I would be concerned about what other procedures they may not be following.
• The dog must have been in a foster home for at least a few weeks, ideally a couple of months, before they are put up for adoption and you must be able to meet them more than once before they come home with you.
This allows the dog to properly decompress and settle with an experienced carer, and be fully assessed to ensure their perfect family can be found for them.
* They must have tested negative for Brucella Canis using the APHA blood tests before travelling, and you should be informed that this test needs repeating 3 months later. (Ideally they would be be safe quarantine overseas for this time but I appreciate this is often not practical, so most are done after 3 months here).
* The organisation must offer full, judgement-free, rescue back-up in case the dog isn't suitable for you.
Watch the program here; https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002gkhx
Advice for importers from the Association of Dogs & Cats Homes, I would always look for membership of this association from any rescue you are considering using; https://adch.org.uk/importation/
Advice from Woodgreen Pets Charity;https://woodgreen.org.uk/pet-advice/dog/rehoming-dogs-from-abroad/
My advice on the subject; https://www.catthevet.com/thinking-of-rescuing-a-dog-from-abroad/
A detailed chat I had with the parasitologist Ian Wright about what testing you should expect any dog to have and why; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcbKxGANabA&t=6s
An example of a fantastically successful Dogs Trust Worldwide initiative to manage a stray dog population humanely and with minimal rehoming; https://dogstrust.ba/en/achievements-and-statistics
And finally, follow Barnaby and Bluebell for some more detailed dives into some of the darker corners of this industry.
