Advice needed: Romanian rescue dogs

I completely agree with you all. Happy Easter Monday! PS: In Spain, there are also Spanish Water Dogs that are trained for fighting or are otherwise mistreated. The rescue seems quite reputable; several fellow members on here have adopted through them—breeds like Podencos, Galgos, etc. They are all quite timid at first, but with plenty of patience and a gentle touch, they come round in the end. gigi397

Romania is a country where there are loads of stray dogs, so it’s likely those are the ones being put up for adoption. A country that is already struggling to get by isn't going to spend money on vet care for dogs; they just don't have the means. It’s such a shame because these strays also deserve the chance to experience something other than life on the streets and everything that goes with it.

Hi everyone, I’d like to share my experience with Remember Me France, which I think is probably the biggest charity working in this field. I want to flag up their management as being completely OPAQUE and ARBITRARY (both regarding the application process and how the arriving dogs are allocated/managed): - 1st application with full paperwork for a dog listed as available on their site: application rejected because it turned out the dog was already reserved by "priority" (or "waitlisted") people. - Following that, I became a "priority" applicant over people applying directly on the site (due to a large number of dogs arriving and them needing to shift them, I suppose): I chose a dog privately, which was then reserved for me and due to arrive in the UK in 2 weeks. After a week, they told me the dog had contracted parvo (haemorrhagic gastroenteritis) and had died. It’s very strange: their website clearly states that every dog arriving is checked by a vet. Following some exchanges with one of the charity's managers (who also waived the need for a home visit because the volunteer due to come to my house never showed up: so the adopter vetting process is also opaque, despite what it says on their site), I’m starting to have serious doubts. There’s no way to check how they take care of the dogs on-site (a proper inspection really should be organised over there). After I raised concerns about all these points, the person told me: "your file is closed." I’d recommend sticking to a local rescue or the RSPCA instead, where you can actually see your dog and where there should be much better transparency across the board.

Hi everyone, I was also interested in Romanian rescue dogs. I had a look online and found a rescue that showed pictures of tiny, terrified dogs in their cages. I fell in love with one who had beautiful eyes, but they were so incredibly sad. There was a form to fill out, and at the bottom in small print, it said they would send the dog as soon as they received around £430. To get that money back, you had to have the dog neutered and send a document signed by the vet proving it had been done; once they received the proof, they’d refund the £430. I spoke to some people who had gone for this deal, and only about two out of ten had actually got their money back. I pulled the plug straight away. That was back in 2015. I wasn’t looking for a specific breed, just a small dog—even a "zinneke" as we say here in Belgium, or a crossbreed as you’d call it. In five and a half months, I found nothing, neither for adoption nor for sale within my budget (max £260), and I ran into five scams, one of which was eventually traced back to Benin. Then one morning, the love of my life appeared in the arms of a lady who had a litter. She was a small-scale Maltese breeder and this adorable puppy was born with a cleft lip; his brothers and sisters were all Kennel Club registered. She was selling him for £130, and it was in Belgium. Champagne (that's his name) will be five in two months, and he’s so cuddly, kind, adorable, and very cute. There you go, luck comes if you’re patient enough. Just be very careful with rescues asking for money like that. Goodnight to you all. gigi397 from Brussels

Hi everyone, We’ve just been through an absolute nightmare adopting a Romanian dog through a local rescue that’s already been mentioned in this thread. The dogs arrive directly from the Romanian shelter. They haven't been socialised at all and are incredibly fearful. The rescue doesn't do any socialisation work before handing the dogs over to families. What’s more, you are only seen as an adopter, and the charity reserves the right to take the dog back from you without any valid reason. I would strongly advise against going through this kind of rescue; you’re better off going to a professional, especially if you don't have much experience with dogs. It’s such a shame for those poor Romanian dogs.

Hi, Personally, I don't know these specific rescue charities at all, but I’ve been to Romania and spent some time around the dogs there. Their behaviour really depends on where they’re from: it’s usually the city dogs that can be a bit aggressive. However, it’s rare for them to actually attack anyone; most of the time they just roam from street to street, barking now and then, and people don't even notice them anymore as they’re just part of the landscape. Sometimes they’ll follow passers-by, but that’s about it. They are generally medium to large-sized dogs, usually mixed breeds. Because they’re used to scavenging for their own food, they can be quite independent. They mostly live in packs in abandoned areas. Anyway, that’s all I can tell you, I hope it helps a bit! ;-)

I completely agree with @Marinedmcl: there's a rescue that brings over dogs from Romania and it’s a total horror show! The animals are just neglected and arrive here in the UK in an appalling state (filthy, stinking, ill, or literally skin and bones!). To make matters worse, they lie on the profiles—especially regarding behaviour and sociability—so some of them turn up acting like wild animals. It’s absolutely disgraceful, frankly! I’m in the London area and I know several people who adopted from them and had nothing but trouble! It’s easy to tell which one it is; they’re the most well-known lot when you’re looking for a Romanian dog. Basically, you either get lucky and everything’s grand, or you end up with a difficult case and that’s when the nightmare really begins.... 😠

Hi Ganjerirt, On another current thread, 'Delta, the piro...', they’re also discussing a dog with hypersensitivity issues who struggles with human contact. Her owner Leeleebijou is feeling a bit at a loss... your dogs' stories are different, but you might find it helpful to swap notes...

Hi there, We also adopted a puppy through a rescue charity. For us, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. We’re a couple with a cat and a little girl who’s nearly four. He’s an eight-month-old puppy that we didn't meet before he arrived. According to the rescue, he was a very sweet, docile dog—a real softie, basically. In reality, he is incredibly fearful. He’s essentially scared of everything and doesn't seem to know the first thing about the world. Trying to bond with him is very tricky; he growled at every one of us for several days (which wasn't very reassuring, especially with our daughter). He spent several days hiding under the living room table. It’s impossible to take him for a walk on a lead; he shakes like a leaf when he’s on it and bolts as soon as he sees the lead. After getting back in touch with the rescue, they sent us to a vet who knows these dogs well, and he’s been put on Prozac. Today, nearly two months after his adoption, I can stroke him if he approaches me first, but he still ducks away from me at times. For my partner, it's impossible to get near him without using treats. He’s okay with our daughter, but we’re staying very vigilant. The rescue hasn't got any solutions to offer us. So, we’re in a bit of a tough spot with a dog who is clearly very traumatised; it’s not exactly how we’d imagined things. In short, you have to keep in mind that these dogs have a bit of a history, and beyond the usual training, there can be a lot of deeper work to do so that everyone can feel settled.

Yes please, we’d love to see some photos! 👏