It is becoming more common to adopt a rescue dog from overseas, but there are important factors to consider when doing so.

Here in the UK our home-bred dogs carry a limited number of diseases. Dogs coming from mainland Europe, however, can carry a number of diseases that can cause potentially serious infection to UK-bred dogs and humans.

One such disease is Brucellosis, which was eradicated from the UK in 1979. This disease can cause serious disease in humans, and dogs are considered infected for life if they develop it. Brucellosis is a notifiable disease and any dog testing positive for it in the UK may be required to be euthanased. Another is leishmaniasis, which can be difficult to diagnose. Treatment may be prolonged and recurrent infections can develop. Other diseases that aren’t present in the UK include Babesia canis and Ehrlichia canis (tick-borne diseases causing red blood cell destruction) and Dirofilaria immitus (heart worm), which can cause significant illness.

Rabies is present in a number of European countries and puppies cannot enter the UK legally until they are at least 15 weeks old to comply with rabies travel restrictions. It is important to check the date of birth and vaccine status of any imported dog to ensure correct documentation.

Responsible rescue organisations comply with recommended guidelines and test for these diseases before importation. They also treat for relevant parasites. But as a responsible dog owner you should always check this.

Another significant problem with imported street dogs is that they are frequently unsocialised. Most domestic dogs are introduced to lots of new experiences as puppies. Adult dogs that have not been raised in this way are unprepared for the environment they find themselves in, and living in a house in among all these new experiences can be very stressful. As a result, many suffer with anxiety.

This can have a significant effect on the dogs quality of life. Many imported street dogs find normal interactions difficult, and this can develop into fear-related aggression. Although this behaviour can be improved, it is difficult to resolve.

If you are considering an imported rescue dog you will end up with a healthy and calm dog if you research the source of the dog, the health checks carried out and meet them before committing to this life-long relationship.

By Lynn Broom