Adopting or fostering a dog is a serious responsibility, and it entails a lot of effort and paperwork to reassure your new pet’s current caregivers that you are the best person to care for them.

This process is lengthy and challenging at the best of times, but if you decide to adopt a pet from a foreign country, then you’ll face even more obstacles.

Overseas dog adoption has flourished over recent years, with many well-meaning dog lovers rescuing animals from inhumane conditions. In some cases, owners simply find a dog they adore while on holiday and decide that it’s the pet for them.

Whatever reason you have for adopting a pet from abroad, it can be a long process, so here are some practical tips to help you make it as easy and hassle-free as possible.

Find A Dog You Love

The first step in the process is to find the dog you want to adopt. It’s important that you take the time to research the dogs in shelters, both locally and internationally. Adopting a dog isn’t like buying a piece of furniture; each animal has a unique personality and background, so it’s vital that you learn about them before you decide to bring them into your life.

Where possible, visit the dog before you start the adoption process. You might have already met the dog of your dreams while on holiday, but if you’ve only seen them online then take a trip out to their current home to learn more about their personality before you try to adopt them.

Learn About The Country You’re Adopting From

The adoption process is unique in every country, as is the protocol for exporting a dog to a new country. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the processes involved and know what documents you need to present to whom so that you are completely prepared from the start.

Dogs are also treated and trained differently everywhere, so you need to learn about the training practices in the country you’re adopting from. Find a resource in your language designed for ex-pats, such as FluffyHund, which is an English language blog on the way dogs are treated in Germany. The site can show you how dogs in the country are treated so that there are no surprises when you get your new pet home.

Work With A Respected Animal Rescue Organization

Find a reputable rescue organization that will be able to support you through the process of adopting your new dog. If your dog lives on the streets, then communicate with local shelters to find them a place, then start the process of formally adopting them.

Make sure that the organization you’re working with is a licensed charity and has the proper credentials to prove it. There are many scams out there designed to trick well-meaning dog lovers into handing over a lot of money for animals that don’t exist, so do your research before you start working with an organization. If they can’t prove their legitimacy, or they behave in an evasive and unprofessional manner, then avoid them and try to find an alternative way to find a new dog, or adopt the pet you’ve fallen in love with.

Arrange Transportation And Importation For Your Dog

A legitimate rescue agency will be able to support you through the adoption process, and they might also be able to help you with transporting your new pet to their new home. However, they might ask that you organize their transport. Once the dog is yours, you need to be responsible for making sure that they are safe, and legally, imported into your home country.

Work with your country’s government and the relevant authorities to make sure that your dog is legally imported. If they need to be kept in quarantine, then visit them during their stay to get them used to you and make them feel comfortable. If you are able to bring them in without holding them in quarantine, then try to supervise their transport yourself by flying out to pick them up if possible. Being with them will ensure that they feel safe throughout this daunting experience.

Register Your New Dog With Your Vet

Making a new dog comfortable in your home is an enjoyable experience, and after all the paperwork and effort you’ve already put into bringing them into to your home you will probably be looking forward to enjoying fun experiences with your new pet.

However, one additional piece of admin that you should never overlook is registering them with a local vet and get them checked over. In some cases, it might be good to keep your new dog away from your other pets until your vet has confirmed that they are disease-free. Many vets are concerned about the importation of dogs from countries such as Romania, as they could have potentially fatal diseases. Get your new dog a clean bill of health, or the treatment they need, as soon as you get them home.

Originally posted 2020-05-19 23:20:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter