I love the idea of the collage, I bet it makes you smile and think of happy times with your dog.
I have my “Hall of Fame” simply a rack with leads, whistles, training dummies etc. Part of the rack is dedicated to my past boys, I have their collars and tags hung in chronological order, and smile every time I see them. They even have some fur still on them.
All my dogs have been working Spaniels, just seeing the enjoyment they get from working the ground, and retrieving. Getting home, resting them up on a warm bed, plenty of food…….The smell of wet spaniel! Mmmmm. My current boy, s**tbags, is a big strong, muscular, 26Kg English Springer, he is amazing, both as a pet, and a working dog. He gets triggered by certain things, certain boots, certain coats, my antler stick, he shivers with excitement……It’s a shoot day!
We got him from working stock, both dog and bitch good solid working dogs, chipped, docked, jabbed for £450, he is five and a half now. Love him to bits, and just want to give him the best doggy life for him as I can.
We have 2 dogs adopted from Romania just over 3 years ago now, and I have explained my reasons for doing so on previous threads, answering the OP's original question.
However, I don't really understand why the question is asked in the first place. Is it not similar to asking why you should donate to international charities when there are UK charities that need support? Or why give help to someone in a different part of the UK when there are people in your local area in need?
Surely if a person (or animal) is helped when in need, then that is what matters, not their geographical location. It would be wonderful to be able to help everyone and everything, but as that is not possible we all make choices according to our priorities or emotional responses.
We have always adopted rescue dogs (8 over the last 40 odd years) all from our local area apart from the last 2. As has been said previously, there is no comparison between the conditions the homeless dogs are kept in overseas and in the UK (check out the Romanian "kill shelters" for example).
These dogs are not always straightforward to deal with and can require a lot of work and time to help overcome their past negative experiences (especially at the hands of men), but when you (and other people) see the change in them over time, you realise you have literally rescued them and transformed their lives.
Interesting story, but why Romania when there are dogs in the UK and other countries in need for homes. Surely it is a lot of extra expense as you have to jump through hoops to import the dogs?
Donating to an international charity instead of a UK one is definitely not a comparison at all. Just to add, we only donate to local charities as why should we donate to a charity in another country as that does n to make sense especially when our own are suffering?
You have now raised another very valid question regarding charities.
I think we perhaps just need to agree to differ.
As I said before, we all have different priorities and responses to situations, and can all explain why we do what we do, without necessarily being able to convince others that we are "right".
Quote: Originally posted by bofs on 03/7/2023
I think we perhaps just need to agree to differ.
As I said before, we all have different priorities and responses to situations, and can all explain why we do what we do, without necessarily being able to convince others that we are "right".
Please do not get me wrong as what you are doing is commendable, however I was mystified why people went to all the additional expense of importing a stray from a foreign country like Romania when there are thousands of dogs in the UK, France, Germany Belgium etc looking for homes.
I totally agree with ianK01, I have had dogs that I have bought and others that I rescued locally, I strongly believe that the old saying charity begins at home is still the best way to go, we have so many dogs here that need people's help, what do people think happens to all the dogs that have not been rehomed here, just because the UK don't shout about these dogs being put down doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I know the UK rescues make it almost impossible to adopt the dogs and I do think that they are too stringent, this is why a lot of people adopt from abroad I know quite a few people who have and they are good owners but not necessarily the perfect ones the UK rescues want, which is adding to the problem. I also check out any charities before I donate to make sure the money it is used to help in this country.
My opinion only.
I have a slightly different view. To me many many charities in the UK do what our government should be doing through our taxes. While its commendable to donate to causes to help the homeless, the aged, the young, addiction, cure cancer etc etc, we should also be more active in pressuring the government to do more to support crucial causes. The NHS shouldnt be funded by charity at any level. Nor should schools.
We shouldn't need the Trussel Trust.
At some level donating to these causes gets the government off the hook, particularly as (as a % of income) the people who support charity the most are actually the less wealthy, so the tax dodging billionaires get off scott free.
To me, those in foreign countries who are born under repression, civil war, the children born in famine, if we can help them, we should. If we can help resolve the conflicts in other countries, we should (although many conflicts, go back in time to the root cause it's us - or Western influence and greed - anyway). Whether it be through the government UKAid program (which, to me, too often seeks to further our international business links rather than our humanity - UK aid is a political tool) or donating to charities like UNICEF, if we want to help we should.
Like my comments about dogs at home or abroad, I wouldn't make a judgement on someone's right to life just because of where they are born.
Quote: Originally posted by bofs on 03/7/2023
I think we perhaps just need to agree to differ.
As I said before, we all have different priorities and responses to situations, and can all explain why we do what we do, without necessarily being able to convince others that we are "right".
Please do not get me wrong as what you are doing is commendable, however I was mystified why people went to all the additional expense of importing a stray from a foreign country like Romania when there are thousands of dogs in the UK, France, Germany Belgium etc looking for homes.
As explained in my previous post the cost isn't that much more than UK rescue when you take into account everything included.
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Topic: Mystified
via mobile 01/7/2023 at 10:58am
