Irish Rescue Dogs Flooding Into the UK

Remember that any Irish Rescue dog rehomed here in the UK puts a rescue dog here at risk of being put to sleep.

Influx of Irish Dogs putting pressure on UK rescues

German Shepherd Rescue along with other animal rescues in the UK are becoming increasingly concerned about the influx of Irish Rescue dogs into the UK.

Figures from the DogsTrust stray dogs survey show that in 2007 in the UK, 7,892 stray dogs were put to sleep which was a 2% increase on the previous year. The worst areas were the North West of England and Northern Ireland. Remember that this is just the stray dog figures and the total euthanasia numbers for dogs destroyed simply because a home cannot be found, are probably much higher. It has been suggested that the figures 'in the UK are unreliable as only 40-60% of the 400 local authorities are willing to reveal their stray dog euthanasia figures.'

Why therefore, are an increasing number of rescues in the UK accepting regular deliveries of dogs from Irish rescues? These vans transport 30-40 dogs each time they come over to the UK.

Having witnessed the contents of a van bringing dogs over to the UK we and others have noted that these shipments seem to be only young, and pedigree dogs such as German Shepherds, Spaniels, Collies and cute little puppies. Is that because they are easier to 'sell'? It has been suggested that this may not just be about helping defenceless animals but that some people are actually profiting from this miserable trade.

Remember that Ireland has an unenviable record for puppy farming where dogs are kept and bred in atrocious, miserable conditions. It is likely that many puppies sold here in the UK through newspaper adverts or on internet websites, will be from dealers and their merchandise will have come from puppy farms in Ireland. Many puppies are sickly, diseased, not well bred and a high percentage die shortly after they are purchased.

Not only has the UK been flooded with puppies from Ireland but now we are taking in the adult dogs as well. Many of these dogs have medical problems, behavioural issues and are somewhat of an unknown quantity.

Anvil Ireland (Animals Need a Voice in Legislation) press release:

"(Dublin, October 2007) A recent survey of some of the largest independent animal rescues in Ireland has revealed that 37% of rescued animals are being re-homed abroad. Indeed, some animal sanctuaries are sending almost all (99%) their animals outside the country for re-homing.'

DogsTrust have already established itself as a charity in Ireland and regularly take in Irish dogs into their UK centres.

We are now very concerned that the influx of Irish Dogs is having an impact on our ability to rehome dogs from the UK and whilst we would not want to see any animal suffer, we do believe that we should be giving our dogs here in the UK priority.

Ireland has a major problem with both puppy farming and stray dog numbers, but flooding the UK with these dogs is not a solution. As fast as these dogs leave Ireland their places are filled with even more unwanted dogs. Exporting dogs to the UK and other countries is a very short term fix and is now putting rescue dogs in the UK at serious risk. The only winners here are the Irish puppy farmers and it is likely some of those involved in the export of the Irish rescue dogs who are lining their pockets with this miserable trade. If there is no demand there will be no reason to supply.

This may sound harsh but every Irish rescue dog that comes into the UK is a risk to the life of a rescue dog here. There are only so many homes here for rescue dogs. If this practice continues we may see an even bigger rise in the euthanasia figures for 2008. Young, healthy dogs put to sleep simpy because they are not wanted. This is a national disgrace in what is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers!

If you are looking to rehome a German Shepherd, please consider adopting a dog from the UK.

Donations are all ways welcome

Please help us by making a donation so that we can help re home more unwanted German Shepherd Dogs. Donations can be sent to Jayne Shenstone, German Shepherd Rescue, Little Vauld, Marden Hereford HR1 3HA. We also accept Paypal payments - just click on the Paypal button below. Thankyou.