The pictures are urgent: street dogs, for example in Eastern Europe, fight for survival every day. In addition, there are the animals that wait for a second chance in crowded animal shelters. There are no official statistics, but the animal welfare organization Peta estimates the number of strays in Romania alone at around 600,000. There are also around 5.4 million dogs (as of 2024), which are kept in the country under poor conditions and disregard for animal welfare.
At the same time, the situation in Germany is not much better. Because the delivery numbers increase, animal shelters also reach their capacity limits. The operators are overwhelmed. The question arises: What should you concentrate on as a dog lover: on domestic emergencies? Or is the foreign animal protection abroad and ethically offered?
The fate of the strays
There is a massive stray problem in many countries in Europe and in parts of Asia. The causes are diverse: missing castration programs, lash legislation, economic poverty and cultural differences in dealing with animals. While dogs are considered family members in Germany, they are often considered farm animals in other countries, which, if they are no longer needed, are exposed or simply “disposed of”.
The animal welfare organizations on site often work under difficult conditions. Overcrowded catching stations, brief or no financial means and lack of support from the authorities make it difficult to establish long -term solutions.
Most organizations have good intentions, but you should take a closer look: at the beginning there is always the question of who is hiding behind the adoption offer. With the growing interest in the protection of abroad, dubious organizations have also emerged that earn money with the pity of dog lovers. The animals are kept under poor conditions, often transported in the car for hours and there are hardly any follow -up checks. In some cases, dogs are even bred to sell them as “street dogs”. When the foreign dog has arrived in the new home, it often shows that he had traumatic experiences, very fearful or no linen guide is used to.
The German Animal Welfare Association therefore recommends: “The most important question that I should ask myself is: Which dog suits me? You should keep your fingers from directly agencies from abroad, where you take over the animal immediately after import. Dogs from abroad also suffer from diseases such as leishmaniasis or honest. These require special veterinary care, which is an additional challenge for the new dog owners.
Animal sheds on the limit
But the situation is also tense in the local animal shelters: In recent years, the number of dogs cast has increased significantly, among other things due to the so-called “Corona dogs”-animals that were purchased in pandemic and handed over again. There are also many people who rashly bring a dog home and notice that there is no space for the dear animal at the latest. The result is alarming high numbers of exposed dogs and cats – and every summer.
“Unfortunately, we have many dogs with foreign history in the German animal shelters, which were often bought spontaneously by direct placement,” says Thomas Schröder. “They then destroy the couch in the new home or can only be carried out on a leash – not even because they are biting, but because they are so anxious. Serious clubs appreciate the character and behavior of a dog before importing and after arriving in the German animal shelter, which is best suited at home and what the new owner has to adapt.”
German animal shelters also receive less media presence than foreign animal protection organizations that can generate donations and support with dramatic pictures. In addition, animal shelters in Germany have strict mediation criteria that are extremely important, but can also deter potential adopts. This includes a placement fee, “sample” visits and follow-up checks. While sweet puppies from abroad usually find a home quickly, adults, old dogs or those with behavioral problems are often waiting for years.
But, one could now argue that these animals have – in contrast to the dogs on the street – at least a home, food, water and regular contact with people and conspecifics. Once you are in the shelter, you do not have to fear dogs or dig through the garbage to experience the next day. Many people ask themselves whether it is not much more important to help the animals abroad primarily. Terrible news about the “killing plans” of street dogs in Turkey do the rest.
Of course, as a dog lover, you want to provide help immediately, but in the end a long -term strategy pays more. That is why the German Animal Welfare Association also promotes animal welfare in both Germany and abroad. “We rely on long -term support that always sustainably enables people on site to make animal welfare,” says Thomas Schröder.