Pets

Adopting a pet from abroad – responsibly

with Lynn Broom

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

Photo by Oscar Sutton on Unsplash

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.

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LOST AND FOUND AND REHOMING

Blandford and Sturminster Newton Branch Cats Protection Cats looking for new homes

Mr Ginge (7): big ginger boy needs a patient owner to bring him out of his shell. No children.

Ella & Evie (4yrs & 2yrs): mother and daughter, grey/peach brindle and tortie, looking for home away from busy roads with garden. Various ferals looking for indoor/ outdoor homes.

Rusty (5): very timid but affectionate tortie girl.

Lost Cats

If you have lost a cat, please contact us via our website, phone or Facebook page. Please make sure we have a contact phone number, so we can get in touch with you quickly. • Tabby/white: missing from Blackmore Down estate since 10/2; • Big ginger missing from Sturminster Marshall since 18/3; • B/W tuxedo cat missing from station Rd Wimborne 13/3.

Found cats

If you are regularly seeing a cat in your garden or down your street that you don’t think has an owner, please give us a call – it might be a lost cat that could be reunited with its owner.

BEHAVIOUR TIPS

In this series of short articles, Helen Taylor offers bite-size tips on training your dog using effective, safe and humane methods.

Tip #11 Wagging Tail? A wagging tail is one of the most misinterpreted pieces of body language, with most people believing it means that a dog is either “happy” or “friendly”. In fact, a wagging tail ONLY means one of two things – either a) a desire to interact or b) arousal. Both these states can be friendly or aggressive, and it is the rest of the dog’s body language and the context that will tell you of their true intent. Police dogs wag their tails when wanting to attack their target, and many dogs with separation anxiety wag their tails as they bark or howl. All dogs are individuals, and tail carriage can be heavily influenced by breed, so it is important to consider what is normal for that dog rather than what another dog does. But as a rough rule of thumb, a tail carried higher or more stiffly than usual is an aggressive sign, a very low, rapid wagging tail indicates anxiety, fear, or conflict (which could potentially lead to aggression if whatever is worrying the dog cannot be avoided), while a tail wagging slowly at or around half-mast is more likely to be friendly.

Helen Taylor is a qualified, accredited behaviourist and is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist and a Registered Practitioner with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council, and is a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (no 881). help@helentaylordorset.co.uk

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For more details, please call our helpline 01258 858644 or visit our website: www.blandford.cats.org.uk