“They’re just shifting a problem”: A qualitative study of stakeholder perceptions of the welfare implications of UK rescue dog importation

The number of rescue dogs being imported into the UK has increased significantly in recent years but research into the welfare implications of this practice is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate various stakeholder and owner experiences of behavioural and health problems in imported rescue dogs. Thirty interviews and four focus groups (totalling n = 54) were conducted with overseas and UK rescue representatives, trainers, transporters, veterinary surgeons, animal health officers, government representatives and dog fosterers and owners in the UK. In addition, eighteen online publicly available forum threads were selected using purposive sampling. Inductive coding of these data employing thematic analysis resulted in seven main themes. Related to health and behaviour the themes identified were: unfit for transport, welfare during transport, infectious disease, novelty, agency, and caregiver expectations. The final theme related to regulation and enforcement challenges with sub themes around: non-compliance, lack of resources, communication, jurisdiction and lack of cross-sector regulation. Overall, caregiver expectations often did not align with reality after the dog arrived, leading to costly surprises for new owners. Further, some dogs were felt to be not well-matched for the household and displayed challenging behaviours. The rescue organisation was perceived to have moral responsibilities to provide accurate information and pre-and post-adoption support, but this was felt to be inconsistently provided. Stakeholders perceive a number of health and behavioural welfare issues associated with importing rescue dogs, but preventing these is somewhat difficult due to the challenges in regulating and monitoring animal movements between countries. Greater education about expectations of imported rescue dog health and behaviour is recommended, alongside improved monitoring of rescue organisation and transport processes, in order to protect animal welfare.