Adopting a dog from abroad

If you decide to adopt a street dog, first fill out a self-disclosure form. Here you can either apply for a specific dog or wait for suggestions from our team, who will be happy to help you finding a suitable furry friend.

As our adoption team works exclusively on a voluntary basis, it can take up to 7 days to respond to the self-assessment form, depending on how busy they are. We ask for your patience. If you do not receive a response within this time, please contact us at vermittlung@hunderettungeuropa.de.

A placement officer will review your self-disclosure form and contact you. There are usually a few important questions that need to be clarified by email before a phone call. Any further questions, including those from your side, as well as the further process, will then be clarified in a personal phone call with your placement officer.

The entire placement process takes approximately 3–6 weeks. Ideally, you should contact us approximately 6 weeks before the dog could move in. Unfortunately, we cannot reserve dogs for longer than this.

Before a dog can be adopted from abroad, a preliminary check must always be carried out in the new home. You will receive a visit from a trained person representing the association. They will check whether the new living conditions are suitable for this dog and you will have the opportunity to ask questions in person. If the preliminary check is positive, you will receive feedback from your placement agent very soon.

Before the dog can travel to you, the protection contract must be signed. This contract contains all the necessary information about the adoption. When adopting a dog from abroad, a nominal fee is always charged. This ensures that the adopter is serious about the adoption and also covers part of the costs. The nominal fee for adopting a dog is €490. There is no nominal fee for dogs in foster care or with disabilities.

Once you have successfully completed all the steps,  your furry friend can move in with you. The move-in date is discussed at the beginning of the placement process, and you will be informed of the pick-up location and exact pick-up time two days before the dog’s arrival. Routes are usually planned so that the pick-up location is no more than 150 km from your place of residence. It is important that you have flexible access to a car with a transport box on this day.

Before departure, all dogs are:

• Vaccinated by a veterinarian (distemper, parvovirus, kennel cough, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and rabies)
• Treated for endo- and ectoparasites (worms, fleas, and ticks)
• Tested for Mediterranean diseases (heartworm, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, borreliosis, ehrlichiosis, and leishmaniasis – only for dogs over one year old)
• Microchipped (the chip, also known as a transponder, contains important information such as your dog’s country of origin and identification number)
• Neutered (except puppies and young dogs up to 6 months old)
• Together with an EU pet passport and entry documents, your dog will travel from abroad to you in a specially equipped transporter. The transport company has air-conditioned transporters with permanently installed boxes. The animals are monitored by animal welfare activists during the journey and provided with food and water.