Adopting a dog from abroad: what to know
Yes, you can adopt a dog from Romania or Spain, and it's often a lovely project. But it takes preparation on two fronts: health paperwork that's in order (chip, rabies vaccination, European passport) and a patient welcome, because these dogs sometimes arrive fearful and barely socialised.
Why adopt from across the border
Behind these adoptions are very real dogs: Spanish galgos and podencos, abandoned in huge numbers once the hunting season ends, or the street dogs and overcrowded shelters of Romania. Giving them a home is a fair, generous motivation. The thing to take on board from the start: a shelter dog from abroad isn't a blank slate. It arrives with a history, often a gap in socialisation, and sometimes no basic training at all, even as an adult. Understanding that past is already a way of helping.
The health and administrative paperwork
These formalities are planned weeks ahead: some waiting periods can't be shortened. It's the authorised vet, and the country's official sources, who set the exact protocol.
Identification by microchip (ISO standard)
It's fitted before the rabies vaccination: the order matters, a chip fitted afterwards invalidates the passport.
Rabies vaccination in order
Required to enter the EU, given by an authorised vet, with a waiting period to observe before crossing the border. The exact timing is his call and that of the official sources.
European pet passport
Issued by an authorised vet, it carries the chip number, the rabies history and your identity. Required to cross an EU border (EU Regulation No 576/2013).
Tapeworm treatment, for certain destinations
Required shortly before entry for Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland, and recorded in the passport.
For a non-EU country: a rabies antibody titration
A blood test that checks the antibody level, sometimes with a long waiting period, plus certificates specific to the country. Requirements change: check the destination's official source before you book.
France has been free of rabies since 2001 (ANSES, WOAH). The real risk doesn't come from the local park, but from importing unvaccinated dogs: rabies paperwork in order protects your dog, your family and others. Rabies is fatal once it takes hold and has no treatment, hence these requirements.
On health: what a southern dog may carry
A dog from around the Mediterranean may have come across parasites rarely seen in France. Nothing frightening: they can be screened for and prevented with the vet.
To screen for and watch on arrival
These diseases are neither inevitable nor a reason to give up: a dog that's screened, protected and followed up lives very well. It's the vet who chooses the repellents, any vaccines and the screening rhythm.
On behaviour: welcoming an often fearful dog
A dog that grew up in a kennel, on the street or in an overcrowded shelter often never learned to live in a house, nor met enough people, sounds and different surfaces during its early life. Its fear isn't a character flaw or ingratitude: it's the symptom of something missing, and a frightened dog's first reaction is to flee, not to attack. It also has no bond of attachment to you at the start: its only resource is itself. All of this can be worked on, as long as you move at its pace.
The first few days
- Let him explore his new surroundings without overwhelming him with affection or visitors.
- Put away free-access toys and food bowl while he finds his bearings, so he doesn't start guarding them.
- Stay nearby while he eats, just to watch his reactions.
- Set two or three simple, steady rules straight away: they reassure him more than they hold him back.
The first few weeks
- Set up a predictable routine: same times for walks, meals and rest.
- Go out at quiet times and add the wider world in small doses, never all at once.
- Read his expressions to stay below his stress threshold, and reward calm rather than telling off restlessness.
- Mark with a short, cheerful word (« yes! ») the moment he dares something positive.
Over the months
- Go back over the basics as you would with a puppy, without being more demanding because he's an adult.
- Re-socialise in stages: first one steady, quiet dog, then the group.
- For an entrenched fear or marked reactivity, get the support of a professional.
- Aim for a dog that's at ease in his life, not a transformed dog: trust is built, it can't be forced.
Choosing a reputable charity
How serious the organisation is makes all the difference between a successful adoption and a return. A good charity gives you:
0 / 4- Règlement (UE) n° 576/2013 sur les mouvements non commerciaux d'animaux de compagnie (passeport, identification, vaccination antirabique), Commission européenne (2013)
- Aide-mémoire sur la rage, Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) (2024)
- ANSES — Laboratoire de la rage et de la faune sauvage : statut indemne de la France depuis 2001, ANSES / OMSA
- ESCCAP — Guideline GL5 : maladies à transmission vectorielle du chien (5e édition) (2024)
- LeishVet — Recommandations pour la prise en charge de la leishmaniose canine
- Morrill et al. — Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics : la race explique une faible part du comportement (Science) (2022)
Frequently asked questions
Why adopt a dog from Romania?
Because the shelters there are overflowing and these dogs have little chance locally: giving them a home is real generosity. But you don't adopt out of pity alone. It's a real dog, with a past: prepare its welcome and its health paperwork before you fall for a photo.
Can you adopt a dog in Spain?
Yes, and the galgos and podencos abandoned after the hunt are very much part of this. The framework is the European Union's: ISO chip, rabies vaccination in order and a European passport. Go through a charity that's transparent about the dog's health and temperament.
Do you need a passport for a dog in Spain?
Yes: to bring a dog from Spain back to France, the European passport is required, with an ISO microchip fitted before the rabies vaccination. An authorised vet issues it. Plan ahead: some waiting periods before departure can't be shortened.
Is a dog adopted from abroad bound to be fearful?
Often at first, yes, because of a gap in socialisation and an unknown past: it's not a character flaw. Move in small stages, below its stress threshold, without ever forcing contact. For an entrenched fear or marked reactivity, get the support of a professional.
What paperwork to bring a dog in from abroad?
The foundation: identification by ISO chip, rabies vaccination, and a European passport to travel within the EU. Sometimes there's also a tapeworm treatment for a few countries, or a rabies antibody titration for a non-EU country. The authorised vet and the official sources set the exact protocol.
Can a dog from Spain be ill?
It may have come across southern diseases (leishmaniasis, babesiosis), sometimes silent for months. Nothing dramatic: they can be screened for. Plan a full check-up and screening at the vet on arrival. You report what you observe, the vet is the one who diagnoses and chooses the prevention.
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