Well-meaning Britons are rescuing abused dogs from Romanian public pounds, where conditions include cannibalism and starvation. Charities like Love Underdogs, run by Swiss-Finnish sisters Karine and Anna Hauser, bring the most needy animals to the UK for rehoming. The number of Romanian rescue dogs imported into Britain has risen from zero in 2013 to 15,548 last year, following 2012 rule changes that harmonised UK pet travel with the EU.
The stray dog problem in Romania dates from the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, when dogs became a low priority. Anna Hauser describes it as a political and business issue, with money to be made from catching and killing strays. She says that when it becomes a business, cutting costs leads to horrific conditions. The sisters have found sites where around 200 dogs were left to kill each other and starve as the cheapest disposal method. Photos from public pounds show floors thick with compacted excrement and hair, and carcasses piled in wheelbarrows.
Love Underdogs imports about 80 dogs a year, but the sisters also run neutering programmes and education projects in Romania, and work with local authorities to improve public pounds. Karine Hauser argues that seeing the dogs' faces in person makes it impossible to leave them. The charity currently has around 50 dogs at its kennels near Waltham Abbey, Essex, including Tommy Lee, who lost a leg in a traffic accident, and Eskimo Joe, an older, overweight dog.
