Can someone explain the point of foreign dog rescues?

[ExtraSlow]

I'm super happy this turned into a controversial thread. Just trying to keep the blood pressures up.

[Tik-Tok]

So how do you feel about foreign adoptions? Kind of equivalent to me. Lots of kids in Canada need good parents too.

[e31]

I'm for it.

"You people" who partake in this kind of virtue signalling deserve to have money taken from them; if not by Nigerian Prince Mbutu, then by Sean Banerjee or any multitude of scammers out there.

It indirectly pays for airline tickets, fuel consumption, travel costs, and eventually some trickle-down-economics left for the street urchins who actually wrangle the strays.

[EM2FTL]

It's probably pointless to share this as everyone has their mind made up, but here's another view.

My gf has been translating documents for a Bosnian animal rescue for years - From time to time I would see the horrific videos but it was always just something on a screen, far away from Canada. It never seemed that real to me, but last summer we traveled there and I met the volunteers in person and saw several of their operations. I can't speak to other situations, but in this one, Sarajevo dog catchers are known to use inhumane practices when they euthanize, and animal abuse seemed to be rampant in the city. The volunteers recruit people to house the dogs in their homes and makeshift kennels and rely on donations to cover vaccinations + food + bribery costs (neighbours have complained in the past about noise from housed dogs, and had the city crackdown as a result). They don't have shelters and solutions aren't coming from municipal or state governments, so I have no problem contributing to that after seeing so many abused dogs in various states of recovery.

My gf makes nothing from translating and cries every time she sees an abused animal, of which there are many. I get nothing from donating other than a good feeling, this is the first time i've even mentioned it outside of a few friends who asked about the trip. It's interesting to know that people don't like to see international charity efforts wrt animals - none of this stops us from donating to local charities, and she got her cats from a local shelter... so what's the problem, lads?

[spikerS]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It's probably pointless to share this as everyone has their mind made up, but here's another view.

My gf has been translating documents for a Bosnian animal rescue for years - From time to time I would see the horrific videos but it was always just something on a screen, far away from Canada. It never seemed that real to me, but last summer we traveled there and I met the volunteers in person and saw several of their operations. I can't speak to other situations, but in this one, Sarajevo dog catchers are known to use inhumane practices when they euthanize, and animal abuse seemed to be rampant in the city. The volunteers recruit people to house the dogs in their homes and makeshift kennels and rely on donations to cover vaccinations + food + bribery costs (neighbours have complained in the past about noise from housed dogs, and had the city crackdown as a result). They don't have shelters and solutions aren't coming from municipal or state governments, so I have no problem contributing to that after seeing so many abused dogs in various states of recovery.

My gf makes nothing from translating and cries every time she sees an abused animal, of which there are many. I get nothing from donating other than a good feeling, this is the first time i've even mentioned it outside of a few friends who asked about the trip. It's interesting to know that people don't like to see international charity efforts wrt animals - none of this stops us from donating to local charities, and she got her cats from a local shelter... so what's the problem, lads?

The problem is, nothing is being done to correct and change the popular opinion there. IMO, the money would be much better spent sending over a few vets and spaying or neutering every dog they can get their hands on to curb the population growth of stray dogs, rather than rescuing the few to bring back to Canada in the hopes they get adopted, adding to the over-crowded shelters here. This is going to sound very heartless and whatever, but, they are animals. While we here do have a very emotional attachment to our pets, that isn't a universal view, and that is the sad truth. Taking a few strays out of the country doesn't even touch the problem with a nuclear bomb blast radius. Spending retarded amounts of money to transport one of these animals out of these locations is money and time wasted in the grand scheme of things, and it changes literally nothing. Period. End of discussion. To try and prop your fallacy up as anything but that is putting on blinders.

I would donate to a cause that sends vets in to try to control the stray population in these other countries well before I donated to a shelter that was trying to bring in dogs from Mexico or other locations overseas.

[JRSC00LUDE]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Some people think improving the quality of an animals life is a worthy cause.

Again, bringing one from a foreign country is helping what? The tens of thousands of domestic animals that need help every year aren't fashionable enough? Exactly.

[ExtraSlow]

@EM2FTL it sounds like what's needed is more efficient mass cull of the animals over there. Euthanize a few thousand females and you'd greatly improve the quality of life for the rest.

[killramos]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Again, bringing one from a foreign country is helping what? The tens of thousands of domestic animals that need help every year aren't fashionable enough? Exactly.

I am not trying to say this is a good idea, a good use of money, or the best use of resources by any means.

You asked what its helping, it's helping the well being of an animal that is living in shit conditions. If people want to do good, I don't really care where they are doing it, power to them. It's not affecting me in any way.

Now tell me I should be helping these animals, or my tax dollars should be funding these expeditions, that's where I draw the line where you are no longer doing good but trying to make other people do your dirty work for you.

Hence, I have no issues with what westjet is doing which was the point of the thread, its not their fight to be involved in unless they choose to be, but that doesn't mean I look down on people who are trying to help out animals in other countries.

FWIW this whole argument could be easily and equally applied to any kind of foreign aid, and I don't disagree with you on making sure our house is clean at home before trying to fix other people's problems.

[msommers]

Foreign, domestic, cheap, expensive -- doesn't matter. Feels good to some people and frankly I give zero shits what people spend their money on. If you wanna save some dog from the Taliban for $10,000, giver.

Pets are replacing babies if I believe the headlines 'bout Millenials. Seems like a win-win situation for global population control actually

But in all seriousness, ExtraSlow, here's a question to your question: Why do people volunteer abroad when they could volunteer within the confines of their own community?

People donate, whether in dollars or their time, because it feels good. And there's nothing wrong with that.

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Foreign, domestic, cheap, expensive -- doesn't matter. Feels good to some people and frankly I give zero shits what people spend their money on. If you wanna save some dog from the Taliban for $10,000, giver.

Pets are replacing babies if I believe the headlines 'bout Millenials. Seems like a win-win situation for global population control actually

But in all seriousness, ExtraSlow, here's a question to your question: Why do people volunteer abroad when they could volunteer within the confines of their own community?

People donate, whether in dollars or their time, because it feels good. And there's nothing wrong with that.

I don't want to come off as some asshole who's against charity or volunteering. I'm not at all.

I guess I'm just some asshole who doesn't get this particular cause, and maybe I'm learning a little bit about it and the reasons people support it in this thread.

[The_Penguin]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

The problem is, nothing is being done to correct and change the popular opinion there. IMO, the money would be much better spent sending over a few vets and spaying or neutering every dog they can get their hands on to curb the population growth of stray dogs, rather than rescuing the few to bring back to Canada in the hopes they get adopted, .

I can't speak for other areas, but the organization in Mexico that we deal with has several spay and neuter programs a year. Local, and North American vets donate their services.
Does it help? Sure. Is it enough? No, but it's something.

[msommers]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I don't want to come off as some asshole who's against charity or volunteering. I'm not at all.

I guess I'm just some asshole who doesn't get this particular cause, and maybe I'm learning a little bit about it and the reasons people support it in this thread.

We both know you're not some asshole either, despite what your wife might say.

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

We both know you're not some asshole either, despite what your wife might say.

Well, not just SOME asshole anyway.

[tirebob]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

@EM2FTL it sounds like what's needed is more efficient mass cull of the animals over there. Euthanize a few thousand females and you'd greatly improve the quality of life for the rest.

Actually, I think we need a massive cull of shitty humans and save the lives of more dogs but that’s me...

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Actually, I think we need a massive cull of shitty humans and save the lives of more dogs but that’s me...

I heard that is happening already. That's why the Russian released the Modello virus.

[EM2FTL]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

The problem is, nothing is being done to correct and change the popular opinion there. IMO, the money would be much better spent sending over a few vets and spaying or neutering every dog they can get their hands on to curb the population growth of stray dogs, rather than rescuing the few to bring back to Canada in the hopes they get adopted, adding to the over-crowded shelters here. This is going to sound very heartless and whatever, but, they are animals. While we here do have a very emotional attachment to our pets, that isn't a universal view, and that is the sad truth. Taking a few strays out of the country doesn't even touch the problem with a nuclear bomb blast radius. Spending retarded amounts of money to transport one of these animals out of these locations is money and time wasted in the grand scheme of things, and it changes literally nothing. Period. End of discussion. To try and prop your fallacy up as anything but that is putting on blinders.

I would donate to a cause that sends vets in to try to control the stray population in these other countries well before I donated to a shelter that was trying to bring in dogs from Mexico or other locations overseas.

I see what you're saying, but I don't know how to change cultural values and views towards animals in the former Yugoslavia.

In terms of them being animals and not humans, seeing it on video was one thing, seeing the effects of abuse in person was entirely different. It was heavy, and it made me want to help. There are institutions, charities and volunteer systems here that mean the problem is being addressed here at home.

Also I should emphasize, the focus of the group we support is not on re-homing dogs outside of the country. They do that when someone expresses interest and ability to host one, but this group's primary purpose is just trying to save dogs from abusive situations any way it can. I'm happy to help and if that means I have blinders on in your view, so be it

- - - Updated - - -

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

@EM2FTL it sounds like what's needed is more efficient mass cull of the animals over there. Euthanize a few thousand females and you'd greatly improve the quality of life for the rest.

From what we were told, the bylaw officers over there are re-selling their supplies for euthanasia to turn a profit and euthanizing the dogs they capture by hand.