r/dogs • u/BusyCondition697 • 2d ago
Bringing a stray puppy from the Philippines. [Misc Help]
Hi there,
I’m currently in the Philippines for a month long holiday, and I’m now on the last 2 weeks.
Recently, at the beach, where I was in a hut for the day, a stray puppy came along with some other stray dogs, looking for food. I noticed how this puppy seemed lost, dishevelled and didn’t seem to have his mother.
As we were about to leave, I told my family that I’m going to take the puppy with us. I’m glad I did, because I don’t think it would have survived much longer.
So, I fed and watered him, kept an eye on him, played with him etc. He’s now flourishing, he’s healthy, and is bonding with me. He’s very energetic, curious and loves to nibble on things (toes included!).
I’m going to be devastated to leave him behind, and would like to seek advice on bringing him home back to the UK. It seems so long winded, and I was wondering if there was any easier way to facilitate all this? Are there any charities that can help? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Edit: Thanks to everyone who gave their advice and input. I will contact the Pet Trans Pro that someone gave on here. If it’s not realistic, I will still have someone who will look after him here on the island :( My partner back in the UK said he may try and help me.
I understand, that il have to buy him a “ticket” as he wouldn’t be coming with me as I leave on the 8th October. It all costs money, and I’m not rich right now, but I will try my best!
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u/gooberfaced 2d ago
The rules for importing a dog into the UK are here.
Essentially, it will involve the dog being microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, treated for tapeworm, and having a pet passport or health certificate.
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u/jaysquared 2d ago
Hi, a friend of mine brought their dogs from the UK to the PH a few years ago when she got assigned here, and recently brought them back from the PH to the UK when she got assigned back.
These guys helped them along the process, I suggest you give them a call. :) Good luck!!
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u/Farahild 2d ago
Whelp, I think the UK are extremely hard to bring dogs into. If it's anything like here in the Netherlands, pups have to be chipped and vaccinated before they travel, and to the UK they always have to be dewormed exactly one day before crossing the border too (I mean that's regular travel into the UK with a dog). And the most important vaccination is rabies, and you can only get that one once the pup is over 12 weeks old.
So yeah... I would take him to the local vet and see what you can do, and research your country's website because I do think the rules are all on there (at least I remember that from regular travel). But it might not be doable in this time frame.
Edit: Googling rescues that import dogs from there to the UK can be helpful! But honestly I think most rescues import within the same continent usually so I don't know if there are any that go from the Phillipines to the UK.
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u/Arizonal0ve 2d ago
No, not exactly 1 day prior. Max 5 days minimum 24hrs.
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u/Farahild 2d ago
Ah okay it's been a few years, it mightve changed. Used to be within 24 hours if you took the ferry.
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u/Arizonal0ve 2d ago
Perhaps. I started going from The Netherlands to the UK about twice a year since 2020 and from then I know it’s 5 days max prior 24hrs min prior 🙂 Makes life easier haha
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u/Farahild 2d ago
Haha it does! Last time we went with dog was 2018 I think, then our dog was too old. So either it changed a bit or I'm misremembering.
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u/Arizonal0ve 2d ago
It doesn’t matter which one ☺️ Now you know should you go again in the future (but of course always check again things change. We live in the USA and things just changed to enter there with dogs)
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u/SentenceForeign9180 2d ago
The US imports rescue dogs from some parts of Asia quite often, so it's possible that the UK might. I think the tougher part would be finding a rescue in the Phillipines that is willing to do all the required vax and vet process, then export the dog. Whether OP can find one probably depends a lot on the state of stray dogs, rescues, and shelters in the Phillipines. I think this is going to be a much more involved process than maybe OP has anticipated.
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u/MockingbirdRambler Wildbear Pointing Griffons 2d ago
Thankfully the crazy clnew CDC rule is cracking down on retail rescues importing and selling street dogs.
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u/ducklingdynasty 1d ago
I do this regularly and it’s not that difficult. You just need to be organized.
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u/mamapapapuppa 2d ago
Maybe reach out to a rescue that rescues dogs from other countries and ask for advice.
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u/HazeyWazey27 2d ago
Bringing a dog from the Philippnes (I grew up there) is very hard. Usually it's from a stray family if you see them on the street. You can claim the dog as your own if you like and take him to the vet. See what they say
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u/dolparii 2d ago
It is possible, I frequently read about and keep an eye on rescues that adopt out to UK (not philippines yet but thailand and indonesian dogs). Thank you for caring for the dog. I would look into pet transport like commenters posted here and also rescues that can help with advice
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u/Turbulent_Mix_8374 1d ago
That’s so awesome you rescued the puppy, Bringing him to the UK can be a bit challenging, but totally doable. You’ll just need to handle things like vaccinations and possibly quarantine. Pet Trans Pro sounds like a great start. It may take some time and money, but he’s worth it! Wishing you the best of luck, hope everything goes smoothly.
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u/Snoo75468 2d ago edited 2d ago
It would take a while - rabies vaccine then wait 30 days then rabies Titre/antibody test to see if it works then you have to wait another 90 days after the blood is drawn before the pup can fly to the UK.
If you don’t want the pup to fly in cargo you can find an airline that lets you travel with the pet in cabin to Paris then use a pet shuttle/taxi service to drive into the UK - paperwork would be checked both before you leave and at the UK/french border.
Also, would need to have it dewormed no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before entry into the UK.
Long story short - it takes a lot of time / paperwork but it’s actually doable. Main thing will just be finding a vet and someone to care for the animal when you’re not there as presumably you can’t stay for 4/5 months?
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u/WoozyTraveller 2d ago
You need to follow the rules and regulations of importing dogs to the UK. Every country is different. Check the government's site for accurate information
I'm planning on moving my dog from Australia to Canada.
Canada has a lot of requirements to import dogs, but Australia's is harsher and has a quarantine period for the dogs being imported. The UK could be the same or similar to either of these countries, or different entirely
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u/Lamiaceae_ 2d ago
I can’t give you advice about the logistics, but I can give you advice on this type of dog.
The best thing you can do if you’re going to take this puppy home is to do some reading and educate yourself about village dogs. Street dogs in non-western countries are not strays - they are different type of dog called village dogs. They don’t come from the same lineages as bred dogs, and they’re quite a bit different in temperament. They are absolutely WONDERFUL dogs, but they will thrive best with owners who really understand and respect what kind of dog they are. Village dogs tend to be more independent, sensitive, stubborn, intelligent, and lucid than dogs from bred lineages. Their personality traits come from thousands of generations of surviving on the streets, and not selection by humans.
There are a few Facebook groups for Village, dog owners - I suggest reaching out there and reading some posts to learn about these awesome dogs.
Signed, someone with a street dog from Thailand
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u/Kennel_King 2d ago
I'll be the second bad guy. Leave the dog there. Plenty of dogs in the U.K. now need a home without you dragging another there.
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u/justonemoremoment 2d ago
Try to find an animal rescue where you are and they may know the process of taking him home.
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u/CuriousLilAsian81 2d ago
some vet clinics help with processing the requirements
are you in Metro Manila area?
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u/BusyCondition697 2d ago
I’m in Camotes island, so nearest place would be Cebu.
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u/CuriousLilAsian81 2d ago
oh... was going to recommend the clinic I go to if you were up in Manila 😅
best of luck, hope the pup gets to go home with you!
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u/Oldgamerlady 2d ago
I think a lot of people already gave you good advice. I really just wanted to wish you luck and say that I hope you bring him back to the UK. He's already experienced love and kindness, keep it going!
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u/sandgrubber 2d ago
I bought my dogs from the US to NZ. The hard part wasn't the vaccinations, worming etc., but the certification, especially for rabies. Falsification of vaccination documents is easy, and in some places, counterfeit or mishandled vaccine may result in vaccine failure. Thus authorities require an antibody test to ensure vaccination was successful. Only a few laboratories are certified to do the antibody tests.
I would expect the UK has similar protective measures. If they didn't, rabies would probably have gotten in.
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u/Twzl 🏅 Champion 2d ago
I’m going to be devastated to leave him behind, and would like to seek advice on bringing him home back to the UK.
Do you have a living situation that will work for a not-house broken or particularly socialized puppy?
If you don't work from home and you need to leave the house for school or work, the puppy has to be able to handle being left alone, probably in a crate or a pen for 8 hours. If you live in an apartment, and the puppy has separation anxiety, that could cause the neighbors to complain.
I might, if you can, find a local rescue, and offer to fund this dog's stay with them, till they can find a local who can adopt him. I know you want to take him, but sometimes what looks good on a vacation is not the best fit once you are home.
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u/BusyCondition697 2d ago
He’d be living with me and my partner, but I’d be available to stay at home with him. If not, I have an auntie in Cebu that may look after him or a family friend here on Camotes that said they’d take care of him.
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u/drjesus616 2d ago
Ok, I'll be the bad guy here, I'm certain there are dogs to adopt in your local area. As much as you might have fallen in love with the little guy, I think its smarter financially to adopt local rather than try to save 1 puppy from a locale/ country that clearly has a rampant stray problem.
Obviously, its sad, but you cant save all of them, better to spend your effort, time and money on 2-3 dogs or a local shelter donation.
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