June 10, 2026, 3:09 pm | Read time: 7 minutes

Foreign Animal Welfare Booms in Germany

He looks at you with big eyes from the phone screen. A young mixed breed, somewhere in Romania, allegedly on the brink of euthanasia. The organization urges: Decide quickly, or it will be too late. A few weeks later, the animal is in your home, and neither you nor the dog quite know what to do next. This scenario plays out thousands of times in Germany. And it’s not an isolated case. It’s the logical consequence of a system that is well-intentioned but often poorly executed.

Foreign animal welfare is booming. In 2020, according to a study by the Justus Liebig University Giessen, more than 100,000 dogs were brought to Germany through animal welfare organizations–and the trend is rising. Researchers identified 764 organizations that facilitate the adoption of animals from Southern and Eastern Europe.¹

The actual number is likely much higher, as the landscape of organizations is confusing and shows high fluctuation. 

A Hidden Market 

Behind this boom is not just compassion. Some organizations have developed a profitable business under the guise of animal welfare. They bypass legal requirements, forgo TRACES certificates–the EU-wide registration system for animal transport. Or they smuggle dogs into the country through so-called flight sponsorships, where vacationers act as private pet owners to circumvent control mechanisms. The most common violations involve the required documentation, but animal welfare violations also occur.

The German Animal Welfare Federation is clear that dogs should only be imported to Germany in individual cases. Those who truly want to help street animals abroad should support local neutering projects instead of fueling the import market.²

This sustainable animal welfare concept is also supported by the organization Dog Rescue Europe. “Neutering reduces the number of street animals and prevents killing in shelters,” the organization explains on its website. And: The animal welfare advocates are seeing initial successes: “With the already neutered animals, we have broken the vicious cycle of suffering and death!” So, it’s not adoption that’s helpful, but donating to neutering projects.

Also interesting: “Adopt, don’t shop”? Why we should critically question the slogan

The Compassion Principle and Its Pitfalls 

As long as a lot of money is made with foreign dogs, the idea of sustainable animal welfare is more the exception than the rule. To make quick deals, providers on adoption platforms and social media use emotional images of emaciated dogs and countdown timers to pressure potential adopters. They are urged to decide quickly for the dog, as it would otherwise be killed–making objective evaluation nearly impossible.

The Genetic Shock: Why a Livestock Guardian Mix Is Not a City Dog

Many adopters order their dog online like from a catalog, without knowing what to expect genetically. While hunting dogs are often imported from Southern Europe, dogs from Eastern Europe (especially Romania) are genetically often livestock guardian dogs and molossers, according to the Graf study (2025).

This is a ticking time bomb for the unsuspecting owner: 

• Genetic Heritage: A Kangal or Bukovina Shepherd mix has been selectively bred over generations to independently defend territories and resources against intruders.

• The Consequence in Everyday Life: As soon as these dogs mature, their genetic programming fully kicks in. Such a dog cannot be convinced with treats that the mailman or visitors in an apartment building are not threats. A Kangal mix in a German city apartment is simply a recipe for disaster.

Most foreign dogs have lived lives fundamentally different from that of a German family dog. In countries like Romania, Greece, or Turkey, there are dogs that have lived on the streets for generations. While residents may feed them, these animals do not know a home in the Western sense. Others are so-called “owner dogs”–they roam freely but belong to someone. These dogs are not ungrateful in their new home in Germany. They are overwhelmed.

Also interesting: Trainer: “These dog breeds I would never get myself”

What Science Says 

The JLU Giessen study shows that the foreign dogs examined displayed significant behavioral differences compared to Western European dogs. Fearful behavior towards strangers and the inanimate environment was particularly common. Eastern European dogs more often exhibited fear and aggression, while Southern European dogs, due to their breed characteristics, more frequently showed hunting behavior.

Severe anxiety disorders were found in 6.7 percent of the examined animals–dogs that, according to the study, cannot lead a species-appropriate life. And this, despite the survey not including owners who had already returned their foreign dog. The real problem is likely even more severe. 

There is also a serious health risk: 37.2 percent of the examined dogs were infected, about half of them with vector-borne diseases such as leishmaniasis, babesiosis, or ehrlichiosis–diseases that are hardly known in Germany but are difficult to treat and costly. Nevertheless, no comprehensive tests for these infections were conducted before entry. And: Rapid tests, as used by many organizations, can give false results.  

According to the study, about a third of the new owners were not informed by the organizations about the typical behavior of foreign dogs or infectious diseases. This is not an oversight–it is a structural failure.

More on the topic

Experts estimate How sustainable is it to bring in animals from abroad?

Dog Trainer Takes Stock “Adopt, Don’t Shop”? Why We Should Critically Examine the Slogan

What Really Helps: Local Animal Welfare 

The German Animal Welfare Federation relies on the principle “Trap, Neuter, Release” (TNR). The organization’s staff and projects capture street animals, provide medical care, neuter and vaccinate them, and then release the dogs back to their familiar location. Sick animals are treated. Only in exceptional cases, when an animal can no longer be released after neutering, is adoption abroad considered.

The Animal Welfare Federation writes on its website: “This approach is the only method that works long-term and is animal welfare compliant. Simply killing street animals is cruel and ineffective: Every habitat provides shelter and food for a certain number of animals. If animals are killed, others will move in. If they are neutered, the population shrinks permanently.”

If It Must Be a Foreign Dog

Those who still want a dog from abroad should only turn to reputable, nonprofit organizations. The German Animal Welfare Federation has developed helpful criteria for recognizing a reputable foreign animal welfare organization:

• Nonprofit Status: The organization is officially recognized as nonprofit and does not primarily operate for profit. Information on this can be found in the imprint.
• Transparent Website: Complete imprint, information about the board, statutes, adoption process, and travel diseases. If the imprint is missing, it’s a warning sign.
• Approval under § 11 Animal Welfare Act: The organization has the legally required permit for animal import–recognizable by knowledgeable staff approved by the veterinary office. 
• Focus on Local Help: The organization conducts neutering campaigns and educational work–import is the exception, not the business model. 
• No Flight Sponsorships: Vacationers bringing dogs in hand luggage bypass important health and transport regulations. 
• Compliance with All Transport and Import Regulations: Valid rabies vaccination, microchip, EU pet passport, TRACES registration, veterinary examination no more than 48 hours before transport.
• No Handover in Parking Lots: Reputable organizations only facilitate adoptions through foster homes or animal shelters–never directly at the airport or rest area. 
• Complete Health Examination: Blood work and travel disease profile by a specialized external lab–no rapid test. 
• Quarantine in Germany: Upon arrival, the dog first goes to an animal shelter, not immediately to a foster home. 
• Meet Before Adoption: You have the opportunity to meet the dog multiple times in person before deciding. 
• Consultation and Aftercare: The organization is available for questions even after adoption and will take the dog back in an emergency.

Those who truly want to help street animals should donate to local neutering projects–not for the next transport to Germany.