Doreen Horchner has been running the DOGS dog school in Potsdam/Zossen. Your heart beats especially also for dogs from abroad. It regularly travels to different countries to document the lives of strays there.
Is the situation of street dogs abroad really as bad as is often assumed in this country?
How it is about the life of a stray, you have to look at each case individually. Through social media, we are successfully led to believe that "all" street dogs, whether in Romania, Spain, Greece or other countries, suffer endlessly, are tortured, wantonly disposed of or deliberately run over. Such a portrayal is misleading and certainly not in the interest of animal welfare.
In any country, in areas with larger dog populations and no local animal welfare initiatives, you will encounter animals with parasites or highly contagious diseases that require medical attention. In other areas, however, you’ll find dogs frolicking carefree on the beach with their family members, taking naps at religious sites, digging for mice in city parks, or charmingly charming tourists in crowded shopping malls. I know many free-living dogs who would certainly not trade their freedom for a "cozy home" in Germany.
Should have experience with dogs, if you are interested in a dog from abroad?
The acquisition of a dog should basically be well prepared. There is a significant difference between adopting a "real" street dog and a free-roaming owner dog, an abandoned dog, a feral dog, a former chain dog, or a dog that grew up lonely in a shed.
A dog that has lived on the streets for a long time will inevitably have a certain desire for freedom, a high degree of independence and experience in hunting. Surprisingly, it is these characteristics that we find disturbing here in Germany. The foreign dog passionately rearranges the garden, cannot stay alone in closed rooms, defends food, develops leash, territorial or socially motivated aggression.
A herding dog that is not trained for humans will certainly not be "grateful" to a day mom for his "rescue", just as little will a dog beginner be able to offer a severely traumatized dog the necessary stability and security that he needs for a life in a foreign environment. Adoption should therefore never be done spontaneously out of compassion!