A LEADING animal charity has called for urgent licensing of all dog rescue organisations, especially those which operate on social media.

This follows a new BBC Local investigation which found multiple animal groups are offering rescue dogs from overseas and delivering them directly to their new owners’ door in practice dubbed ‘Deliveroo for Dogs’ by the RSPCA.

Rescue Roulette: Dogs from Abroad explores how thousands of dogs are brought into the UK from overseas. Many are being offered to potential new owners through social media without any significant matching process or assessment.

BBC Local reporter Kath Stanczyszyn will investigate the unlicenced sector, talking to pet owners who have had bad experiences and exploring the rise in disease which appears to be linked to the importation of dogs.

The RSPCA describes foreign rescues as “ticking timebombs” for disease and urge the government to introduce tougher regulations.

The practice is raising concern among other animal welfare groups who argue the new owners could be unaware of behavioral and health risks of the dogs, putting them, their new owners, and the public at risk. It could also risk more dogs having to be rehomed again if things go wrong.

During the investigation Kath poses as a prospective dog owner, secretly recording phone calls with organisations advertising foreign dogs. She finds many are happy to provide a dog to her following a single phone conversation, completion of an application form and a video check of their property.

After analysis of 150 adverts on Facebook and another major online pet marketplace, she discovers the vast majority are for overseas rescue and over half appear to be offering dogs which could be delivered from overseas directly to her front door.

The documentary asks whether the system for overseeing foreign dog rescue organisations is fit for purpose and looks at what needs to be done to better protect owners and dogs.

In response to the BBC investigation, the government said: “Great Britain has one of the toughest pet border checking regimes in the world and it’s committed to preserving the United Kingdom’s high standards of biosecurity and animal welfare.”

There has been increased concern for animal welfare in Monmouthshire recently, including fish hooks being found in dog treats in Abergavenny, you can read more about this story here.