Can You Offer a Home to a Dog?

Nisha is happy to share her bed with her new sister Maisie

This is Nisha, (sitting with Maisie the kitten) who arrived with us last Sunday from Romania.

I want to tell you about her, not just because she is the newest member of our family, but also to let you know how she came to be with us, in case you might be thinking of adopting a dog yourself.

Our family has always had dogs. Back in the UK our dogs almost always came from a dogs' home where they were waiting to be rehomed after having been mistreated or abandoned. Such places are rare here in Finland, so when it came to finding a new dog, we were very pleased to find out about an organisation called Pelastetaan Koirat (Save the Dogs),

It is a Finnish charity run by volunteers, which specialises in raising funds for and rehoming dogs living in very poor conditions in Romania.


Nisha was one of those dogs. I knew when I first saw her picture on the website that she was the dog for us.  Of course you can never be completely certain what a dog will be like in real life, but I had a feeling about her - and decided that she had to be worth the risk.

The way the charity works is that they have a page on their webiste with pictures of all the dogs looking to be rehomed. Some are still in Romania (in a home called Magda's Place) and some have already been brought to Finland. There is a detailed profile on each, with any background information that is available. (All we really knew about Nisha was that she was two years old, had a gentle nature despite a previously rough life, and that she had been left with only one eye. No one knows how).



To stop me petting the neighbour's dog Nisha tied me up with her lead

Pelastetaan Koirat's policy is to be totally honest about any difficulties the dog might have, so that you know what you are taking on, and placements end up being successful ones.   Once you have identified the right dog for your family, you talk to the volunteer responsible over the phone about your own situation, what you are looking for and what you can offer. Once a match has been approved, it is simply a matter of filling in a form and paying the fee, The fee, apart from the dog itself, covers the necessary checks and vaccinations, chipping, the passport and travel from Romania to Finland.

The Finnish volunteers (who regularly visit Romania) are an incredibly dedicated and sincere group of people who do amazing work. The one thing they all have in common is that they all want a better life for the dogs they have found (sometimes in appalling conditions).

Despite having a good feeling about Nisha, I was still realistic. I knew that the first few days and weeks could be a challenge. I was prepared for toilet-training, barking, whining, ripped cushions and shoes that were chewed.  I thought she might take time to get used to the kittens and the children. But amazingly, after only five days, it is as though she has always been here.  She has not barked once. She eats, sleeps and comes when you call. She hasn't chewed anything and groans with pleasure when you scratch her tummy. She loves cheese and most of the time sits with one paw crossed over the other.

And she is very bright. Today, when I bent down to stroke the neighbours terrier, she didn't like it. But instead of barking or becoming aggressive, she simply walked round me until my legs were tied up by her lead and I could no longer move!

Who knows how much dogs actually think, but I have no doubt at all that at the very least, Nisha knows that now she is safe and she won't get hurt or go hungry every again.

Thank you to everyone at Pelastetan Koirat (especially Hannele Ketola) for bringing Nisha to our family. And if you are thinking of giving a home to a dog....have a look at this website first. www.pelastetaankoirat.com. Not only will you be making a dog happy, you will also find someone who will spend the rest of its life saying thank you.