Frequently asked questions

Not at all! RescueDogs.me is completely non-commercial and open-source. No ads, no monetization, no affiliate links – and that's a promise. We're here for one reason only: helping rescue dogs find loving homes.

Three simple principles guide everything we do: First, your privacy matters – no cookies, no personal tracking, no accounts required. Second, we'll never commercialize this platform. Third, dogs come first – we showcase them beautifully to give them the best chance of finding their forever families.

We're completely independent. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with any rescue organization. We simply gather their publicly available listings to make wonderful dogs easier to discover. When you're ready to adopt, you'll apply directly with the rescue.

European rescue adoption fees typically range from €350-€750, which includes transport to your home. This covers neutering, vaccinations, microchip, EU passport, Mediterranean disease testing, health certificates, and transport – services worth €800-€1,400 if purchased separately. It's genuinely good value for comprehensive care.

Expect roughly 6-10 weeks from application to arrival, covering the home check, the dog's vaccinations and health screening, and transport. Many domestic rescues have waiting lists of 3-6 months for the right match.

Quite a lot! Most fees cover: spay/neuter surgery, core vaccinations including rabies, microchipping with EU registration, EU Pet Passport, Mediterranean disease testing (Leishmaniasis, Ehrlichiosis, and more), veterinary health certificate, official documentation, and transport from the rescue to your door.

Requirements vary by organization, but typically include: a secure garden for some dogs, time for a settling-in period, and home check approval. Some dogs need experienced owners. The wonderful thing about European rescues is they often have more flexible requirements than domestic shelters – they genuinely want to find good matches.

Many rescue dogs make wonderful companions for first-time owners. Organizations assess each dog's temperament and work to match you with the right fit, and most offer post-adoption support once the dog is home.

The University of Liverpool surveyed 3,080 people who adopted a rescue dog from abroad. It found that 20% of dogs arrived with a known health condition, most often a traumatic injury, and that the common behaviour problems were fear of strangers and of unusual noises. Ask the organization what they have tested for and what they have observed, and expect a straight answer.

You won't be on your own. Most organizations offer ongoing guidance, and there are active community groups full of experienced adopters happy to help. Many adopters seek some behavioural support, and report that challenges resolve with the right guidance.

There's a real need. While adopters often face long waiting lists at domestic shelters, millions of dogs across Europe – in Romania, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and beyond – face euthanasia or life on the streets. This aggregator addresses this gap, connecting willing adopters with dogs who desperately need homes.

We include rescues from across Europe and the UK. The rescues we currently list, and the countries their dogs are in, are on our Rescues and Countries pages. We've selected organizations that maintain high standards for health screening and post-adoption support, covering the diverse landscape of European rescue dogs.

No, and we mean it. We don't use cookies, don't require accounts, and don't track personal information. Your favorites list is stored locally in your browser. On phones and tablets that can add the site to the home screen, your browser also keeps a count of your visits, when you were last active, and the IDs of the first five dogs you open, so we can suggest it at a sensible moment; they stay on your device. We use only anonymous, cookie-free analytics to understand general usage patterns.

We'd love to hear from you! Visit our About page for contact details. The project is also open-source on GitHub if you'd like to contribute, report issues, or just see how everything works.