Adopting a dog from Bosnia or Serbia: everything you need to know
More and more people are discovering the special dogs waiting for their own home in Bosnia and Serbia. But where do these dogs come from? Why are there so many street dogs and what is their life like before they are adopted?
There is a story behind every street dog. A story of survival, waiting and hoping for someone to see him.
In Bosnia and Serbia, many dogs live without a safe home. Some wander through the streets and villages, others wait for years in municipal shelters with no prospect of having a family of their own.
They have no voice to ask for help. No place to return to. No certainty about tomorrow.
Yet they are often social, sweet and special dogs that want nothing more than to come home somewhere.
In this article we take you into the situation of street dogs in the Balkans, why this problem is so big and why every adoption makes a difference.
Not every dog has a safe place
There are dogs who fall asleep on a soft bed every night, knowing that a walk, a full food bowl and a loving family await them the next morning.
And there are dogs who don't know where they will sleep that night.
They take shelter under cars from the rain, look for food in the trash and hope that the next person they meet is friendly.
That they are not chased away.
That they might get a pat.
Or a piece of bread.
For thousands of dogs in Bosnia and Serbia, this is not an exception, but everyday life.
Yet that does not have to be the end of their story.
Thanks to volunteers, donors and adopters, more and more street dogs are getting a second chance. Not just a house, but a life where they can finally relax, play and simply be a dog.
At Hope for Dogs we put our heart and soul into this every day. We supervise the entire adoption process, from the moment a dog is taken off the street until the day he is safely in your arms.
Adopting a dog is a special step. That is why we believe that you should know exactly what to expect.
The situation for street dogs in Bosnia and Serbia
The stray dog problem in the Balkans has existed for a long time and was caused by a combination of several factors.
The wars of the 1990s further worsened the situation. The problem persisted even after the war. Due to a lack of structural sterilization programs, limited resources for animal care and differences in the way dogs are kept, many dogs are left without a safe home every year.
Fortunately, we see that there is slowly increasing awareness about animal welfare.
At the same time, behavioral change takes time. A different view of dogs does not arise overnight. As long as many unwanted litters are still born, the influx of new dogs will unfortunately remain greater than the available help can handle.
For many dogs, this means a life full of uncertainty.
Some people manage to find a meal somewhere every day. Others are not that lucky.
They cannot tell you that they are hungry, in pain or scared. They simply wait to see if anyone sees them.
Many street dogs are surprisingly social. Instead, they seek proximity to people, hoping that someone will pause for a moment.
That someone puts down a bowl of water.
That someone decides:
“I won't leave you behind.”
And that is exactly where their new life begins for some dogs.
Change also starts at the source
At Hope for Dogs we believe that the stray dog problem will not be solved just by giving dogs a home abroad.
Every dog we rescue is worth its weight in gold, but ultimately we also want to contribute to change at the source.
That is why we try to make a difference at different levels.
We provide immediate assistance locally
We help dogs in need by:
- Arrange medical care
- Provide food and shelter
- To make sterilizations possible
- Care for puppies and vulnerable dogs
- Find a safe home for dogs
We are also working on awareness
On a broader level we try to:
- Increase awareness of animal welfare
- Entering into discussions with local parties and municipalities
- Draw attention to responsibility
- To look for structural and sustainable solutions
Change takes time. A different view of animal welfare does not arise overnight.
But every step helps.
Thanks to the internet and social media, stories, knowledge and experiences can spread faster than ever. This allows us to reach more and more people and we hope to help build a future step by step in which fewer dogs are born on the street and more dogs receive the care they deserve.
Municipal shelters: shelter does not always mean safety
When dogs are taken off the street, they regularly end up in a municipal shelter.
That may sound like good news, but unfortunately the reality is often different. The shelter does not always offer the prospect of a better future.
In many municipal shelters, dogs live together in large groups. There is usually enough to keep them alive, but hardly any room for:
- Individual attention
- Enrichment
- Comprehensive medical care
- Walks
- Training and socialization
- Active adoption mediation
What many people do not know is that these shelters often do not actively look for a new home for the dogs.
They offer shelter, but usually do not supervise adoptions. As a result, some dogs spend years there without ever finding a family.
They watch the seasons pass from the same loft.
No walks.
No own basket.
No toys.
No hugs.
Just wait and survive.
And often no one knows they are there at all.
Our shelter is located directly next to a municipal shelter. We also try to take care of that.
We know many of their faces, their stories and sometimes even their characters. Where we can, we try to help them.
Sometimes by arranging medical care.
Sometimes by giving extra attention.
And sometimes by looking for a home for these forgotten dogs.
Because they too deserve to be seen.
Why international adoption is so important
We try to make a difference step by step with a small team.
One dog at a time, but with an eye for the bigger problem.
Through shelter, medical care, sterilizations and awareness, we hope not only to help dogs today, but also to contribute to long-term change.
We do this with a handful of people, largely at our own expense and dependent on donations.
We pick up dogs from the street, take them to the vet, have them sterilized, care for puppies without a mother and get up in the middle of the night when a dog needs help.
But no matter how much love there is, there are simply many more dogs than available places.
In addition, the demand for adoptive dogs within Bosnia and Serbia is relatively small.
Of course there are people who see their dog as a full-fledged family member. But dogs are also regularly kept as guard dogs. They then live outside, on a chain or in a kennel that is too small.
That is precisely why an adoption to a country with a different mentality means a completely different life for many dogs.
A life in which they no longer have to survive.
But allowed to live.
Where a warm basket is a given.
Where walking is something fun.
Where a birthday is celebrated.
Where someone says:
“Come here.”
And for many of our dogs, that is something they have never known.
Why adopt a dog from abroad?
A question we regularly receive is:
“But aren't there already enough dogs in the Netherlands that are looking for a home?"
That's right.
Also in the Netherlands, dogs wait in shelters for a loving family. Every dog deserves a nice home, anywhere. We fully support that.
Yet the situation in Bosnia and Serbia is hardly comparable.
Dutch shelters generally have good medical care, guidance and active adoption mediation.
Many dogs in the Balkans simply do not have those options.
For some dogs, international adoption is therefore not one of the options.
It is often their only chance.
What makes a street dog so special?
No two dogs are the same. Not even street dogs.
Yet we often see some nice similarities.
Many of these dogs are incredibly resilient. Despite everything they have been through, they remain curious about people.
They learn quickly, adapt surprisingly well and thoroughly enjoy small things that may seem very normal to other dogs.
The first time on a soft couch.
Playing with a cuddly toy for the first time.
Falling asleep for the first time without fear.
These are moments that we see again and again.
Just like how deeply they can bond once they discover they are safe.
Many adopters tell us the exact same thing months later:
That they can no longer imagine what life once was like without their dog.
And honestly?
That remains perhaps the best part of our work.
With every adoption you help more than one dog
When a dog leaves for his new family, more than just his own life changes.
There is a spot available again.
A spot for the next dog that needs help.
The next puppy found along a busy road.
The next mother dog with her litter.
The next dog that waited for years in a municipal shelter.
So every adoption does not just mean a new beginning for one dog. It also gives us the opportunity to get the next dog off the street.
And that is exactly why every adoption makes such a difference.
A second chance doesn't just start with adoption
Not everyone can adopt, but everyone can contribute in some way.
Donations make it possible for us to continue helping dogs. From medical care and nutrition to shelter, sterilizations and the daily care that so many dogs need.
Thanks to this support, we can continue to do what we do and be ready again tomorrow for a dog that needs us.
Helping a dog means more than just finding a home.
Even after a dog has been adopted, there are other dogs waiting for help.
Every adoption, every donation and every message shared helps us continue.
Every dog we help starts with someone looking around.
Sometimes that is a volunteer on the street who stops when no one else stops.
Sometimes an adopter who opens a door and gives a dog a home.
Sometimes someone helps with a donation, so that medical care and shelter remain possible.
Sometimes someone simply shares a message, bringing a dog's story to the right person.
No dog changes its life all by itself.
Behind every second chance are people who choose to make a difference, each in their own way.
Anyone can be a link.