Contact: rolda@rolda.org | 410-353-5505
Find us on

International adoptions

Although part of the EU since the 1st of January 2007, Romania is the country with the highest strays overpopulation in entire Europe, and of the highest in the entire World. Presently, the laws are not in dogs’ favor either, Romania being one of the countries where the law clearly permits the killing of healthy dogs and where there is a deadline for keeping dogs in municipal shelters.

International adoptions

ROLDA International Adoption Program

Imagine a garden with people, pets and wild dogs. That’s Romania.

Although part of the EU since the 1st of January 2007, Romania is the country with the highest strays overpopulation in entire Europe, and of the highest in the entire World. Presently, the laws are not in dogs’ favor either, Romania being one of the countries where the law clearly permits the killing of healthy dogs and where there is a deadline for keeping dogs in municipal shelters.  Romania is less tourist country compared with Turkey, Greece or Spain, this is why their number and the dramatic conditions in which dogs subsist on the streets, or are crowded in filthy municipal pounds, and all these are less known by the public.

The sole salvation for the Romanian strays is international adoption because:
● Lack of local adoption culture
● The extremely high number of street dogs
● The overcrowded private shelters
● The inhumane, illegal, filthy municipal shelters

Sending dogs abroad is not a business, but a humane alternative that requires funding and important logistics.

ROLDA clearly defines the conditions and principles for international adoption and these refer to the adopted dog but also to the adopter because our aim is to provide a safe and healthy future to the dog in his new home, no matter where this place will be!
● ROLDA Dogs are healthy and sterilized (Click here to meet our Best Dogs ready for adoption);
● Pets have all the documents required by the EU laws to travel legally*;
● ROLDA provides full transparency of the adoption process from its beginning to destination;
● Pets promoted on sponsoradog.org website were selected after a careful examination of their social behavior and all are sociable and ready for family life;
● The adoptions are made in countries where ROLDA has established coordinators, and volunteers and where a home check is possible**see below.

*Being part of the EU, Romanian dogs travel legally to another EU destination only by following the EU Regulation 577/2013

ROLDA strongly opposites the illegal transport of dogs but these sadly exist across Europe. Public opinion is used to hear about the smuggling of breed puppies from “puppy mills” but unfortunately, many rescued dogs from south-east Europe are smuggled with illegal papers in the West.

**ROLDA International Adoptions programs exist in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the UK (on some exceptional occasions, we send dogs to the USA and other EU destinations)

We are in process of creating a team to coordinate adoptions in Benelux countries.

Do you want to hear more news about our stories?

Related content

ROLDA Founder trip to Ukraine August 2023
September 11, 2023

ROLDA Founder trip to Ukraine August 2023

I got two NP’s during my trip to Ukraine. Can you guess which one I took back with me home? There are a few reasons why I decided to visit Ukraine: I got the feeling that our international supporters were getting bored with this subject, sometimes get skeptical, and many living in West Europe are ... International adoptions

Read more 10 minutes read
ROLDA President’s Message May 2023
June 21, 2023

ROLDA President’s Message May 2023

ROLDA Sverige was founded in 2014 by Lisa, and a group of volunteers dedicated to helping homeless animals live better. The main goals of this association are to help ROLDA Romania: fundraise to keep our shelters functional and rehome dogs from our shelters in Sweden.

Read more 5 minutes read
The story of Doina
June 15, 2023

The story of Doina

Even though Doina was someone’s pet, she was never given a name. It was us who named her Doina when her family brought her to us after their other dog (who is more than twice her size) bit off her left eye.

Read more 1 minute read
The history of ROLDA large shelter read details
June 15, 2023

The history of ROLDA large shelter read details

In 2004, ROLDA became aware of a horror scenario unfolding on our doorstep. A local steel mill, owned by one of Britain’s and the world’s richest men, Lakshmi Mittal, had become an involuntary home to countless stray dogs desperately seeking shelter and food.

Read more 6 minutes read
I survived these mighty mites!
May 5, 2023

I survived these mighty mites!

Alien survived a horrible infestation of fleas and ticks. Today, he is living at our ROLDA sanctuary happily waiting to be adopted. Alien was found by ROLDA rescuers in early spring, already completely covered with fleas and ticks.

Read more 3 minutes read