Hello! It’s been a while since I posted any personal news, aside from renovation content, and it feels a little strange! As though I’ve picked up my diary again for the first time in forever. I wasn’t sure how to begin this post so let’s dive straight in shall we? We’re adopting a dog, yippee.

As you know, we’ve been undertaking a pretty extension renovation for the past two years, eek. We are finally there with the house (updates coming soon I promise) in fact, the garden is being finished this week ready for our new arrival. It would have been extremely unwise to think about adopting a dog before the house was complete, but now that we’ve finally reached that point, we can welcome the pitter-patter of happy paws.

Why adopt a dog from Spain?

This is a question I’ve been asked a lot when mentioning that we’re getting a dog…oh yeah, and he’s coming over from Spain. We are adopting a Podenco from Galgos del Sol and truth be told, I feel like he found us. I came across his video on Instagram and instantly fell in love. I sent it to Charlie and he felt the same way. That really started the ball rolling for us. In case you aren’t aware, Podencos and Galgos are Spanish hunting dogs, and are, generally, treated appallingly. Once ‘done with’ they’re simply discarded or killed in an abhorrent manner. They’re generally not looked upon as pets in Spain, although, thanks to the fabulous work of companies like GDS, this is slowly changing.

Yes, we could have gone down to a more local rescue, and it’s not to say I wouldn’t in the future, but these dogs really do suffer and the conditions in Spain aren’t quite as luxurious as English rescues. When I lived with my mum, we adopted a rescue Greyhound, and his personality was so amazing, I think that’s where I fell in love with these dogs.

The Podenco we are adopting is called Benito, and yes, much to people’s surprise we are keeping his name! He was used as target practice, shot in the head and blinded in one eye. You’re probably thinking we’re mad for taking this on, but despite his traumatic start in life, Benito has been dubbed ‘Mr. Cuddlepants’ at the shelter due to his love of cuddles. He’s a happy little soul, which breaks my heart given how he has been treated by mankind.

How do you adopt a dog from Spain?

I’d previously never really considered adopting a dog from abroad, mostly as I thought it would entail mass amounts of paperwork and stress, but adopting through GDS couldn’t be easier. The process began with a form asking a few basic questions related to your lifestyle – working hours, other pets in the home, and so on. As I work from home, I felt confident that I could dedicate time to ensuring Benito feels safe and reassured when he gets here, I can’t imagine how confused he will be! Once this was approved we welcomed one of the volunteers for a home visit and got the all OK. The cost of adoption is £425 and this basically covers everything including transport and passport, and Benito will be delivered to his forever home, here with us, in September. It’s worth noting, GDS does not ‘deliver’ dogs in August due to the heat – we could have gone with the July van but I wanted to make sure the garden was renovated, and a new, more secure fence was in place.

Are there any risks when adopting a dog from Spain?

I think there’s always an element of ‘risk’ attached to adopting any animal, but when you make that commitment you try your hardest to make it work. The main risk is he gets here and doesn’t settle, but that’s to be expected. After all, he won’t be used to living in a home environment, so, if you’re adopting a dog (whether that’s UK or Spain) you need patience. You can’t expect them to adapt overnight, it will take time! In order to be best prepared for Benito arriving, I’m going to be ordering a calming spray for dogs and possibly a calming liquid from Broadreach Nature to hopefully help him feel a little more relaxed and at ease!

If you have any experience of adopting a dog from Spain or anywhere abroad, I’d love to hear! I’ll be updating with a part 2 when Benito the Pod gets here, filling you in on how the process went and how he’s finding life in Cambridgeshire. If you have any questions on the process so far, please feel free to drop a comment below or email me.

Follow me on Instagram for Benito updates coming soon!