Adopting a Romanian rescue dog

As today (30th December) marks 1 whole year since Benji arrived in his forever home with us, I thought it fitting that I *finally* talk about all the details on adopting a rescue dog from abroad. The highs, the lows, and everything in between.

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So Back in late 2020 my boyfriend and I finally decided to take the plunge and expand our family, after months and months of discussion on what breeds we liked and trying to meet in the middle due to clashing tastes (he was into Huskies and German shepherds and I liked Shih Tzhu’s and sausage dogs) we realised how expensive pure breeds were, and how much breeders were exploiting them for money. Some of the dogs we liked on sites such as pets4homes were way over the £1000 mark which was ridiculous. This is what led me into researching rescue dogs and charities - so that we could not only give a home to a dog that needs it, but also support a charity too rather than pay a breeder.

Charities in the UK

There are so many amazing local organisations in the UK such as paws2rescue, dogstrust and Battersea dogs trust. These charities sadly have a lot of dogs that are quite old, or are no longer able to be looked after by their owners due to ill health. I made sure to keep an eye on these sites for dogs up for adoption, but sadly we couldn’t find anything that suited our needs. 

Charities in Romania

After further research, I then came across some charities abroad (I had no idea you could even adopt a dog from another country). I discovered that Romania in particular had a huge stray dog problem, due to a lack of neutering over there, not to mention the amount of dogs/puppies that got dumped in horrendous places because their owners didn’t want them anymore. A few of these amazing charities include No Boundaries Dog Rescue, Last Chance Romania and RACE Romania (which is where we ended up getting Benji from). These charities actively search for abandoned dogs on the streets (motorways, fields, rivers etc..) and also help to neuter and spay them too with the help of donations.

I immediately followed all of their pages on Facebook to keep up to date with new arrivals and dogs ready for adoption as I knew I 100% wanted to adopt a Romanian rescue. I would highly recommend doing this if you’re looking to adopt yourself, as most of them actually advertise on Facebook rather than their websites and are much more active there.

Finding Benji 

A few weeks and failed applications later, I realised this wasn’t as simple as it sounded, as you’re ultimately against hundreds of other applicants after the same dog. I was almost re thinking my decision when a photo of a tiny 3 month old Benji appeared on my feed. I immediately had this overwhelming feeling that he was mine, and I just had to have him. He was the cutest little thing and the thought of him on the streets made my heart break.

His Mum was found by RACE back in September 2020, heavily pregnant and dashing around cars in the street. The charity brought her in and made her as comfortable as possible, and just a few days later she gave birth to 4 beautiful little pups. Luckily they weren’t born in the streets otherwise they may not of even survived. 

Adoption process 

After filling out a lengthy adoption form which asks questions such as where you live, details on your surroundings, garden and what you do for a living etc etc it was clear that they favoured secure houses with enclosed gardens. Luckily for me I have a secure house and garden and no reason for them to believe I wasn’t able to look after a dog. I think the fact that I work from home definitely helped too, but that’s not to say you won’t be accepted if you don’t. They just want the best for the dogs after all.

Then the waiting.. this wait felt like forever, and after someone else actually got Benji before me but backed out last minute, I was then contacted around a week later. I couldn’t believe my luck! After this I was asked to do a little interview (mine was via Facebook Messenger) and to send a video of my house and garden to confirm that I was 100% suitable. They then said everything was good and fine and asked me there and then if I wanted to adopt Benji. I was a mix of happy and scared emotions at the time, but I said yes, I would love to adopt Benji.

Transportation 

When you adopt a puppy, they have to be at least 4 months old before they can travel, this is so that they can have all their vaccinations before they arrive. When they are ready, the method of transport is via a bus, named the ‘Happy Bus’ (adorable). Every few weeks the bus gets loaded (all safe and comfortable in pens, don’t worry) with dogs and they then make their 3 day journey to the UK driving through numerous countries and the euro tunnel. Benji was set to leave Romania on the Happy Bus on Boxing Day 2020 and arrive on the 29th December, which was just magical getting him at Christmas. They keep you updated on how the dogs are doing as well as when they’re going to arrive, as you can imagine they can’t tell you an accurate time until they actually enter the UK. Benji was delayed a day due to complications at the border due to Brexit at the time, but they eventually arrived on the 30th and we picked him up from a location in Manchester.

It felt a bit strange being handed a puppy out of a van on the side of the road, but as soon as Benji was in my arms I was so happy and relieved he was finally here, he was finally ours. The poor guy smelt so bad, and needed a wash as soon as he got in, but I couldn’t wait to look after this adorable ball of fluff.

I should also mention that you are given a dog passport as well as all your adoption and vaccination paperwork, not just literally given a dog and off you go.

Forever home

 He was so giddy as soon as we got home, running up and down the living room, but after a bath and some food he eventually settled down for the night. There were a few accidents and I knew it was going to take some time, but I was so content, and was sure he was going to settle in perfectly. I couldn’t wait to watch him grow. The best Christmas ever.

1 year on and Benji is doing really well. He's grown into such a sweet, clever and funny little boy and we couldn't of asked for a better dog. Apart from being the greediest little thing he really is perfect. It's worth noting however that there are a lot of rescue dogs that will have issues such as anxiety, fear of people or other dogs and in some cases mild aggression. This is all part and parcel of adopting, and giving a dog a chance; a new lease of life. We were really lucky that Benji had no issues and is a well behaved dog, but it's not always the case with rescues.

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Please have a look at the rescue charities mentioned in both the UK and Romania if you’re looking to adopt, the feeling of rescuing a dog in need is unmatchable. There are so many unwanted dogs in need of loving homes.

Follow Benji’s journey over on Instagram @rescuingbenji

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Things to do at home during isolation

I know that most of us are lacking a bit of motivation right now, whether you’re working from home or currently on furlough with not much to do with your time (like me), things are difficult and the boredom is really starting to kick in. For the last week however we have been blessed with some lovely weather which has come just at the right time, and although times are tough and a little scary right now, I’m trying to find the positives in the things I have around me - my home, my garden, and my boyfriend to isolate with (even if he is getting on my nerves). It really helps if you think about all the things that you’re grateful for right now.
I’ve seen this quote going round which is really uplifting - ‘you’re not stuck at home, you’re safe at home’. And while we’re safe at home, now is the perfect time to do those things that we never got round to doing, to experiment, be creative and much much more. Here’s some ideas of how to keep yourself busy during isolation.

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Workout
One of the first things we did as soon as the gyms closed was turn our spare bedroom into a makeshift gym. We were lucky enough that we already had some equipment as most places are sold out now (seems everyone had the same idea) but there are plenty of things you can do without any equipment as well. If you weren’t one to workout before lockdown, now’s your chance to introduce yourself to it in the comfort of your own home. Even 10 minutes a day of some simple exercises can make all the difference, plus, it does wonders for your mental health at this time too.

Bake
The most obvious one and the thing I’ve seen most people doing, but now really is the time to make some tasty snacks and treat yo self. So far I’ve made banana & blueberry muffins, chewy chocolate chip cookies and this week I’m going to try mini egg blondies. Since we can only really get standard bakery items right now it’s nice to be able to make your own and be adventurous with ingredients, I’ve even seen people making cheesecake filled Easter eggs!

Have a picnic
This is a really cute idea to do when the weather’s nice, put a blanket on the grass (or living room floor with the windows open if you don’t have a garden!) and set up some of your favourite picnic foods and drinks. I did this in the garden last weekend with some iced coffees and put a bit of music on too. Just doing something you wouldn’t normally or even just sitting in a different area of your house to eat is a different experience.

Home improvements
I think I did every job possible in the first week of lockdown because I was excited to spruce up the house. Theres plenty of jobs to do outside of the house such as pulling up the weeds, cleaning the door (v important right now actually), cleaning the windows and removing the cobwebs. If you’ve got a jet wash cleaner these are lots of fun too! You can refresh your plants and flower beds, plant new bulbs, put up some pretty solar lights and set up a cute outdoor seating area ready for summer. For the interior think of those tedious jobs that you’d usually put off - cleaning the oven, sorting out your wardrobe or that drawer that’s full of random stuff. Also if you’ve got any spare paint lying around, you can do some touch ups on any marks you might have on the walls - look at the wall going up your stairs, you’ll be suprised!

Make a ‘fakeaway’
If you’re really missing your usual takeaway it’s such a good idea to make your own! You can find loads of copycat recipes and ideas online and on Pinterest, plus it’s a bit of fun as well. On the weekend I made a fake Domimos which consisted of pizza, wedges, chicken strippers and I even made my own garlic & herb dip - it was delicious. I plan on doing a McDonald’s next weekend!

Cut that fringe you’ve always wanted
With no hairdressers open and no place except the supermarket to go, you may as well try out that hair do you’ve always wanted to try. Cut that fringe, go for that colour, or even just try out a new hair style you were too scared to before. Men are already shaving their hair and beards off so we may as well experiment too while we can.

Do a date night
If you’re lucky enough to be isolating with someone else, whether that be your partner, flat mate or even family, doing a sort of ‘date night’ or fancy meal is definitely something worth doing - you could even do this via FaceTime with someone you miss. Look up a fancy recipe, make 3 courses, dress up, put some background music on, make cocktails! I know not everyone sits around the table normally to eat their food, but it’s funny how much more conversation can be had being in a different environment than usual. You could even do something like evening drinks outside, wrapped in a cosy blanket.

Write to do lists
This is a really important one if you’re finding it difficult right now or lacking in motivation. Just setting yourself daily to do lists or weekly goals can really help you feel like you’ve achieved something, even if it is just putting a wash on or going for a jog. You could write things you want to achieve before lockdown ends, jobs you want to do to the house by summer, or even fitness goals such as doing however minutes/hours of exercise per week.

Plan your meals
Since we should only really be leaving our houses to do food shops (I’m talking about those of us who are currently out of work), it’s best to do them once a week or longer if you can. I go once a week as we eat a lot of fresh food that obviously doesn’t last over a week, so I make sure I plan out every single meal we’ll be having for the next week. This is not only good for budgeting and buying un necessary items, but will make your time spent in the supermarkets much less too. Something which I do is write the shopping list out in order of how I go around the shop so that I get everything along the way without having to go back. I also plan ‘back up meals’ in case something I originally wanted isn’t in stock!

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I hope you got some sort inspiration off these ideas, I could of wrote a lot more but I thought ‘binge watching Netflix’ and ‘Cleaning your house’ were kind of obvious and a given. Let me know what you’ve been doing with your time, if you’ve learnt a new skill, cooked something special or even built something! I hope you’re all staying safe and staying home, we’re all in this together.



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My top travel & packing tips

If you haven’t heard me banging on about it over on my Twitter or Instagram by now (sorry not sorry), I’m going to America in a couple of weeks so I thought it was the perfect excuse to write a travel-related post! When ever I book a trip I always find myself obsessing over anything travel related; tips, tricks and all that good stuff that helps make life that little bit easier, so I thought I’d share a few which I’ve used or will be using for my holiday.

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I’m always finding ways to save on space in my luggage. I do everything from the rolling up of the clothes trick, to using little plastic tubs and bottles for my liquids, but when I found out this little airport trick my mind was blown. I discovered (via Twitter) that you could actually make an online Boots order to click and collect at the store after security; meaning, you could order all the liquids that you couldn’t fit in your 100ml allowance and it wouldn’t count towards it. This is especially handy for bigger products such as suncream, shampoo, hairspray etc. I tried it last time I went away in October and it worked - I was amazed! I feel like I’ll never pay for luggage again knowing this now.
Top tip: Place your order at least a week in advance to make sure it’s going to arrive in time 

When it comes to bringing my beauty products away, as you can imagine as a beauty lover I have a lot to take. When it comes to foundations, my top tip is to go to your local store and get a sample pot or 2 of your favourite foundations - I know it’s not really meant for that but the little bottles are so useful for travelling. I don’t know about you but I don’t like the thought of taking multiple foundation bottles away and worrying about them breaking or exploding in the checked luggage, plus, it’s not as if you need a whole bottle of foundation for a holiday anyway. This trick gives me piece of mind knowing they’re right next to me in overhead luggage (in my clear plastic bag of course) and not being bashed around somewhere.

Now onto a bit of money saving! I’m not sure if other websites do this the same as I’ve only had experience with the one, but if you book your hotel through Agoda, they offer a ‘best price guarantee’ which means if you find that the price has gone down after booking, they will honour you the difference and give you a refund. The only catch is that you have to find all the evidence yourself, take screenshots of the new price you’ve found, and you have to make sure it’s the same hotel, same dates, same room and same conditions e.g no cancellation, breakfast included. You can do this even if you’ve found the price on Agoda, it doesn’t have to be a different website. I recently got a £72(!!) refund on one of the hotels I’d booked in Hollywood as the price had dropped around 2 weeks after I’d booked it. You can find the claim form here to see what information you need.
Top tip: use Trivago to check on your hotel price regularly as this shows hidden deals which some websites may not show you.

I know that other hotel websites offer a best price guarantee such as Booking.com and hotels.com but I haven’t personally used them to be able to give advice on it. I do however make use of Booking.com ‘s Genius account - I’m a ‘level 2 genius’ so I get a 15% discount on selected rooms and some offer free breakfast as well. If you aren’t sure what this is, it’s a kind of loyalty program that they do so if you book through them a certain number of times, your ‘genius’ ranking and benefits will increase. I mainly find booking.com room rates to be cheaper than anywhere else because of this and rarely book elsewhere - but if you do, make sure to keep an eye on the price after you’ve booked to claim some money back!

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And those are my favourite tips & tricks to use whenever I go away - hopefully you’ve learnt something new today here and you’ll use one of them for your future travels too!

*Items pictured were kindly gifted by Nivea



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