Animal Welfare Bulgaria Project #46101

Franzisca Vet Clinic - Help us Help Them

by AR Sofia Foundation

Franzisca Vet Clinic - Help us Help Them

Project Report | Nov 6, 2024
Franzisca Vet Clinic:Help Us Help Them - Report XI

By Violina Kirova | Administrator

Sancho Needs Us to be Able to Walk

Reporting Period - 01.06.2024 - 30.09.2024

In the period of June to September 2024, we continued our work with stray animals in Bulgaria. We tried to help and find good homes for as many of the animals we rescued as possible. Thanks to the supporters of Animal Rescue Sofia, Franzisca Veterinary Clinic admitted for treatment 238 dogs and cats, while the vets also attended to all the animals placed in “The Farm” shelter. A total of 2 869 manipulations, treatments and surgeries were performed in June through September of 2024 and 52 dogs and cats found their forever homes.

The stories of Sancho, Felix and a litter of six puppies are accounts of how we helped these dogs and cats in particular.They are just a tiny number of the animals we rescued during the reporting period.

Sancho

Sancho came to ARS shelter when he was about five months old. He had been owned by an old person in a small town in central Bulgaria. The man kept Sancho on a short chain in the yard. He expected him to guard the property, although Sancho was still just a young puppy. Being a guard dog tied to a chain meant that Sancho had many months of confined movement, as well as a lack of nutritious diet, since elderly owners in villages in Bulgaria tend to feed dogs mainly on bread.

Lacking good-quality food suitable for his age and deprived of enough movement to grow properly, the puppy developed severe deformities of the front legs. The legs not only looked crooked, but were also causing Sancho a lot of pain. Not happy with the way the puppy looked, the old man replaced him with another dog and gave Sancho to a neighbour. The neighbour tried to treat and look after Sancho, but the deformity in his front legs continued to progress. Eventually, the neighbour took him to a veterinary clinic to have him euthanized. Instead of putting the dog to sleep, the vets at the clinic contacted ARS, asking us,if we could help Sancho.

When Sancho came to us, he was examinedby the vets andtested for both infectious and vector-borne diseases. Luckily, he was only positive for an intestinal parasite that we could treat easily. His blood tests had no deviations and the orthopedic examinationconfirmed that Sancho had a growth deformity in his wrist joints. It was a condition that potentially could benefit from a well balanced diet and food supplements, so we originally tried this therapy for a month, while closely monitoring Sancho’s improvement. The control X-Rays a month later revealed that although there was some improvement in the condition, Sancho needed a corrective operation to be able to walk normally. The operation is soon due and it is expected to fix successfully the condition of Sancho’s wrist joints, so that he can walk without pain. In the meantime, Sancho has been fully vaccinated and now enjoys his days of good care in the shelter.

Felix

Felix was a stray kittenthat faced the destiny of many animals living on the streets. He was hit by a car when he was only three months old. Some compassionate people found him, lying on the side of the road, and brought him to a clinic, where he was given painkillers and an antibiotic treatment. Felix had a fracture on one of the hind legs and needed an operation, but the people who found him couldn’t afford the costs of the surgery, so they brought him to ARS shelter.

When Felix came to our shelter, he was slightly anemic and not able to stand. He was dragging himself on his front feet and it was not yet certain whether the incident had damaged his ability to urinate by himself. The neurological examination revealed that luckily he hadn’t lost deep sensitivity of his back legs. The blood tests showed that the post-trauma infection that Felix had developed was still not under control, so his antibiotic and anemia treatment continued until Felix was stabilized.

He was also taken for a specialist orthopedic examination. The X-Rays revealed that luckily Felix had no spine injury, but there was a femoral trauma that needed surgery, if we wanted the young kitten to be able to walk again. Once his general condition allowed it, Felix was operated on and after a short recovery period, he gradually learned how to use his back legs properly again. He is now walking steadily and jumping, thoroughly enjoying life in a foster home. We hope he will soon join a loving family where he can live the life he truly deserves.

A Litter of Six Puppies

One night at the beginning of spring, Harriet and her five siblings were all abandoned in a rabbit cage in front of the shelter. They were squeezed tight so that all six of them could fit into the small cage. The puppies had stayed like that, utterly unable to move, the whole night before shelter staff found them early in the morning, when coming to work.

During the clinical examination, it became clear that the puppies were dehydrated and not very responsive due to the night-long stay in the small cage. They were all heavily infested by parasites, but were otherwise completely healthy. After a full course of deworming and defleaing, the puppies were vaccinated and when the quarantine period was over, they were moved to the main block of the shelter, where they could take part in play groups and meet volunteers and adopters.

Harriet was the first one to steal the hearts of a wonderful family in Bulgaria. She has been a loved pet for more than a month now. A couple, already looking after one of ARS rescue dogs, has just recognized another one of Harriet’s sisters as a great addition to their family and a true buddy to their first dog. Two of Harriet’s brothers will be soon joining their families in Germany and Finland, as they found homes there.

Of the whole litter, one boy and one girl are still waiting for adopters in the Farm shelter.

Sancho at Arrival

Sancho's First Walk

Sancho Needs an Operation

Felix at Arrival

Felix Knows We Can Help

Felix in Recovery

Felix Can Stand and Walk

Harriet's Litter

Harriet and Siblings

Harriet

Phil

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Jul 9, 2024
Franzisca Vet Clinic:Help Us Help Them - Report X

By Violina Kirova | Senior Administrator

Bubka

Reporting Period - 01.03.2024 - 31.05.2024

During the reporting period of March to May 2024, we continued our work with stray dogs and cats in Bulgaria, striving to help and find good homes for as many of them as possible. With the support of the donors of Animal Rescue Sofia, Franzisca Veterinary Clinic admitted for treatment 169 dogs and cats, while the vets also took care of the animals placed in “The Farm” shelter. A total of 1453 manipulations, treatments and surgeries were performed in March through May of 2024 and 35 dogs found their forever homes.

Here are just some of the stories of the dogs and cats that we helped during the reporting period:

Bubka

Bubka was a stray dog living in a village not far away from ARS shelter. She was brought to the clinic just for spaying. The veterinary examination revealed that she was in a pretty bad condition that did not allow her to undergo surgery on the same day or to be returned on the street afterwards.

Bubka had several mammary tumors, the biggest one also being ulcerous and causing her a great discomfort and probably a lot of pain. Bubka’s coat and skin were both in terrible condition, but what was really striking was her mental state – of a dog that was close to giving up.

It turned out the tumors were cancerous, but there were still no metastasis in any other body organs, so the tumors could be operated on. After a short stabilization period, Bubka was steady enough to undergo the surgeries. The first operation removed the biggest tumor and after a short recovery period, we could see a different dog – a dog that was again starting to enjoy life. A couple of weeks later, the remaining tumors were also removed. Bubka became stronger and stronger every day. Not before long, we came to know a changed, much younger-looking, lively dog. If the cancer doesn’t come back, Bubka has a long life ahead of her.

She is now happy and ready to meet adopters at the shelter. Bubka has a best friend – a golden retriever named Stacy. It’s endearing to look at them. Two girls that have both been on the verge of dying, but now again finding joy in little things - something delicious, a nice walk, a friend in play.

Plamen

Plamen came to us after being hit by a car. He was found by one of our colleagues who witnessed the accident. She saw the car passing by and the driver throwing the injured dog in the field, thinking he was dead. Our colleague went to check on the dog and found out that he was still breathing.

When he came to the shelter, Plamen was in shock, but apart from a mild craniocerebral trauma, he didn’t have any other fractures. His condition only required medical therapy and no surgeries.

Once he recovered from the initial shock, Plamen was vaccinated, microchipped and spayed.

As he was a small-sized and young dog, we believed he would quickly find a good home. He was however very timid and terrified by the lead, the walks, the people, pretty much everything. He needed some time to get used to the life in the shelter, but with the love and care of our team, he quickly flourished and gained confidence. He has also been given a lot of attention by our behaviourists and he is now very far from the timid and shy dog that he was at the beginning.

Plamen is now fully prepared to become pet. He is waiting for his adopters at the shelter.

Emir

Emir was found shot and bleeding in an abandoned school in a village in eastern Bulgaria. Luckily, none of the bullets had inflicted any dangerous injuries. The people who found him took him to a nearby clinic where the wounds were treated and the X-rays confirmed that he had no broken bones. When Emir was admitted to ARS clinic, we found out that he was suffering from heartworm, but the cardiologist examination revealed that the illness was at an initial stage that had not yet caused damages to the heart. This meant that we could timely and successfully treat the disease. The admission tests and examination also revealed that Emir had a parasitic disease, as well as some sediment in the bile which required further medical treatment. At ultrasound it became evident that he also had some changes in the structures of the kidneys, but fortunately no kidney disease that would affect his quality of life.

It was obvious that Emir was not a young dog, not even a middle-aged dog, but rather above 10 years of age. Despite his old age, once cared and treated, he showed us a personality that was as lively and energetic as that of a puppy. At the same time, we were fully aware that being a 10-year-old dog would not make him a likely adoption candidate. That was why we worked very hard to make all visitors see what a kind, balanced and good-natured dog Emir was. He is so well-behaved that he doesn’t need too much of a training either.

Emir is now doing great in the shelter, eager to meet adopters and longing to go to a forever home.

Bubka Before the Operation

Bubka After the Operation

Bubka and Her Friend Stacy

Plamen

Plamen Soon After Arrival

Plamen Today

Emir

Emir at a Walk

Emir Loves Walks

Emir Loves People

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Mar 1, 2024
Franzisca Vet Clinic:Help Us Help Them - Report IX

By Violina Kirova | Administrator

Tobby at Arrival

Reporting Period: 01.01.2024 – 29.02.2024

In 2024 we continued our work with stray dogs and cats in Bulgaria, striving to help and find good homes for as many of them as possible. With the support ofthe donors of Animal Rescue Sofia, in the first two months of the year, Franzisca Veterinary Clinic admitted for treatment 46 dogs and cats, while the vets also took care of the animals placed in “The Farm” shelter. A total of 780manipulations, treatments and surgeries were performed in January and February of 2024 and 19 dogs found their forever homes.

Here are just some of the stories of the dogs and cats that we helped during the reporting period:

Tobby and Smallina

Tobby is a very young dog, just around a year old. He is probably the son or brother of Smallina. We found them together, living in a large pack of big-sized dogs amidst a deserted field. As both of them were tiny dogs, not more than 4 kilos each, it was not easy for any of them to get enough food in the competition of the other big dogs in the group. The person who was feeding them in the field, brought them to our shelter in an attempt to rescue them.

From the very beginning, it became clear that Tobby and Smallina did nt have much trust in people. hey both needed time to become confident in their new surroundings. After their arrival, they were both tested for infectious and vector-borne diseases, also vaccinated, dewormed and deflead. The behaviorist at the shelter had to work with them on a daily basis, so that they could learn not only how to trust people, but also how to be pets.

Smallina found a new home very quickly. Tobby is still in the shelter, waiting to meet adopters. He is very cuddly and enjoys human company more and more.

Bear

Bear’s story is one of those stories that are difficult to tell. She is a sweet and kind giant girl. She is also a young dog, around 3 years old. She was found in a town in southern Bulgaria, lying on the ground, not willing to stand up. People in the area told that she had recently had puppies that were all run over by passing cars. When she came to us, Bear wore an enormous tumor under her belly. The tumor had huge ulcers from being dragged on the ground and was obviously causing the animal a lot of pain and discomfort. Bear was also suffering from severe parasite infestation. Despite her condition, she was a kind and cuddly dog when we first saw her and it was not long before every staff member in the shelter adored her.

At admission, Bear’s vector-borne tests came back positive for anaplasmosisand her bloodwork showed that she was also having an additional infection. We started the anaplasma treatment and also referred her for X-rays. It became clear that she had very recently suffered from bronchitis, but also that the tumor was operable and had no metastasis in other body organs.

As soon as her blood results were stable, the vets at the shelter performed a mastectomy and the tumor was removed. There were no complications in the post-operative period and Bear recovered well from the surgery. Afterwards there was also a persistent ear infection that we needed to take care of.

Now Bear is fully recovered from the mastectomy and she enjoys the care and attention that she gets in the shelter. What has changed is that she also added gratitude and love to the kindness that she was giving to everybody. Not many adopters in Bulgaria are willing to look after big-sized dogs, but we are all patient and hopeful that somebody will see what a special girl she is.

Odin

Odin was found shivering and unable to move in the last freezing days of this winter in Bulgaria. He looked absolutely shattered and confused. His old body utterly incapable of dealing with the cold. We had no doubts that we had to find place for him in the shelter, as the chances for survival of elderly dogs in such freezing weather conditions are very slim.

When Odin came to us, one of his eyes stuck out of its socket very badly, as if it had been long injured. During the initial examination, the vets were worried that Odin’s eye condition eye was not the result of a trauma or infection, but of something much worse.

He was referred for a CT scan which confirmed the vet’s suspicion. It revealed that Odin had multiple malignant tumors – on both of his jaws, of the liver, also in the brain right behind the eye, as well as on the skin.

We were devastated to find out that there was nothing we could do to cure Odin. We will only give him love and care for the time he has left, until it is time for him to go.

Lenny

Lenny is a very young female dog. She was adopted as a puppy from a municipal shelter in Sofia. A year later Lenny was found, roaming alone in one of the city parks. As she was visibly an owned dog, people brought her to our shelter, hoping that by tracing her microchip, we will be able to find her owner. Indeed we managed to contact Lenny’s owner and she promised that she will come to take her dog the following day. Unfortunately, the owner never came looking for Lenny, so she had to wait in our shelter until the legal period for re-claims was over, and we could officially take ownership over her. We did not lose time sending her for an orthopedic examination, as Lenny was walking awkwardly and it was clear that she needed one.

The orthopedic examination revealed that she had two hereditary diseases – elbow dysplasia of the front legs and patellar luxation of the two hind legs. She went through two corrective orthopedic surgeries. Since both conditions were in their initial stages and also because Lenny was a young dog, she recovered very well from the operations. She is already meeting potential adopters at the shelter and we hope she will soon join her new family.

Tobby Still Insecure

Tobby in a Training Session

A Brave Tobby on a Walk

Smallina at Arrival

Smallina

Bear Before the Tumor Operation

Bear Gets Help to Walk

Bear After the Operation

A Sweet and Healthy Bear

Odin at Arrival

Odin on a Walk

Lenny on a Walk

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