By Violina Kirova | Senior Administrator
Reporting Period - 01.04.2025 – 31.12.2025
In the period of April through December of 2025, Animal Rescue Sofia continued the work with stray animals in Bulgaria. “The Farm” shelter is the place where we treat, socialize, rehabilitate and rehome dogs and cats from the streets of the country.
With the support of the donors of Animal Rescue Sofia, in the period April – December of 2025 Franzisca Veterinary Clinic admitted for treatment 643dogs and cats, while the vets also attended to the animals placed in “The Farm” shelter. A total of 6 369 manipulations, treatments and surgeries were performed in April through December of 2025. One hundred and twenty-four dogs and cats found their homes with good and responsible owners.
The stories of Simo, Cathrin, Luchano and Mikado are accounts of how we helped some of these dogs and cats in particular.They are just a small number of the animals that we rescued during the reporting period.
Simo
Simo came to the Farm shelter at the beginning of September after a car accident. He was found lying motionless, close to a busy boulevard, with blood running down from his nose and mouth. The man who found him originally thought that Simo was dead and passed by with his car, but then decided to return to the spot to check for sure. He found out that Simo was still breathing.
When Simo arrived in our clinic, the ultrasound revealed that there were no life-threatening traumas to the internal organs and that he had sensitivity in all his limbs. The X-Rays showed he had no fractures, but there were signs of a brain drain which had to be treated urgently.
Simo received the intensive care that he needed and several days later, he was standing up and eating by himself. Over the next weeks, he received additional treatment for his liver and the blood anemia that he had at arrival.
He needed some time to get used to the shelter environment and to learn that he is safe with us. He is now gradually showing us what a good boy he is and we hope that soon he will join the loving family that he deserves.
Cathrin
At the beginning of August, the shelter administration received a signal that in a nearby asphalt base there was a dog, stuck in a puddle of hardened bitumen mixture. When the shelter staff arrived at the location, they found the dog lying down motionless, with body and jaw fully stuck in the bitumen puddle. The dog was crying and it was obviously that it was in a lot of pain. It took a whole hour for the volunteers on site to cut off a section of the hardened puddle, together with the dog stuck in it, by using shovels and scissors.
When Cathrin arrived at our clinic, we immediately started removing the bitumen from her fur, as these kinds of toxic mixtures often lead to irreversible blood intoxication and the dog had stayed in the puddle the whole night. We also gave Cathrin i.v. fluids and by the end of the day, with the help of a huge quantity of cooking oil, used for the gradual dissolution of the bitumen, the larger part of the toxic mixture was removed from the dog. We also had to shear Cathrin’s fur centimeter by centimeter, as her coat still had bitumen stuck close to the skin.
After the shearing, it became evident that Cathrin already had multiple skin wounds and big areas of dermatosis. The complete removal of the toxic mixture from the dog took more than four full days, while Cathrin was bathed multiple times with cooking oil and suitable shampoos. The fluid and antibiotic therapy continued and liver supplements were also added, as the dog’s biochemical parameters worsened in the first days after the accident.
After the treatment Cathrin recovered fully and showed us what an easy-going and sociable dog she was. She is already enjoying the life of a happily adopted dog.
Luchano
Luchano was another one of the many dogs and cats injured in car accidents that we helped in 2025. He was brought to our shelter by a person who saw the traffic accident close to Sofia airport and how Luchano got injured. The man thought the dog had died, but the next day, when he was taking the same route to go to work, he saw that Luchano was still alive, but unable to move, and brought him to our shelter, trying to get help for him.
The clinical exam and the X-Rays revealed that Luchano had a pelvis fracture, but there were no emergency conditions in his state. Several days later, after orthopedist consultation, he was successfully operated on. Given specialized post-operative care and rehabilitation, he was soon able to stand up and walk by himself again.
Luchano’s control orthopedic check-up is currently due and if it confirms that the trauma has healed successfully, Luchano will be able to meet prospective adopters.
Mikado
Mikado was found by foreigners travelling throughout Bulgaria, in helpless condition –emaciated and dehydrated, with extremely low temperature and terribly matted wet coat. The examination at the clinic showed that he had AIDS and kidney disease. He received a combined treatment of antiemetics and antibiotics, fluids, high-energy supplement foods, immune boosters and kidney support.
Mikado’s condition improved to a substantial extent, but as he is also an old cat, with an impaired sight and partial seizures, he will not be able to recover fully. He is currently taking antiepileptic medications, eating well and enjoying his life in the safety of the shelter. It is very unlikely that he will ever be adopted, but he can at least spend the rest of his life in a place where he is loved and well taken care of.
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By By Violina Kirova | Senior Administrator
By Violina Kirova | Administrator
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