A Nantwich couple who moved to Bulgaria to run a dog rescue shelter, have now re-homed more than 500 badly treated pooches.
Clair Steele and her partner Neil were so moved by the plight of dogs over there they made a life-changing decision.
Now they are running Everydaystray in the Bulgarian city of Gabrovo, where they are using their passion for dogs to find injured and abandoned pets loving new homes.
The couple first met in 2018 and discovered that they were both very passionate about dogs.
Clair said: “Dogs have always played a big part in our lives.
“We cannot imagine life without a dog. We both feel dogs offer companionship, loyalty, unconditional love and what better welcome home can you get?”
Neil had been active in the UK against puppy farming.
He worked alongside organisations such as CARIAD aiming to tackle cruelty and suffering of dogs from breeders.
Clair added: “Sadly, some people take a different view of a dog. They see a dog as a money-making machine by having litter after litter of puppies to sell.
“The dogs live in disgusting conditions with no love and warmth.
“Neil found this heart-breaking to see dogs suffer this way when he knows a dog can give you so much more.”
Clair said her parents always had rescue dogs in need of help so her passion for rescuing dogs is in her blood.
The couple made various trips to volunteer at a dog shelter in Bulgaria, where they were shocked and deeply affected about what they saw.
“We saw dogs living on very short chains suffering with no food, water or shelter.
“Dogs could be seen lying dead at the side of the road or just barely alive after being hit by traffic.”
Clair said she remembers seeing a street dog in Bulgaria whose back legs had been run over.
The dog was still alive and trying to crawl away from the road despite his legs being embedded into the road.
“It’s something I will never forget,” she added.
“We also saw puppies abandoned or ‘thrown away’ on streets, roads and garbage bins, dogs cruelly treated, body parts cut off, shot with guns, people throwing stones at them, kicking them and even trying to poison them with anti-freeze which is a very slow and painful death.”
So the couple made big changes in their lives and decided to leave the UK and move to Bulgaria permanently to rescue street dogs in Bulgaria.
Neil moved over first with three dogs of his own, travelling and sleeping in his white builder’s van.
Clair followed soon after and in 2019 they set up “Everydaystray Bulgaria”, a non-profit registered Non-Governmental Organisation.
In 2023 they were awarded to be a registered licenced shelter in Bulgaria.
It means the shelter is regulated and meets legal requirements, and allows them to transport rescued dogs across Europe and the UK to new homes.
Since then, they have rescued and rehomed more than 535 street dogs from Bulgaria across Europe, America and to the UK.
They currently have around 50 dogs in their shelter, which is open 24 hours a day.
They offer a free neutering programme, school education programme, and provide free kennels to dog owners in the community.
OMG I agree, these are dogs not even in this country, we have enough in kennels already I love dogs but this is getting ridiculous saving dogs that are not wanted in their own country, yet we complain about human boat people arriving, since when has an unwanted dog become more important to look after than a child? some people have a strange outlook on civilised life indeed, this is total nonsense, and really a warped mind set at play here! world has gone mad
meanwhile in England 2,580 children are currently waiting for adoption.
2,960 children were adopted during the year ending March 31, 2023.
Ethnicity: 84% of adopted children were White.
Just saying as it seems humanity have their personal compasses off course