Laura Norrey, 40, is helping hundreds of pooches find their forever homes after she adopted a dog left to fend for herself in a car park in Bulgaria
Animal lover Laura was desperately searching for a new dog after her beloved border collie, named Chuck, died at the age of 12 following a short battle with an aggressive cancer.
She tells us, “Chuck came into my life at four years old after a family member’s relationship breakdown. From the moment he arrived, he was pure joy – loving, funny and full of personality.
“He was more than just a pet; he was my rock. Through some of the hardest times, including my grandmother’s eight-year battle with dementia, Chuck was always there, offering comfort in a way only a dog can.”
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After his passing in 2019, Laura knew she wanted another four-legged companion, but she could not have predicted she’d soon be helping rehome dogs from Bulgaria with owners in the UK and beyond.
Laura, who is originally from Manchester but now lives in Glossop, Derbyshire, was struggling to find suitable dogs for adoption when she came across Street Hearts BG online. The non-profit organisation rescues street dogs in Bulgaria and finds them forever homes, including with families in the UK.
She says, “We knew we could never replace Chuck, but any true dog lover understands that a house isn’t a home without a dog. We visited multiple rescues in Manchester, but we struggled to find the right fit.
“Many dogs were too large for me to handle, while others had complex behavioural needs that I didn’t yet feel equipped to manage. To our surprise, some UK rescues rejected our applications for seemingly minor reasons, such as our garden not being deemed secure because it had two gates.
“Unlike many UK rescues that enforce blanket policies – such as no adoptions to homes with children under eight or those with cats – Street Hearts BG assesses each application individually. I actually stumbled across them completely by accident through a Google search. At the time, adopting from abroad hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
Hoping for scraps
While checking out the website, Laura came across a mixed breed named Lidia, who was found by the charity’s co-founders Emma, 49, and Anthony Smith, 57, in a Lidl supermarket car park. The hungry mutt had been following customers to their cars in a plea for help.
Laura explains, “Lidia, affectionately known as Lidi from Lidl, was wandering between shoppers, hoping for scraps of food and a bit of affection.
“Unlike many street dogs, she wasn’t in terrible shape. Her expressive puppy-dog eyes must have earned her plenty of handouts. As she’s a natural people dog, her rescue was straightforward.
“Emma and Anthony simply scooped her up and placed her in the footwell of their vehicle, and she happily made her way to the safety of the shelter, where she received all the love and care she needed.”
She adds, “Lidia was a little nervous at first but incredibly friendly. It was clear that someone had treated her with kindness at some point in her life. To this day, despite me not having children myself, she absolutely adores kids, so I believe she must have had positive interactions with them in Bulgaria.”
However, Laura noted, “She’s a little wary of older men and has an aversion to brooms, which leads me to suspect she was mistreated by an older man and possibly hit with a broom at some point in her past.”
Laura adopted Lidia in 2020 and fell head over heels for her as soon as she arrived in the UK from Bulgaria, via two custom-built transport vans. “During the four-day journey, they are walked twice a day,” she adds. “Lidia travelled this way, and she was perfectly content throughout. I still treasure the photos of her enjoying walks in different countries along the way.”
Everything changed for Laura a few months later when she was made redundant after the Covid lockdown hit. While unemployed, she reached out to Emma and Anthony to ask if she could support the charity remotely from the UK.
They agreed, and Laura now works full-time for Street Hearts BG as the social media manager and adoption coordinator, finding dozens of dogs loving homes.
Reflecting on the situation, Laura says, “On a personal level, if I hadn’t adopted Lidia, I wouldn’t have discovered Street Hearts BG, and I wouldn’t be working for them today. It’s truly the best job in the world, and the reason I found this incredible calling.”
Overrun with strays
Street Hearts BG’s founders, Emma, a former nurse and police officer, and Anthony, an ex-farmer and commercial diver, moved to Bulgaria from North Yorkshire in 2013 and were shocked to find that the area was overrun with stray dogs.
The couple initially set up the charity to help spay and neuter the dogs before building a shelter for them at their house. The charity has rehomed around 1,500 dogs, including in the UK, and sterilised more than 4,000 dogs to prevent puppy abandonment.
Laura explains, “It’s the most rewarding job imaginable. Every day, I help find loving homes for dogs who, without Street Hearts BG, would likely die on the streets.”
However, Street Hearts BG is battling soaring costs that continue to rise yearly. The shelter that can house a maximum of 70 dogs now costs £150,000 a year to run.
“We are a non-profit and rely on donations and our supporters, who are absolutely fantastic, to keep going,” Laura adds. “It costs an awful lot to run the shelter in terms of food and medical care for the dogs.”
Every dog at the shelter is neutered, fully vaccinated and treated for any conditions, with donations going directly towards their vet and food bills.
Laura says, “Bulgaria has a significant stray dog problem, but we’re committed to addressing it through proactive measures. We run a free neutering programme for both stray and owned dogs, covering the cost to ensure no unwanted litters are born. We humanely trap and neuter street dogs, and we also provide free spaying and neutering services for owned dogs.
“Beyond neutering, education is key. We regularly visit local schools and host children at the shelter, teaching them about responsible pet ownership, the importance of neutering and kindness toward animals.
“Through fun, interactive learning, we’re working to create a future where the cycle of stray dogs in Bulgaria is broken for good.”
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