“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Our Mission
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Break the Chains for Dogs Bulgaria began with a single, life-changing visit to Bulgaria. During this trip, founder Leesa witnessed the widespread neglect and suffering of stray dogs, with little to no resources available to support their well-being. Driven by compassion and a desire to make a difference, Leesa began rescuing these dogs, providing them with the care they desperately needed, and finding them loving homes. What started as a small initiative soon grew into a dedicated organization focused on transforming the lives of abandoned dogs, one rescue at a time.
(Click here to find out more about life for dogs in Bulgaria) -
We believe that compassion and mercy benefit us all, globally. Basic human morality begins at home, and home can be anywhere with good practices. There is a dog for everyone, and a person for every dog. We aim to find the right rescue for the right home, ensuring loving environments for dogs. Through kindness, patience, and the right match, these animals transition from suffering to becoming happy members of families.
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We're excited about the future of our mission, with upcoming developments that will further support our work. We will continue educating others about animal welfare, especially in places like Bulgaria where responsibility for animal care is lacking. Our goal is to expand, work with more volunteers, and impact lives across the UK and Europe.
Available dogs
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Avis
In Devon foster
Shy, soulful, and made for deep bonding, Avis is a gentle spirit waiting for the calm, kind home where she can finally blossom. -
Beanie
In Devon foster
Beanie – now thriving in the UK and proving everyone right: cat-friendly, dog-friendly, house-proud, great in the car and described by his foster as an “amazing, bomb-proof, gentle soul.” 🩵🐾 -
Kiki
Kiki’s soulful eyes are searching for someone to love—could you be her forever?
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Zelda (Reserved STC)
Shy, gentle, and just waiting for a safe place to bloom. 🐾🤍
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Shauna
In Devon foster
‘Shauna’ – calm, affectionate and thriving in Devon foster; clean indoors, quick to learn, loves other dogs and takes every new adventure in her stride. 🩷🐾 -
Shannon
In Devon foster
Shannon – playful, placid and thriving in Devon foster; clean indoors, quick to learn, great with dogs and blossoming into a joyful young companion. 🩷🐾 -
Taco
A small, gentle boy with little legs, a big heart, and so much love to give. 🐾🌮💛
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Nacho (Reserved STC)
A gentle, bashful young girl waiting for a kind home where she can finally blossom. 🐾💛
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Cedar
Joyful Cedar is ready to fill your life with love and adventure—she just needs you to choose her before it’s too late.
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Timothy (Adopted)
Timothy is a gentle, tender soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly—ready to bring quiet love into your home.
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Brogan (Reserved STC)
🎖️ Brigadier ‘Brogan’ is an affectionate 8yr old gentleman with teddy bear looks and a gentle soul, dreaming of retiring into a loving forever home after years of neglect and hardship.
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Ginger (Reserved STC)
🐾 Little ‘Ginger’ is a joyful 5-6yr old pocket sized sweetheart with a huge smile, a gentle soul and endless love to give to the lucky person who chooses him.
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Nessa (Reserved STC)
Little ‘Nessa’ is a joyful 1yr 8mth old sweetheart with tiny legs, a fluffy tail and the gentlest soul, longing for someone to finally love her forever.
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Carmella
Carmella, 8yrs | A joyful little matriarch with a heart of gold, a love for everyone she meets, and so much happiness still to share. Could this beautiful golden oldie be your perfect companion?
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Clarence
Clarence, 6yrs | A shaggy, smiling bundle of joy who loves everyone he meets. This charming muppet is ready to fill your home with laughter, cuddles, and unconditional love. ❤️
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Fernanda
Fernanda, 4yrs | Gentle, graceful, and full of love, this beautiful one-eyed girl walks softly through life and straight into your heart. Could you be the happy ending she's been waiting for? ❤️
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Ghost
🤍 Ghost, 1yr | Beautiful, gentle, and full of love, this sweet Labrador cross is the kind of dog who quietly steals your heart and never gives it back. Could she be your perfect companion? 🐾
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Kayleigh
Kayleigh – A gentle, affectionate and beautifully mannered young girl whose calm nature, joyful spirit and stunning looks make her the complete companion. ❤️🐾
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Shay
Shay – A beautiful brindle-coated gentle giant whose outstanding temperament, calm nature and love of other dogs make her an exceptional companion. ❤️🐾
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Zoro
Zoro – A petite, mischievous young boy with a gentle heart, playful spirit, and a deep love of both people and dogs. 🐾
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Zeya
Zeya – A beautiful golden retriever-like girl whose gentle nature, affectionate personality and love of all dogs make her an exceptional family companion. ❤️🐾
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Alice
Alice – A calm, graceful and deeply affectionate gentle soul whose serene nature makes her a truly comforting and devoted companion. 🕊️
Testimonials
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Louise
Back in March saw this handsome face on here needing urgent home at risk time running out little boy called SANTOL stunning Amber eyes, April our lives changed, santol arrived he was so scared bless him underweight scared if his own shadow, did not know what a bed was a TV a sofa gave him a toy looked at was scared broke my heart first few weeks were hard not getting on with my other dog, he needed time had great support from the group
Fast forward til now santol is amazing most loving sweetest gentle boy his so good makes us smile. Loving life so happy playing all day and night with his brother running around the house loves his dad gets in bed with him for special cuddle times loves his toys nice walks cuddle on sofa even watches the telly. Time is a healer all they want and need is love
Anyone thinking of getting a dog get one from here save a life today .everyone at Break The Chains - for dogs bulgaria are amazing all they do to save these unloved dogs best thing we ever did. Completed our family santol and elvis our boys are loved so much and make us so happy -
Karen
"Billy and I can’t begin to put into words, how much we love this gentle giant. Our beautiful Khaly.
Feral? Ferocious? 😂😂😂 Nothing but a gentle, grateful, loving girl. In her first 2 weeks she has been for walks, stopping and sniffing every inch, she is gradually gaining the trust of our diva shihtzu trio, has slowed down eating her meals and actually tastes what she’s eating now, and her biggest win was allowing us to chop away, use a Matt breaker, brush, and finally clippers to get her coat Matt free. Now with a daily brush she is looking so good.
She had a vet visit… just a health check. His words… He is at times wary of rescues from abroad because of irresponsible rescues. Seldom does he see such healthy, happy rescues. He was so impressed with the honest and upfront information on Khaly’s health, her vaccinations and tests, in particular, brucellosis, stating that it is very rare to see a dog already tested for this. I don’t know if I’ve changed his view on ‘rescues from abroad’ but Khaly certainly won him over.
If you have any doubts about rescuing from Break The Chains–for dogs bulgaria, just look at all the posts from owners. I can’t recommend them enough, and once I have a bigger house, I shall be rescuing more.
Thank you Leesa for everything xxxxx" -
Linda
He arrived on Tuesday, I took him straight to the garden to do his business and not had a house ‘accident’ at all. Leesa’s advice works!
He’s smart, loving and absolutely gorgeous, still a little unsure but on the whole taking everything in his stride. Tail is coming up and we get invites to play, he loves his treat snuffle ball.
It took him just one night to jump into my bed at night time and cuddle up 🥰.
Thanks to Leesa and everyone in the background that made his journey to us possible, we love him already ❤️❤️❤️
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Sonia
Break The Chains Bulgaria is an amazing charity run by a wonderful lady Leesa who has dedicated her life to rescuing dogs in unimaginable crisis and ultimately finding them a loving home they deserve. She has a team of volunteers who offer all kinds of skills and experience and who always seem to be on hand for helpful advice and information during and after the adoption process. The dogs themselves are beyond belief in their gentleness and ability to overcome their previous experiences and reveal their true wonderful personalities with just love and patience. These are not wild dogs that need training to become a loving and faithful companion. They are already kind, gentle beautiful creatures who have been betrayed and abused by people who do not deserve to own them and in a society who see them in some cases as no better than vermin. Leesa and her volunteers manage the whole adoption and transport process with real professionalism and inform adopters throughout the whole process what is needed and required. My beautiful girl Alice arrived
March 2024 and every single day I thank my lucky stars I stumbled across this charity. I immediately knew somehow that here was the dog who needed me and would be something special. I was not wrong. She has brought me so much joy and happiness. If you are ready and looking fora loyal, kind furry best friend Leesa and her charity will help find the right dog for you. These dogs aren't lucky to be united with an owner. With just love and patience we are the lucky ones to be given the opportunity for being rewarded with an unbelievably loving, loyal companion who has been waiting to give their heart to someone who deserves it. I can't recommend this charity enough.
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Pam
I started looking for a new dog as I currently have an assistance dog who I trained myself. He is 10 years old, still working well but as it takes a couple of years to train a new one. I wanted to get a rescue and was looking to get a small dog as I don’t need my dog to do any heavy work. Bertie is a cocker spaniel and does things like picking things up, collecting the post, putting rubbish in the bin and accompanying me everywhere. I had tried different rescue centres but nothing really came up. I also live in a first floor flat, even the rescue centres who will consider a person living in a flat will usually only rehome if you are on the ground floor and have your own enclosed garden.
I came across a small puppy who BTC were advertising on Pets4homes, I thought she might be ideal and sent a message asking for more info. Little did I know I was contacting one of the best and most conscientious rescue charities I’ve ever dealt with.
When I message initial enquiring about a dog I always explain exactly what I am looking for and my situation. To start with whoever lives with us must fit in with Bertie, he is 10 years old and always been on his own so sharing his space is not something that comes easily to him, he also isn’t fond of males or pushy dogs. Like I said I live in a first-floor flat with no garden. I would like to hopefully train the new dog as my next assistance dog. Oh yes and I also use a wheelchair or walker when I go out. I always know this is quite a list and a tough one for any charity to fulfill which is why I hadn’t had any luck and thought I was going to have to get a puppy which definitely wouldn’t impress Bertie.
I was contacted back pretty much straight away by Karen and Leesa and a phone call was set up for the next day with Karen; they also sent info on the charity and what to expect. One of the first things both Karen and Leesa said to me was “We don’t discriminate against anyone so you living in a flat is not an issue”, this made me so happy. I had a good chat with Karen; she wasn’t sure the pup would be the right girl for me but said they would do all they could to find the best fit for me.
The process is one of the best I have seen from a charity. The form to fill in was very in dept and thorough to make sure they had all the info possible to find you the right dog, likewise the home check was the same. Now came the search for my dog.
Karen constantly kept in touch with me sending me info of different dogs, 2 days later she sent me a photo of the beautiful Liberty. I pretty much said yes and paid my reservation fee but because of my situation regarding my mobility they wanted to do a couple of other checks to see if she will cope with my mobility aids as a lot of dogs they have understandably wouldn’t cope with walking sticks let alone wheelchairs. They normally do a test by pushing a bicycle past the dog but the fosterers went a step further and tested her by pushing a wheelbarrow as they had one to hand.
After this Leesa rang me to make sure that I felt they had done all they could for me as they were very aware I was an unusual case for them. Then the magic words were spoken by Leesa “if you are happy with everything Liberty is yours”. She asked me to go and think about it but I definitely didn’t need long and I messaged her back to say yes please.
After that it was all very straight forward. I paid the rest of the adoption fee, was advised when she was booked on transport and when she would be travelling. When she started travelling, I was added to a WhatsApp group so I could see how the journey progressed and exactly when she would arrive. And as they say the rest is history.
I have to say a massive thank you to this amazing charity run by this phenomenal woman without who I would not have found the most perfect rescue dog imaginable - I feel she is a jigsaw puzzle piece that perfectly fits the whole we were waiting to fill. This is a charity that will do all they can to try and get the right dog for you rather than rehoming dogs just for the sake of it. Thank you Leesa, team and BTC -
Kelly
I heard about Leesa / BTC from a friend who had recently adopted a dog. I became interested myself after seeing a post on his Facebook that he’d shared for a particular dog and got in touch. I was turned down for that dog which I know now was the right thing because Leesa took the time and so much information from me to match my lifestyle and family with the perfect dog, and he really is the perfect dog! The process was easy and relatively quick - there’s someone to guide you through every step and the transport process was so well communicated aswell. It’s really a well oiled Machine and it is clear how much care goes into looking after the dogs and getting them rehomed with the right families. I have already recommended Leesa and BTC to three families who are thinking about bringing a dog into the family - rescue will always be my preferred way to go and if I ever find I’ve got room in my house for more pups I would always come back to BTC.
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Briony
I ended up fostering for BTC after deciding that I wanted to help rescue dogs abroad as one of my new years resolutions in 2023. I've spent a lot of time in Bulgaria since a child so it has a special place in my heart and I've seen first hand the horror that these animals go through. Leesa is a literal angel and gives herself to these animals entirely and that love is infectious! She really listens to what you need and matches you to the perfect dog for you. I've now adopted my latest foster but hope to help foster again in the near future to give more of these dogs a chance. Please consider adopting or fostering with BTC, you wont regret it!
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Rachael
I found BTC quite by accident when I found myself scrolling through dog photos a few days after losing my 15 year old collie Theo. In my denial and grief I kept announcing I’d never have another dog, yet kept returning to a photo on Pets4Homes. I knew this was going to be my new housemate . I clicked through and before long was in contact with the BTC team. I had several conversations with them, including Leesa, and the process was explained to me thoroughly. I felt listened to throughout and it was clear that the dogs welfare was paramount. A month later, Banjo arrived. We’ve followed all advice given and he’s settled beautifully and it feels he has been with us forever. I would not hesitate to recommend BTC as the rescue of choice, my experience has been fantastic.
Contact us
Whether it’s a query, enquiry about a dog or just a chat about what we do here, feel free to get in touch using the form or using the phone numbers below
Molly - (deputy manager for the team & owners)
(WHATSAPP only) 07831945441
Or alternatively- 07552614860
As a rule, this should be the number you call or text for anything other than fostering. Molly will then escalate as needed.
Karen contact number (rescue manager)
WhatsApp- +44 (0) 7852 619578
Leesas mobile (rescue owner & rescuer)
WhatsApp: +44 (0) 7777 524351
Opening hours
9am:- 3.30pm (5.30pm EU time)
Weekends:- Closed
Closed during Christmas Eve through to 2nd January
for emergencies such as a lost dog please consult your welcome pack to take immediate action & alert local rescue teams first & notify BTC
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