The program
This Program blends passion for animals, travel, meeting new people and discovering ancient cultures in a very authentic way. This particular program is suitable for people who enjoy city lifestyle and culture. Every year 9 million people visit Bulgaria, so you can rely on good infrastructure and a completely safe trip. There you can help locals understand more about the increase of the cat population and the urgent need for neutering. You will be able to help the animals by assisting in neutering 2 cats (per volunteer) and decrease the number of newborn cats. During the program you will be able to get to know Sofia as an ancient city on the crossroad between the East and the West, but also as a modern buzzing town with rich cultural life and nightlife. You will be able to spend time with locals and stay in a typical city home. Also you can enjoy authentic meals prepared by locals with locally produced products. That way, you will also support the locals to develop the region
How you can help
Volunteers can expect to participate in a number of tasks, including but not limited to:
Helping find the cats in need of medical help and neutering;
Helping taking the cats to the local vets and then helping with bringing them back to their habitats;
On site, we travel in groups around the area of Sofia and its neighborhoods where in every backyard or park there are homeless cats;
Talk to the locals there in order to help them understand the problem as well as help out with animals in need of medical attention and neutering.
Volunteers not only play a major role in helping the animals, but in keeping the operation sustainable and able to continue to operate and save these wonderful creatures’ lives.
Typical day
Schedule of the Activities during the day
A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours. A typical day, depending
on the specific region, will most probably look like this:
9:00am Traditional Bulgarian breakfast, prepared by locals at the accommodation/ or near by
10:00am – 3:00 pm Travelling in the area, talking with locals and trapping cats. Transportation of the cats to a vet clinic for neutering.
A lunch break will be fitted in during the day, but often the timing of breaks will change based on
the particular area visited and number of volunteers on hand. Lunch will be prepared and picked in the morning.
3:00pm volunteering duties end
4:00pm Bringing back the cats from the vet to their habitat and heading back for the accommodation
8:00pm Dinner with traditional cuisine, prepared by locals
Evenings Volunteers are welcome to explore the local area or simply relax with the other volunteers.
Free-time activities
Dates & Fees
Costs: Prices in EUR
1 week (min. stay) € 290
2 weeks € 560
3 weeks € 830
Average fees € 280 /week
*Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated. The value in your currency may vary regarding the official exchange rates/or the exchange rates of your bank. The final amount to be paid will be given to you during your application process.
Deposit (20%)
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by Pay Pal
Final Payment (80%)
Your final payment will be agreed with you during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer, Pay Pal or a cash payment at the project site.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Minimum Age: 18 years
In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if your are accompanied by your parents.
Language Skills
You need to speak English (basic level)
Required Documents
Emergency contact, international health insurance for the period and ID/Passport
Nationality Restrictions
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
Other Тhe project is open to all and does not require participants to have specific education, qualifications or experience, as you will be shown everything you need to know by one of local project leaders. Importantly though, all applicants must first and foremost have a genuine willingness to help
Airport pick-up on arrival at Sofia Airport
Orientation & full safety briefing
Accommodation and meals (as specified above for the particular area)
24/7 local support network
Onsite supervision
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations/medications are NOT included in the program fees. Food, snacks or beverages, not specified in the accommodation fees in the particular area, are not included.
In a Trap-Neuter-Return program, community cats are humanely trapped (with box traps), brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, eartipped (the universal sign that a community cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to their outdoor home.
This project is available from April to October and programs start every Sunday. Volunteers can choose to participate for periods ranging from 1 week to 8 weeks. Longer stays can be arranged directly with the local team, but will be subject to availability and individual conditions.
The price of the project covers the costs that are created by volunteers. The money received for a volunteer placement is split as follows: 60% is used to cover a volunteer’s direct costs, for example, accommodation, food and transfers. 20% is a direct donation to the project which we use to fund animal care in the program (medical bills, medicines, etc.), and 20% goes towards business costs such as staff and administration. If it were not for this project, we cannot provide this type of care for the animals, as we do not receive any funding.