Ukrainian pets, animals rescued amid Russian violence: How to help

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 Ukrainian pets, animals rescued amid Russian violence

By Patrick Reilly   
March 12, 2022

Animal welfare groups are working to support the rescue and evacuation of pets from war-torn Ukraine and sending supplies to animal shelters put at risk amid Russia's invasion.

James Sawyer, UK director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), told the BBC the organization operates two animal shelters in Ukraine with over 1,100 dogs in their care and has provided them with food and supplies.

"The devastation caused by some of these rocket attacks, that open environment full of glass, concrete and metal is dangerous to people but also to animals," Sawyer said.

He said one of the shelters was shelled during a Russian attack, killing one animal. Staff members are frightened to light fires, he said, fearing it may draw attention to the shelters.

"Local supplies are running out," he said of the dire situation.

The German branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it is currently coordinating a delivery of nearly 20 tons of companion animal food as well as blankets to animal shelters in Ukraine. They are also offering vaccinations to animals.

The group said it is working with a partner organization in Romania who has crossed the border into Ukraine to rescue abandoned animals.

Many refugees have been forced to leave their furry friends behind at the border because of they do not meet the criteria imposed by the European Union that require pets be vaccinated, microchipped and have a rabies test.

Many countries, however, including Ukraine's neighbors Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia have eased their restrictions, animal groups confirmed.

More than 1.4 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion, with many families forced to relocate to neighboring countries, bringing only what they can carry – some documents, photos and their beloved pets.

Kyiv native Ludmilla Nadzemovska had prepared to evacuate a month ago, buying traveling cages for her four cats as signs pointed towards an imminent Russian invasion. She fled to Hungary with her cats after she heard her neighbors had been killed by Russian forces.

"I want to go back" she told The Associated Press, sitting in a camp in Tiszabecs, Hungary, just over the border. "But my priority is my family and the pets."

Another refugee, Lena Nesterova, said she fled with her family after the first explosions rang out in Kyiv on the first day of the invasion, taking "only [my] daughter, dog, all the documents."

"We left everything. We have no clothes, nothing," Nesterova said. "And we don't know what will be after."

Her daughter, 18-year-old Margo, tightly held the family toy Chihuahua in the safety of a refugee camp in the border city of Siret, Romania.

House pets are not the only animals who suffer from the violence. Zoo animals are also threatened by air raids and shelling, including those at the Kyiv Zoo where heavy fighting was reported nearby last week.

The Kyiv Zoo is home to roughly 4,000, including elephants, camels and Ukraine's only gorilla. The chance to evacuate the critters has already passed, zoo officials said.

Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post's live coverage.

"It's almost impossible to evacuate animals, because it's impossible to provide appropriate veterinary service and transportation," Kyrylo Trantin, the zoo's chief, told EuroNews, adding that the zoo only has enough food supplies to feed the animals for a few more days.

VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDQLFoTC8E

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnYjdf808sQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtwc8FYvWJA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ek7OM599U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDQLFoTC8E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tZSlwq3S-4

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Pets are fleeing Ukraine with their owners, but here's how to help those who stay. Shelters in Ukraine are asking for donations to help them support the animals that have stayed despite the attack

It is impossible to see the picture of people fleeing Ukraine looking for safer places and leaving their life behind without getting emotional, but this is even more when you see that most of Ukrainians leaving their country do so accompanied by their pets.

Cats, dogs, and even bunnies or lizards have been traveling with their owners. Some even have been in bomb shelters next to their families while they find a safer place and, of course, the pictures are just heartbreaking.   

Recent reports have pointed out that countries like Poland, Romania, and Slovakia allow Ukrainians to bring their pets without veterinary paperwork, so they don't stay behind.

However, there are some animals that due to their owners –mostly soldiers- have been left behind. In these cases, many shelters have opened their doors and accepted them.

    Ukrainians who took their pets with them while taking refuge in bomb shelters #Ukraine #cats pic.twitter.com/uhO4rT2pry
    — Anya ?𓃭 (@anyushhka) March 4, 2022

If you want to help from the distance, the best you can do for these animals is to donate to their shelters. Most of them are receiving all kinds of pets and taking care of them in safe spaces in Ukraine despite the risk of a missile strike.

UAnimals

This organization is working on collecting donations to support animal shelters currently active in Ukraine. You can make a donation here: https://www.patreon.com/uanimals

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How to help animals in Ukraine? List of organisations to support

Connor Jackson
03/03/2022

    Open Cages: https://opencages.org/blog/category/open-cages

As you know, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24th this year. The war is causing immense suffering, not only for people but also for animals, both our domestic companions, farm animals and those left behind in zoos. We have compiled a list of the most important organisations and collections that are currently helping the animals of Ukraine.

Poland, Latvia, Hungary, Romania, Czechia and Slovakia temporarily lifted the requirements for transporting pets to these countries – animals can be brought into these countries without a set of veterinary documents (such as a vaccination certificate or passport). Several groups and initiatives have been set up on Facebook to make it easier to find homes for companion animals – the desire to temporarily take in an animal can be expressed in the following forms (coordinated by Zwierz?ca Polana foundation):

    for dogs, cats and horses: link to the form... https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe785QihTrI7jJuH6s3zv1ImT1cE5StbQXxBtF6SFjo0rpO-w/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2DcwzDYpPv-w1HflbZDFFTDYdHYn_PMMa9xlNBsTFlPdRjCmX2evRvhSg
   
    parrots and other exotic birds: link to the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclKny37oPzbtRtAUWpkFEzWhQBEdvfNQQol6E8hUUzviUHrA/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2lw0acZdN6Ls1_-BEKqBFV33aKm9h_YgyzTfT3LZVLFvz_uMCS8z7qeKY

Polish organisations which are involved in helping animals and which you can support financially or by participating in donating food, transporters, etc., are:

    Viva! Interwencje – information about fundraising and food donations on their website: link: https://www.facebook.com/Viva.Interwencje

    Krakowskie Towarzystwo Opieki Nad Zwierz?tami: link; https://pomagam.pl/zwierzakiukrainy?fbclid=IwAR2NZ-OH2fsoXd05vQ7LOS3c1gcM2Oo9ZolC-McxJ4VqmJAijJFJeRCzb78

    Dolno?l?ski Inspektorat Ochrony Zwierz?t: link. https://www.ratujemyzwierzaki.pl/dioz-dla-ukrainy

In addition to organisations operating in Poland, it is also worth supporting those operating in Ukraine. We are uploading a list of shelters, sanctuaries and social organisations that are currently in need:

Shelter Friend:

Shelter for homeless animals in Dnepr City.

    PayPal: [email protected]
    Payments through the Polish bank account:

Maryna Bolokhovets, Getin Bank 65 1560 1081 2016 6300 6000 0001 (for donations in PLN)

Maryna Bolokhovets, Getin Bank 81 1560 1081 2016 6300 6000 0004 (for donations in Euro)

Shelter Ugolyok: Animal Rescue and Farm Sanctuary

Sanctuary for pets and farm animals.

Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ShelterUgolyok

Kyiv Animal Rescue

A rescue team that cares for animals in need.

Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/karg

UAnimals

A pro-animal organisation dedicated to the protection of wild, farmed and domestic animals.

Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/uanimals

Vet Crew

Veterinarians treating wild animals in Odessa.

Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/VetCrew

Shelter Sirius

The largest shelter for homeless animals in Ukraine located in the Kyiv region.

https://kindchallenge.net/foundation/sirius

Foreign organisations that assist in the exporting and adoption of animals from Ukraine:

ifaw
https://secure.ifaw.org/european-union/emergency-ukraine?ms=UONDF220320060&cid=7013k000001a9Us

UAAA

http://uaaa.org.ua/uk/projects/dopomoga-tvarinam-v-kriticnij-situacii-pid-cas-vijni

Casa lui Patrocle – Animal Rescue

International Facebook groups:

Ukrainian Rescue Appeal: https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F480671290390692%2F

Ukraine Animal Rescue: https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F317825230407855%2F

Help Ukrainian Horses: https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F654211168968932

Bear sanctuary: https://www.bearsanctuary-domazhyr.org/ways-to-give

We will be updating the list on a regular basis.