Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused millions of people to flee their homes, but it also left many animals suffering. Animals that have been starved, injured, or abandoned due to this conflict need your help in order to survive.
IFAW has launched an emergency feeding program to guarantee food is available to shelters and zoos across Ukraine. Already, seven tons of food and supplies have been distributed.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are essential to protect animals against diseases like rabies, which is endemic in Ukraine. Furthermore, they help populate the country with healthy and contented pets.
During Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, thousands of domestic animals were left behind as people fled for safety. In response to this crisis, European veterinary clinics are working hard to meet the needs of displaced pets and their owners.
Veterinarians around the world are helping pets and their families reclaim them through services like vaccinations, microchipping, food supplies, and emergency medical care. Organizations like Greater Good Charities, Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, American Pet Products Association, and Matrix Partners have joined forces with Kormotech in this endeavor by providing pet food donations as well as medication and essential supplies.
As the conflict in Ukraine worsens, more pets are being displaced and left behind. Therefore, veterinarians are working hard to make sure these animals can safely be returned to their owners while also safeguarding Ukraine’s health.
One of the primary obstacles when relocating pets from Ukraine to other countries is that many countries require vaccines, rabies tests, microchips and quarantines for all pets. Unfortunately, many domestic animals do not meet these requirements, making it difficult for them to travel with their owners.
Microchipping
One year ago, when the conflict in Ukraine started, a local vet from Fort Collins took action to help pets owned by those experiencing homelessness. Through his expertise and compassion, he was able to offer free veterinary care to dogs, cats, horses and other animals in need.
One year later, he is still providing humanitarian aid and has been awarded the ASPCA Henry Bergh Award for his work treating animals at Ukraine’s border as Ukrainians and their pets fled following the Russian invasion.
Fine and his volunteer team are working feverishly to protect animals against a possible outbreak of rabies in war-torn Ukraine. They use a mobile clinic, traveling town to town to get pets sterilized and microchipped against this deadly virus.
He’s sent a team of 10 international volunteers to Ukraine, including a veterinarian from Tacoma, a trauma nurse in Seattle, a veterinarian from Kingston, a volunteer from Scotland and Amsterdam, a Greenland veterinarian – as well as an entire team of vet techs.
The group is working to catalog all abandoned animals in order to reunite them with their owners or find new homes. Furthermore, they’re setting up mobile spay, neuter, vaccination, and ID chip clinics across town to assist overwhelmed veterinarians.
Food
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, millions of people have fled the country, leaving millions of animals behind – many stranded on streets and at risk of starving to death.
Thankfully, there are organizations and companies taking action to assist these pets. One organization, in particular, has installed emergency feeding stations across the country to provide food and water to homeless animals.
Pet food donations are essential during this crisis to keep animals healthy and contented. The Galaxy Vets Foundation, a non-profit that provides veterinary disaster response solutions, has been feeding hundreds of animals in shelters as well as covering spay/neuter procedures for hundreds of pets.
Galaxy Vets Foundation has also joined Vet Help Ukraine, a telehealth platform that allows veterinarians and technicians to provide online pet care to Ukrainians. Over 250 veterinarians from the US and around the world have volunteered their services through this initiative – they’ve spent more than 1,350 hours providing support to pet parents.
The charity is also running a winter preparedness campaign, procuring electricity generators and portable heaters to keep animals warm in case of a blackout. They’re also partnering with local vets and rescue groups to provide vaccinations, microchips, and medical treatments for displaced pets.
Supplies
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, and several animal welfare organizations are taking action to provide pet care and support. The Humane Society International is providing aid to shelters, zoos, and rescues throughout the region; while International Fund for Animal Welfare and ADA Foundation are working on animal advocacy issues as well as disaster relief projects.
Four Paws Animal-Rights Organization has launched UPAW (Ukrainian Pet Association Worldwide), an initiative to assist pet parents at hundreds of shelters. Through donations and the distribution of dog and cat food, the UPAW website will serve as an interactive platform for shelters to share their most urgent needs with the organization.
Sophie Harel, the owner of a pet shop and grooming salon in Fontvieille, France, has organized the shipment of dry dog food to shelters in Ukraine with help from customers and staff. According to Harel, these donations help fund these important deliveries.
Gilles Sonthonnax, a French veterinarian, has taken on the challenge of collecting medical supplies from local veterinary clinics. He’s asking centers and shops in the Limoges region to donate their adapted products to his center which will then make weekly deliveries to Ukraine.
Adoption
Animal rescuers from around the world have been helping displaced animals in Ukraine since Russia invaded their country in early March. Some volunteers are risking their lives to get these pets elsewhere; others have found ways to care for the creatures by feeding them and sending supplies like generators and mobile vet clinics.
Petco Love, the philanthropic arm of the Petco Foundation, has announced a $1 million donation to organizations supporting shelters, rescues, and pet families affected by the conflict in Ukraine. These funds will go directly towards emergency relief efforts as well as long-term recovery needs.
Many of the pets saved in Ukraine aren’t immediately ready for adoption. They need time to recover and be tested for infectious diseases but eventually can be adopted by Americans willing to provide them with a home.
Simmons, along with Axtelle from Big Dog Ranch Rescue, will be traveling to Ukraine with her dog Axtelle to help reunite dogs with their owners. They plan on working at a shelter 80 miles north of Kyiv that houses 3,000 canines and felines.
Breaking the Chains, an organization in Ukraine that rescues animals and finds them homes has joined forces with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue of Fairfax, Virginia to send 30 cats back home.