Themes by tag: animals

The resident of the Wild Animal Rescue Center, tigress named Tyhriula is now slowly getting up on her hind legs. Doctors continue to take care of the animal that was injured on November 11, as a result of the occupiers’ rocket attack on Kyiv region. Shellshocked from the explosions, Tyhriula hit the cage, fell down and could not get up. The animal received anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy. Then experts assumed that she could have injured her hind limbs or spine.

On the same day, the lion living in the same Center was also injured. Other residents of the Wild Animal Rescue Center experienced stress caused by shelling as well.

For reference: In general, since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Wildlife Rescue Center has taken in more than 800 animals (lions, bears, tigers, wolves, leopards, wild birds, raccoons, etc.). In particular, the volunteers evacuated the animals from the frontline zones and other dangerous areas. As of November, more than 200 rescued animals were transported to European rehabilitation centers.

• animals
• Kyiv

Anastasiia Kulish is the founder of VetEvak charitable foundation. For almost a year now, their team of volunteering veterinarians has been traveling as close to the front line as possible to rescue animals that stay with their owners near the front. Volunteers set up operating theaters in houses destroyed by the occupiers, treat animals under shelling. And the owners of cats and dogs line up when they find out that volunteers are coming to them. VetEvak also provides owners with medicine and food for their pets free of charge.

Additionally: It is possible to talk with the founder of VetEvak charitable foundation and the team of veterinarians, both online and offline by prior arrangement.

• animals
• volunteers

On November 4-5 in Kyiv, “Sirius” shelter for homeless animals is organizing “AdoptMe Days”: a dozen puppies and cats will be waiting for new families. These are animals that were abandoned on the streets, left at the shelter’s doorstep or rescued from the frontline areas. Anyone can get to know the animals, consult with experts and adopt a four-legged companion. Also, people are welcome to visit the shelter in Kyiv region over these days. Today, more than 3,000 dogs and more than 200 cats live there.

Journalists have the opportunity to cover this topic in Kyiv or visit the shelter in Kyiv region.

For reference: “Sirius” is the largest shelter for homeless animals in Ukraine. It has been working since 2000. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, more than 1,500 animals have been sheltered there. These are, in particular, four-legged animals abandoned by their owners, as well as those brought by volunteers and soldiers from the front-line territories: Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions. The shelter is located in Kyiv region – therefore, at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, many animals experienced stress due to enemy shelling.

Currently, the shelter, like many others in Ukraine, is full of abandoned pets.

• animals
• Kyiv

An apartment in the city center and her own successful business — pet grooming salons. Yevheniia Zhyhulina had had all of it in Donetsk, until russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014. Then Yevheniia and her family were forced to leave their hometown. Odesa became a second home for Yevheniia’s family. When the full-scale invasion began, Yevheniia and her husband decided that they would not run away again. And despite the bug war, the woman began to think about starting her own business again. With the help of a state grant, in February 2023, the doors of Yevheniia Zhyhulina’s grooming salon opened in Odesa. The entrepreneur dreams that she will be able to create a whole network of salons for dogs throughout Ukraine, in particular, in Donetsk, Ukraine.

• animals
• casualties
• women
• Odesa

Yevheniia Molchanova and her husband founded the family farm “Green Grove” in Dnipropetrovsk region. With the beginning of the big war, Yevheniia opened their farm for those fleeing from shelling: she took in displaced people and animals rescued from hot spots. “Green Grove” became a shelter for a total of 311 people fleeing from the war with their pets. More than 1,500 animals in need of evacuation, treatment and rehabilitation also received help at the farm. Some of them include: donkeys, horses, pigs and sheep. Animals were brought from the hottest spots, in particular, Mariupol and Bakhmut.

Over time, the farm was reformatted into a rehabilitation center. Nowadays, families of fallen servicemen and children with disabilities come here. Psychologists work on the territory, and people can undergo treatment via equine- and dog- assisted therapy programs.

• animals
• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• women
• Dnipro

The “Animal Rescue Kharkiv” NGO opened a contact rehabilitation center for cats “Little Prince.” Animals rescued from the war zone are rehabilitated there. In particular, the center has a contact room made to resemble a home as much as possible, where you can play with cats. According to the founders, it is a kind of rehabilitation and relaxation, both for the pets and for the people.

The room receives visitors 4 times a week. Everyone is welcome. Most of all, military personnel (who also participated in cat rescue) and children are invited there.

For reference: the “Animal Rescue Kharkiv” NGO team has been rescuing animals in the city and the region for more than 8 years. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, they have also been evacuating animals from the war zone and de-occupied settlements (Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions). Volunteers, in particular, provide emergency medical assistance to animals, give them temporary shelter and find old or new owners for the pets.

• animals
• casualties
• children
• military
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

For ten years, dog trainer Larysa Borysenko searched and returned the bodies of dead soldiers and civilians to their relatives. In addition to working independently during search and rescue missions, the woman headed the Antares search and rescue squad. Larisa’s life almost ended in March 2023 in Kharkiv region, when she, along with her partner and a search dog, blew up on a tripwire. Larysa was seriously injured and was in a coma when she was taken to a hospital in Dnipro. The doctors did not expect a positive outcome, but Larysa woke up from a coma, underwent rehabilitation and returned to the Pavlohrad-based search and rescue squad a few days ago.

• animals
• casualties
• dead
• women

The Rivne Zoo offers tours for defenders undergoing rehabilitation. Guests can take a walk around the zoo, watch the animal’s feeding process, and get involved under the supervision of specialists. Tours give an inside look at African lions, Amur tigers, various primates (feline lemurs, Japanese macaques), and many other species of animals. There is also an opportunity to experience up-close encounters with some zoo inhabitants (horses, ponies, turtles, dwarf goats, and sheep). The tour can last 1.5-2 hours. Employees take into account the health status of the defenders and adjust the route and program for their comfortable rest.

• animals
• military
• Rivne

Before becoming a farmer, Natalia Koval taught at the Kharkiv National University of Economics. In 2011, her husband suggested starting a farm and Natalia agreed. In 2022, their family farm in one of the villages of Kharkiv region had more than three hundred cows and 12 employees. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the farm was occupied.

Families with children remained in the village, and the farm became their salvation. After all, milk was distributed there for free, as well as bread baked by farm employees. The farm had its own generator, and thus electricity. Sometimes one could even catch a mobile connection there.

Occupiers took Natalia’s husband “to the basement,” he miraculously managed to get out. Today, the farm is recovering after all the horrors it experienced.

For reference: on September 6, 2022, Ukrainian troops launched a major counteroffensive in Kharkiv region. Subsequently, Kharkiv region was completely de-occupied.

• animals
• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kharkiv

Marta Klok started volunteering back in 2021. At that time, the girl worked with a charity initiative that supported lonely blind Ukrainians. This year, Marta took up the task of rescuing animals that remained in the front-line zone. Together with the team of “Zhmut Shchastia” (bundle of happiness) charitable foundation, the girl is evacuating animals from the east to Lviv. The team tries to get new families to adopt these animals while transporting them, and those that need medical attention are taken to veterinarians. The foundation functions exclusively through benefactors’ contributions.

Marta is currently in Lviv, ready to communicate with journalists online and offline. By prior agreement, journalists are welcome to cover the evacuation process.

• animals
• volunteers
• Lviv