Securing Food and Homes for 3,000 of Ukraine’s Displaced Pets
February 24 marked the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine over the past 12 months, and while some have returned, the United Nations has called it the biggest humanitarian disaster since World War II. Peace Winds has dispatched 11 staff to Ukraine’s neighboring countries of Poland and Moldova. In addition to direct humanitarian aid to displaced families, Peace Winds has been working to care for the thousands of animals who also have been abandoned during the conflict.
Among the most heart-wrenching decisions evacuees are facing, in addition to fleeing their homes, is what to do with their companion animals. After all, the devastating impact of missiles and bombs is not only hazardous to humans. While staying behind to care for animals is not a safe or practical option, regulations regarding non-commercial movement of pets into EU countries, which include vaccinations and microchipping, has made relocating pets difficult. Thankfully, some EU countries such as Poland and Romania have relaxed those rules to accommodate refugee families with pets, but many animals are still getting left behind.
Amid this complex landscape, Peace Winds has made efforts not only to help get people and animals out safely but also to provide care for those animals who have been left behind in Ukraine. To date, Peace Winds’ rescue program has saved more than 3,000 abandoned pets. The program’s aim is first and foremost to save animals who have been abandoned, deliver them to shelters, and, where possible, find new families to care for them. So far, Peace Winds has secured new homes for 105 dogs and 75 cats.
Peace Winds has also administered more than 8,500 veterinary treatments, including some 850 vaccinations, and has provided more than 66,000 lbs of pet food. Pet food is delivered to owners and carers at various locations in northern Ukraine and elsewhere. Hundreds of residents line up to receive the pet food to give to animals, many of whom are strays.
In June 2022, one elderly woman told a Peace Winds staffer handing out the food that she was caring for around 20 stray cats. The sheer volume of people lining up to receive the food is a clear indicator of the level of concern among the Ukrainian people for their pets, and Peace Winds continues efforts to ease those concerns.
Your donation goes a long way to help Ukrainian refugees with daily needs along with the needs of their pets, including veterinary visits. Please help save the lives of companion animals and their carers in Ukraine and Japan by making a donation. Thank you.