Doracocker

Home should be our sanctuary – the only place where we can feel safe and untouched by the world’s conflicts and upheavals. But how can you feel safe when you hear the sound of rockets and explosives blasting the walls of your living space around the clock?

This devastating situation is not just a hypothetical circumstance, but a reality for the people and animals of Ukraine. A country that is home to 35% of Europe’s biodiversity and 6% of the continent’s landmass could turn into an ecological tragedy if the situation only worsens.

Moreover, the situation for captive domestic and wild animals looks even bleaker. While humans, unfortunately, have to migrate or hide in safer underground burrows, these animals have no choice. According to one estimate, there were around 750 000 dogs and 5.5 million cats in Ukraine in 2014. In the desperate rush to flee the war, many of these animals, especially the larger breeds of dogs, have been left without owners.

 

Dilemma on pets

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. As they prepare to leave, they face the extremely difficult moral and emotional dilemma of leaving their pets behind.

Some owners fight tooth and nail to ensure that their four-legged companions accompany them when they leave home. For example, Rishab, a software engineering student trapped in Kyiv, categorically refused to leave the war-torn country without his pet Malibo. Fortunately, their mission was successful and they reached Dehradun safely.

However, not everyone was lucky and some pet owners were forced to take the difficult decision to leave their beloved four-legged friends behind. Such a verdict is not and cannot be easy, but in the face of war, nothing is easy or comforting.

However, the animals cannot understand why their owners, whom they have served loyally, leave them on the wrong side of the border when they emigrate to other countries. These abandoned four-legged animals have to struggle to survive on their own: struggling to find food, shelter, and safety. The cold season and the harsh weather make the situation even worse.

Thousands of cats and dogs are currently abandoned on the streets of Ukraine. And while there are animal shelters and charities dedicated to taking in and rehoming homeless animals, the shelters are overcrowded and food supplies, which are needed to feed a large number of four-legged animals daily, are dwindling fast. Thus, over time, and if the current situation does not change for the better, animals will starve to death, if not as a result of the ongoing conflict.

 

It’s hard to help animals in Ukraine

In a country ravaged by war, many animals have died or escaped when heavy artillery and other weapons hit animal shelters. Sheltering pets panic at the sound of sirens and bombs, and are convulsed or otherwise injured in the moments of attacks. “A visit by Uanimals volunteers to one shelter in Kyiv found more than 300 dead dogs that had spent weeks without food or water. Russian soldiers starved the animals to death, leaving them trapped in cages for almost a month during constant bombardments.

Another animal welfare service reported that Ukrainian animal shelters are finding it extremely difficult to obtain supplies. The biggest problem is that not all the aid collected for animals reaches them. CBS News reported on 14 March that volunteers in Poland are collecting aid in the form of food and other supplies for four-legged animals in Ukraine. Unfortunately, during this noble mission, at least three people were killed while trying to deliver the donations to the shelter.

The Foundation’s program, Chornobyl Dogs, provided food and medical care to hundreds of stray dogs living in the vicinity of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant during the national emergency. The program’s veterinary medical director and board member said that since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, staff has only been able to feed about 70 four-legged animals. “We are running out of food,” said Dr. Jennifer Betz. “We don’t have access to food for them because it’s just too dangerous. Roads are blocked, bridges are blown up and the situation is just crazy.”

 

Beloved pets left at the border

When the war broke out, refugees couldn’t comply with the rules on bringing pets into the EU and the UK, as they must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian for the animal. Countries hosting migrants require animals to be vaccinated and microchipped and to have a rabies antibody test. Unfortunately, many pets do not meet these requirements. This has led many loving owners to say goodbye to their pets, leaving them alone in an unsafe environment.

Because of the current critical situation, some countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland have reacted by relaxing the requirements. More and more countries are following suit to allow Ukrainian refugees to immigrate with their loyal friends.

So while conditions are not always favorable for pet dogs and cats, there are public calls not to abandon their animals. Like people fleeing war, four-legged animals are also stressed and frightened. Their safety depends directly on their guardians. On social networks, people are moved by stories and images of animal owners walking long distances with their pets in their arms.

 

Only an end to war would stop the suffering

Ukraine’s war with Russia has revealed the deep connection we all have with animals and the desire to protect them more effectively in the face of conflicts and disasters. The war has profoundly changed the lives not only of civilians but also of pets. The worst thing is that animals are unable to take full care of themselves. So to be left behind in a war-torn country with severe shortages of food, water, and shelter, and constant bombing causing various traumas means little chance of survival. “In this desperate situation, the founder of Uanimals argues that the only way to stop the suffering of animals can be to stop the suffering of humans and to stop the senseless war that is costing so many lives. Only an end to the war would stop the suffering