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Here I am in Ukraine, with a Polish veterinary team from the Ada Foundation – an animal clinic and hospital located near the Ukrainian border in Poland. We are traveling in a convoy of two animal ambulances loaded with food and medical supplies. The team’s mission is to help the homeless pets of the war.
Overcrowded shelters
We got to Hope Ranch, a small shelter run by Anya Zhuk, located on the outskirts of Lviv. When the team starts to unload several bags of donated food, I feel like a friendly cat rubs my leg. “It’s one of the cats from the east,” Anya says, referring to the animals that came from the war zone. Volunteers from all over Ukraine risk their lives to bring homeless and orphaned cats west, to relatively safe shelters like Anya.
The team unloads plastic cat carriers, while five rescued cats fight and prepare for evacuation to Poland. “In order for us to be able to bring them across the border, the Polish authorities require each cat to be fitted with an electronic chip and to have vaccination papers,” says Cesar Kotovic, my driver and trip coordinator. One by one, each cat is carefully placed in a soft bed and blanket for a long journey to safety and a new life.
We also visit the Asylum of Mercy, where Natalia Kuznetsova tells us that she has taken in hundreds of cats since the war began. The phone rings nonstop. “A shelter with 50 cats called me yesterday in dire need of our help,” she adds. But with all the fighting going on in the Donetsk region, it is dangerous for them to leave. We’re trying to find them help.”
Ukraine has a very large number of cats estimated at 7 million, and most of them are pets. “Ukrainians love cats,” Yaroslav Koval tells me. Yaroslav was forced to flee from his small town Chernihiv at the beginning of the war, and could not take his pets. “My two cats have been there for a month under bombardment. Luckily the neighbor who stayed behind is checking them in. They are my kids.”
Since the war began, the Ada Foundation has treated more than 500 cats. More arrives every day. (Written a month after the start of the war. – ed.)
“Cats from Ukraine lack prophylactic treatment,” says veterinarian Jakub Kotovich. “Internal diseases like cat scratch fever, FIV, FeLV, are a big problem for them.”
Dealing with trauma
According to Dr. Kotowicz, all cats from Ukraine have one thing in common. “They are suffering from severe stress and psychological trauma due to the deafening sounds of war,” he says. “The loneliness, the sudden changes in their environment, the difficulty of long-distance transportation is very difficult for them.”
To help Ukrainian cats cope with trauma, his foundation recently built a specialized cat treatment center. “Cats’ behavior is much more complex than it is in dogs,” says Dr. Kotowicz. “Once the cats are physically healed, we move them here, where our professional behavioral specialists can work to heal these patients from the trauma of war. Restoring their mental health is the last step before they can be adopted.”
Dr. Kotowicz describes the first time he traveled to Ukraine to capture animals. “When I participated in our first convoy to Ukraine, I was very touched. Tears were flowing,” he says. “I am very grateful to all the Ukrainian shelters and volunteers who have at times risked their lives to save these vulnerable animals. The Ada Foundation is committed to being a part of the healing process for as long as possible.”
How can you help
Here at Catster we love all animals, and we are so sad to see all the beloved pets that have been displaced or struggling with their people in Ukraine trying to flee towards safety.
Several organizations have stepped up to help animals in Ukraine. Here are some examples:
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) She donated $150,000 in emergency funds to international animal welfare efforts in response to the urgent needs of animals and pet owners affected by war.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) It works with local partners to obtain supplies for wildlife reserves and animal shelters in Ukraine.
American Animal Welfare He authorized two emergency grants to assist the Fund’s efforts.
The charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) I made a donation of $100,000 from Merck Animal Health To support veterinary and animal care groups in Ukraine and surrounding areas, and then match them with a $100,000 grant.
But it is not just organizations. Several American veterinarians traveled to Ukraine to offer their assistance. Below are stories from three of them. You can follow their journeys and find organizations they recommend supporting.
Dr. Marty Becker, founder of Fear Free Pets, made his own expenses and headed to the Ukraine-Romania border, where he worked closely with Romanian Rescue Sava safe haven He helped provide care for pets in a tent that houses veterinary services, using fear-free techniques he devised. Learn more at drmartybecker.com.
Colorado-based vet John Geller headed to a Romanian border crossing with Ukraine, where he was able to set up a government-approved, licensed veterinary clinic in a large tent provided at the border station, caring primarily for refugee pets allowing them to continue traveling across Europe. Dr. Geller has added the Project Ukraine initiative to his existing nonprofit, The Street Dog Coalition, which provides free pet veterinary services to people experiencing homelessness. Learn more through thestreetdogcoalition.org.
Dr. Gary Weitzman, veterinarian and president of the San Diego Humane Society, collected medical supplies and spent 10 days in a pop-up clinic on the Polish-Ukrainian border with the goal of caring for as many animals as possible during that time. Period of time. Together with a group of German volunteers, they provided food, supplies and first aid to the animals. Learn more about his journey by doing a search for “Ukraine” in sdhumane.org.
It is impossible to list all the individuals and organizations that help people and pets in Ukraine. We ask our readers to tell us about anything they’ve come across, and we’ll add them to a list catster.com. Just email us at catstermag@belvoir.com.
Learn more about Ada’s lifesaving work on Facebook Tweet embed.
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