Heartbreaking Photos Show Ukrainians Clinging To Their Pets As They Flee

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As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee their country, many are refusing to leave without their pets by their side. Across social media, photos have popped up of people and their animals attempting uncertain border crossings or huddling in bomb shelters and subway stations.


According to recent reports, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are allowing Ukrainians to bring pets across borders without veterinary paperwork. However, there are still many animals in Ukraine in need of food, medicine and care. Heroic volunteers and shelter workers are staying behind in the face of missile strikes to care for these homeless animals.

It’s hard not to feel powerless in times of crisis, but there are ways to help Ukrainian pets and their families — as well as the shelter animals with nowhere else to go. Here are some organizations that need your support to help the animals of Ukraine:

UAnimals is collecting donations to support animal shelters left with dwindling food and supplies due to the Russian invasion. So far, they have sent assistance to a growing list of shelters across Ukraine, including Give A Paw, Chance for Life, Pif and Sirius. “Volunteers in shelters and rehabilitation centers will never abandon their animals and will stand until the last,” reads a Facebook post. To help UAnimals, make a donation here.


This nonprofit supports shelter animals in Ukraine and promotes the humane treatment of stray animals. They are currently working on collecting information regarding shelters’ conditions and urgent needs. “According to our data, all animals are alive and there is food for the next few days. The biggest problem is that no delivery service is currently able to deliver the necessary food and groceries to the shelters. And also in the absence of fuel for vehicles and the possibility in some regions to withdraw cash or calculate a grocery card,” they wrote in a recent post on Facebook. To help Happy Paw, you can make a donation here.

This animal rescue and farm sanctuary in Ukraine is building up a wartime food reserve for their hundreds of animals and is currently facing difficulty transporting supplies so close to the bombings. To help Shelter Ugolyok, you can make a donation via PayPal (pawsofhelp@outlook.com), Venmo (pawsofhelp) and Fundrazr or Patreon.

For over 20 years, Sirius has been caring for stray animals in Kyiv and its suburbs. As one of the largest animal shelters in Ukraine, they need all the support they can get. “We are in place. We are not going to run! We must believe in our country and our defenders!” Sirius wrote in a recent Instagram post. You can make a donation on their website.

Casa lui Patrocle

This Romanian nonprofit has been advocating for animals since 2016, and is now at the border making sure that no family crossing over from Ukraine has to leave their pet behind. Volunteers with this organization are working to find housing, shelter and veterinary assistance for animals in need of help — regardless of species. You can make a donation to Casa lui Patrocle here.

Andrea Cisternino and his wife, Vlada Shalutko, have been advocating for stray animals in Ukraine since 2009, and run an animal refuge outside of Kyiv. They continue to care for hundreds of homeless dogs, cats and farm animals in the midst of military activity. You can donate to the animal refuge here.

Source: Thedodo.com

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