Ukraine
Animal Charities in the Ukraine
All our thoughts and prayers are with the people and animals of the Ukraine. To those in the shelters and rescues, thank you for doing what you’re doing to look after the animals. Things are changing fast as everyone in surrouding countries and further afield scrambles to help and lend a paw. There are desperately sad reports of animal shelters being hit and animals losing their lives, along with some amazing people who stayed to care for them and also who were taking or had just taken food and supplies to rescues. Please everyone stay safe. We are thinking of you all xxx
If you want to adopt an animal from these charities, please check their Facebook pages/websites to see what help they need. The situation in Ukraine is changing too quickly and frequently to post here, so the best thing is to visit their websites and social media pages and keep up to date with their needs that way.
URGENT APPEAL from Breaking the Chains - 29th May to 6th June 2024:
4th June: Breaking the Chains have a match up to $10,000! So every contribution made between 29th May and 6th June 2024 will be DOULBED up to $10,000! They are currently at just over $7,280 (as at 9:30pm on the 3rd June) and there are 3 more days to hit the $10,000! Please donate here, every bit makes a difference to the animals! They are working to help 27 horses who have been abandoned by their owner, and whilst they are trying to arrange for their evacuation, they are trying to make sure that the horses have the food, vitamins and veterinary care that they need.
Also, Breaking the Chains team have been working at speed in dangerous areas to help rescue animals, take in aid, and evacuate. Find out about them and how they started here. They have an appeal for their vehicles which have damage because of the miles they have done and the state of the war-torn roads. So they've launched a vehicle fund so that they can replace their damaged vehicles and get on rescuing animals and delivering essential supplies without interruption. Please donate at their GoFundMe page to help
You can also donate to Breaking the Chains through their website, give monthly through Patreon, sponsor an animal, and adopt a dog (I wanted them all, much to our cat's disgust). They are also working with the Vucjak Shelter in Serbia. And they have information about the different sorts of volunteers they need: vet volunteers (vets and vet nurses), shelter volunteers, ground teams and fosterers. Scoll down their webpages for social media links.
Network for Animals Donations provide critically needed food, shelter, medications and veterinary care. Network for Animals were working with four partners on the ground, including the Animal Guardians Programme, who especially look after street animals.
Warriors of Wildlife have just launched an urgent appeal to buy pet food for the abandoned and homeless cats and dogs in Kherson, Ukraine (29 May 24). They desperateliy need wet cat food and parasite treatment; they have no dry cat or dog food. Please donate here.
They are also on a mission to rescue 5 African lions who will move to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent. The lions are currently at the Wildlife Animal Rescue in Kyiv. Funds are urgently needed to build a rescue centre and transport the lions to the UK. Along with IFAW, the plan is to evacuate the lions quickly. Please donate here.
Since 2016, UAnimals has been promoting the humane treatment of animals and working to protect them from exploitation and abuse. And now, with the war, they are focused on rescuing animals from war zones and temporarily occupied territories. They are bringing food to animals, and evacuating as many as they can, regardless of the difficulties posed by the weather, shelling or destroyed roads. Their Patreon page is here and you can donate through other means including Paypal ([email protected]). Their Facebook page has information on other ways to donate. They take wild animals to Natalia Popova and UAnimals Wild Animal Rescue Center for examination, and where needed, treatment/rehabilitation. They’ve rescued and helped snakes, horses, cats, dogs…. They give regular updates on the work they are doing and it is inspiring. Please visit their Facebook page to find out what they are doing to help.
They have been working in the Ukraine since 1994. In 2022, the Foundation installed 50 drainpipe feeding stations to help provide food for strays in Ukraine around the year. Drains mean that the dogs can't gobble food, and that reduces the chances of potentially deadly bloat. And locals can monitor them and provide locations for feed to be topped up. £15 can help construct, install and fill a draining station. You can donate to this project and other animal welfare projects in Ukraine here. They identified a need to get basic veterinary care to the Polish-Ukrainian border and launched a mission with UK based Dogs on the Street to get the supplies to the border. Read about their Operation #UKrainePaws
Shelter Friend is a non-profitable charity organisation & rehab centre for homeless animals in Dnepr City. It’s currently a refuge place for animals in need from Donbass, Kharkov and South occupied territories and also pets who have been abandoned in the local area by their owners who have fled. Visit their Facebook page to find out about donating, including through Paypal (PayPal - [email protected]) They say adoption is possible to NL, Belgium, Germany, Poland.
ROLDA
ROLDA works to provide humane solutions to the huge homeless dog problem in Romania and cares for over 650 dogs in two shelters in the south east. It's main focus is rescuing, rehabilitation and rehoming animals in need, and giving aid to poor communities and ohter rescuers in Romania - and now in Ukraine. Visit their Facebook page
Andrea Cisterino has a shelter in Kyiv with 450 animals Supplies were able to get through because the Russians left the area.
PETA 's Global Compassion Fund has updates on their work in Ukraine (you may need to scroll down the page when you click through).
Smiling Terrier Rescue
There's also a GoFundMe appeal to help Smiling Terrier Rescue in Ukraine. Helena Von Leben runs the rescue with the help of a friend. The dogs need veterinary treatment and of course to be kept fed and warm over winter. Find out more about the appeal here.
ZOOS AND SANCTUARIES
Feldman Park in east Ukraine, Kharkiv - the team is staying in place, although they have restricted people visiting the Park, according to their Facebook page (30 May 2024) which I supsec means they are not open as a previous posts asks people to refrain from visiting and postpone visits. Visit their Facebook page here (you can use Google Translate to translate).
Kyiv Zoo Please visit their Facebook page for updates. Find out how to donate and support the zoo here.
The EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) has an emergency appeal for Ukrainian zoos and updates (scroll down the page when you click through). Funds raised will be used to help Ukrainian zoos to provide food and care to animals in conditions of relative welfare and safety, and give support for care staff and management at the zoos. The EAZA has direct contact with Myikolayiv Zoo, Kharkiv Zoo and Kyiv Zoo, and indirect contact with other zoos via the Ukrainian Zoo Association and the contacts of its Members. There’s a list of the Ukrainian zoos they are helping here (you need to scroll down)
12 Months Zoo near Kyiv (Demydiv) - help got through and Breaking the Chains have an incredible story about how Tom sat with gorilla John (bars between them) and a keeper gave John his banana. John immediately offered half the banana to Tom
Zoo Poznan in Poland were involved in the evacuation of some animals from the White Bear Shelter near Kyiv and other animals to Spain and Belgium via Poland so please visit their Facebook page for more updates. It looks as though the White Bear Shelter is open again, from their Facebook page (30 May 2024)
For bat lovers, take a look at the Ukranian Bat Rehibilitation Centre and their Facebook page here. Visit them on Instagram On about the 19th May, they took the decision to evacuate the Feldman Ecopark.
Four Paws Bear Sanctuary Domazhyr - Four Paws have 29 rescued bears at their sanctuary in Western Ukraine - it's a project by Four Paws International - and Four Paws say their colleagues there are looking after the bears. Visit them on Facebook:
This Facebook group Ukranian Rescue Appeal has a whole huge amount of information with help for those fleeing Ukraine and more. They have info about individual animals about needing help, requests for transport (not necessarily within the Ukraine) and people willing to help or help needed requests. Amongst those offering help is Zuzu Express Transport who say they have already contacted 2 big shelters in the Ukraine to see if they can help with animal transport out.
Shelter Ugolyok
This is a rescue farm saving animals from Ukraine’s slaughterhouses. Visit them on Instagram and Facebook
Nowzad are also helping in Ukraine, and you can Find out more and donate here
Please also check out Ukraine Animal Rescue Information which is an incredible network of people needing/wanting and offering help, more on an individual basis per animal/owner, and Help Animals Ukraine
HORSES
There's the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation who are reigstered in Belgium and who are aiming to help the Ukrainian equestrian community during the crisis. There are over 100,000 horses in Ukraine and many have been caught up in the war with no opportunity to flee and seek safety, and without shelter and care. The Foundation is working hard to help, and give these horses the hope of a better future. Donations of food, hay, bedding, rugs, and all sorts of things to help the horses can be made. You can donate here. Their website is here
I will keep adding more as I find them.
All prayers and thoughts are with the people and animals of the Ukraine, and that includes the wildlife who will inevitably suffer as well as a result of such destruction.