RESCUE DRIVE ON PETS
A MASSIVE drive is under way to rescue the thousands of pets left behind by people fleeing Ukraine.
While many refugees have crossed the border into Poland with their cats and dogs, animal welfare groups say many more have been abandoned.
The mission comes amid claims that starving Russian soldiers have resorted to eating cats, dogs and rabbits.
Tactical failures by Russian generals have left thousands of troops across Ukraine short of food, ammunition and fuel.
In one shelter alone in Krakow, Poland, 120 rescued dogs are waiting to be rehomed.
Iga Glazewska, Poland director for Humane Society International, said: “At the Polish/ukraine reception points, we’re continuing to see lots of people arriving with their canine or cat companions.
Precious
“These people have run for their lives, taking with them only the most precious things they have – and that includes their beloved pets.
“We’re providing emergency pet food and supplies, including leashes and pet carriers, to make the onward journey more comfortable.”
Disaster response expert Kelly Donithan has travelled from America to help the charity’s relief effort.
She said: “We just don’t know how many abandoned animals there are.
“A lot of people can’t transport their animals, so we are doing what we can to help.”
Vets Leonid Stoynov, 36, and his wife Valentina, 28, have refused to leave the city and are saving animals still trapped in their owners’ homes. They now have more than 95 pets in their clinic and home.
Leonid said: “We bash down doors because we get hundreds of desperate messages on social media begging us to rescue their pets. We send them photos when their animals are safe.”