how IFAW is helping animals and people during the Ukraine crisis

The first-ever Ukrainian Animal Protection Award was presented to 20 volunteers who saved the lives of animals during the war in Ukraine. The ceremony, initiated by UAnimals and Humane State, took place in one of the bomb shelters in Kyiv on 2 February 2023.   

"This award is our way of thanking the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who, amid shelling and under occupation, continue to save animals: dogs and cats, cows and sheep, tigers and lions,” says Oleksandr Todorchuk, a soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, founder of UAnimals, and founder of the awards.  

Anyone could nominate volunteers, including those working at civil society organizations, shelter staff, veterinarians, or animal activists. The final list of 20 recipients was determined by an expert jury, which included Céline Sissler-Bienvenu, programme director for IFAW’s disaster response work in Europe.  

“So many people have stepped up to help Ukrainian people and animals in need during the war—it is truly heartwarming,” says Sissler-Bienvenu. “IFAW also supports volunteers, shelters, and other organizations in Ukraine and neighboring countries with emergency funds for food, shelter, supplies, and veterinary care. It is wonderful that there is national recognition for the brave and compassionate actions of these people.”  

Before the war, there were an estimated 100,000 horses living in Ukraine. But since the war began, many of those horses have been displaced, killed due to bombing and shelling, and died of hunger or injuries; the current number of horses in Ukraine is unknown. The threats they face are now exacerbated by the harsh winter conditions.  

In response, IFAW has granted Ukrainian Equestrian Charity Foundation (UECF) US$50,000 to support the production and delivery of special feed and the distribution of hay to horse owners in the Mykolaiv region. In the past two months, the grant has enabled the delivery of 75 tonnes of hay on nine trucks, which, together with 40 tonnes of compound feed, has helped keep more than 150 equines in 15 stables alive.   

“Because of constant shelling, mined fields, lack of fuel, and financial resources, the stables in the regions were not able to harvest hay and source the compound feed. Blackouts added a problem with electricity and water supply,” says Mykhaylo Parkhomchuk, founder and CEO of UECF.  

“With support from IFAW, we have helped all stables that we could identify in the region, such as shelters, riding schools, stables specializing in breeding and training of horses, and small home stables with just a couple of ponies or horses. The feedback that we have received from the horse owners gives us confidence that this kind of systemic large-scale approach to aid equines is efficient and much needed. We are incredibly grateful to the IFAW for their continued and valued support of the UECF project for Mykolaiv.” 

The UECF was established in Belgium on 28 February 2022, with the aim of helping the Ukrainian equestrian community during and after the war. Its efforts include distribution of horse feed and hay to stables, relocation of horses from dangerous regions to safer areas in Ukraine, opening evacuation shelter stables, and providing veterinary supplies and services to Ukrainian equines. 

With the arrival of winter in Ukraine, we at IFAW are expanding our efforts by partnering up with Mykolaiv Red Cross and Nova Ukraine to provide mattresses, blankets and insulated houses for cats and dogs, as well as food for animals of families in need and free home visits by veterinary specialists. We’ll first focus on animals whose owners’ homes have been destroyed, those staying in shelters and those with injuries from the war.

We know that by helping animals, we are also helping the people who love them. We are proud to team up with local organizations in Ukraine to make a greater impact for the animals and people in need.

Four lion cubs and a black leopard cub survived recent drone attacks and sporadic bombings in Kyiv followed by the journey to Poland from their war-torn birthplace in Ukraine. The four lion cubs then completed the final leg of their journey, arriving at their forever home —The Wildcat Sanctuary (TWS) in the United States. The black leopard cub was transported from Poznań Zoo in Poland to a wildlife rescue center in France called Tonga Terre d’Accueil. IFAW was proud to fund the rescue, transport and care for these soon-to-be big cats.

According to their permits, all of the cubs were born at breeding facilities in Ukraine and surrendered to animal rescue organizations, Vet Crew in Odesa and Wild Animal Rescue in Kyiv, after local officials started to enforce laws on the exotic pet trade in Ukraine. 

“An estimated 200 lions live in private homes and as the war rages on, they face increasingly grim outcomes,” says Meredith Whitney, Wildlife Rescue Program Manager at IFAW. 

When the war began in Ukraine, rescued bats quietly hibernated at the Ukrainian Independent Ecology Institute’s Bat Rehabilitation Center in Kharkiv. Despite shelling and heavy artillery, the dedicated biologists and veterinarians at the Institute managed to rehabilitate and release more than 3,000 bats belonging to nine species between February and April, with support from IFAW.

The Institute has rescued injured and orphaned bats in Ukraine for over 20 years, and the war hasn’t stopped them.

Due to the presence of Russian troops and shelling near the Institute’s usual release site this year, staff decided to release the bats near a river at sunset—that would allow the bats to use the river to help them navigate to nearby forests. All 3,287 bats were released safely back to the wild.

The staff at the Institute fully understood the risks involved in remaining in Kharkiv during the war. They decided to continue to rescue and care for bats as long as utilities were running, and stores stayed open.

Bats play an essential role in pest control, plant pollination and seed dispersal. They eat more than 70% of their weight in insects each night, making them a natural pesticide for agricultural crops. They are also an important prey species for other animals such as owls and snakes. With the alarming decline in biological diversity, bats need to be protected so they can help other flora and fauna survive and flourish.

Veronika Herasymenko, a veterinary surgeon who treated thousands of pets of refugees from Ukraine arriving in Poland this year, is now joining IFAW as our new Rescue Operations Coordinator in Ukraine.

With experience in primary emergency and surgical care of domestic animals, from 2014 until the start of the war in Ukraine, Veronika co-owned and co-managed a veterinary clinic called Darsolina in Kharkiv. When the city of Kharkiv and her mother’s house were shelled, she was forced to move her family to Lviv, where they continue to reside. 

Read her full story here. 

As part of its multi-year commitment to animals in Ukraine, IFAW started a project in partnership with the Ukrainian Small Animals Veterinary Association to support veterinary services for pet owners in Ukraine. The project aims to vaccinate and chip 20,000 and sterilize 4,000 pets from displaced and resident families at veterinary posts in four key cities—Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Odessa. These services, made possible by generous donations from BNP Paribas’ Rescue & Recover Fund and Anicom Holdings Inc., will be provided for free to meet the needs of many pet owners who do not have sufficient funds.

"The war did not stop us from doing our work,” says Dr. Vladlen Ushakov, President of USAVA. "Animals continue to get sick and need medical treatment, regardless of external circumstances. We are therefore very grateful for IFAW’s support in helping us to continue to take care of animals in need."

Since the start of the projects, the number of participating veterinary clinics has grown from four to eleven. As Forkun Valeriya Igorivna, founder of TRUST, a 24-hour veterinary clinic, explains: “Some people have had to leave their homes, and some lost their property altogether. Almost every family has relatives who are currently at the front. Despite the circumstances, people do not leave their animals but evacuate together with them, in makeshift carriers. It's inspiring and we want to support such owners. This is our opportunity to help people keep their animals healthy.”

The program also helps prevent the already-large stray animal populations in Ukraine from growing further. These populations are vulnerable to outbreaks of diseases that can spread to wildlife and humans. The only way to curtail population growth is by ensuring animals are vaccinated, chipped and sterilized.

In Ukraine, it is not common practice to get pets sterilized or to go to a veterinary clinic for vaccinations and chipping. So USAVA started a public campaign to inform people of the program via city administrations, news outlets, social media and advertising on the streets and at key public transportation points. They also launched a website where people can find more information on why it is important to protect their pets.

The campaign has proved successful thus far: In the first two months, we have been able to help 3,794 animals with 1,414 vaccinations, 1,739 chips and 641 sterilizations.

As IFAW passes the six-month mark of giving aid to animals and people in Ukraine, we are actively expanding our efforts. To date, we have issued 63 grants worth a total of over US$1M to local organizations. That money has helped more than 75,000 companion and wild animals. Here are a few examples of what local grantees have done with funds from IFAW: 

Feed 6,000 pets. U-Hearts Foundation was one of IFAW’s first grant recipients in Ukraine. With the funds, U-Hearts purchased 20 tons of pet food, which they’ve been distributing across the country.

Transport 3,873 animals and 9,057 people. Enjoying Life is a humanitarian organization that works with suppliers to ensure fuel will be available for evacuation routes amid fuel shortages in Ukraine. When some transporters were unable to evacuate pets along with their families, Enjoying Life organized transport that could include animals and provided people in need with carriers and animal food. IFAW gave the organization funding to cover the cost of fuel and supplies.

Buy animal carriers and pet food. Save the Dogs has been helping animals impacted by the Ukraine war in various ways. Earlier in the year, the organization had staff posted at the Isaccea border crossing handing out pet food, leashes, and collars to refugees arriving from Ukraine—many of whom carried their cats and dogs in their arms or tucked into their jackets. Funding from IFAW helped the organization buy animal carriers, along with 223 tons food, which they have distributed to refugees struggling to feed their pets.

Care for ill and senior dogs. Shelter Sotnitskoe cares for many chronically ill and senior dogs that were abandoned in Ukraine. With the help of an IFAW grant, the shelter was able to hire refugee workers who had lost their homes and means of survival during the war. The funding also supported the purchase of animal food, supplies and veterinary care.

Thanks to overwhelming support from people around the world, IFAW’s work and that of our partners continues to make a difference for the animals and people impacted by the war in Ukraine.

IFAW has provided $940,776.74 in grant funding since we first deployed to Ukraine. One of our grant recipients, U-Hearts Foundation, used their grant to purchase 20 tons of pet food they’ve been distributing across Ukraine. To date, the grant has been used to help more than 6,000 animals. 

One of those animals was a young dog named Dobby. 

When the shelling started in Chernihiv, where Dobby lived with her family, she was terrified. Along with the loud noise and chaos of the shelling, the conflict separated her family. One of Dobby’s owners left to defend Ukraine as part of their armed forces; the kids were sent to a relative's house in a safer village in Ukraine. Dobby was left with her other owner, who stayed behind to care for her. The conflict took a heavy toll on Dobby—living in constant fear had made her behavior unpredictable and even harmed her health. 

When her family contacted U-Hearts Foundation for help with Dobby, the staff there encountered barrier after barrier trying to get her the support she needed: endless shelling, power outages, internet outages. Communication was sometimes impossible, but U-Hearts Foundation persisted. Thanks to their dedication, Dobby's health improved over time, although the effects of the trauma she’s suffered haven’t gone away entirely. 

Dobby’s owner was so grateful to U-Hearts Foundation that she’s even paying it forward by helping other pet owners. She takes Dobby with her as she distributes pet food and other goods to families in Chernihiv—adding two new faces to U-Hearts Foundation’s volunteer force! 

Veterinarian Andrew Kushnir recently returned from IFAW’s “blue tent” at the Ukraine-Poland border where he volunteered for several weeks. Andrew is of Ukrainian heritage—his father’s family fled Ukraine during World War II. When the devastating war began this past February, he thought of his father and all the people of Ukraine. And as a vet, he thought of the animals. 

Teaming up with IFAW’s responders, Andrew provided much-needed vet care to cats, dogs and other animals crossing into Poland with their owners. As Andrew explains, “We’re helping people through animals. That’s what we’re doing.”

See more of Andrew’s story below.

Veterinarian Andrew Kushnir recently returned from IFAW’s “blue tent” at the Ukraine-Poland border where he volunteered for several weeks. Andrew is of Ukrainian heritage—his father’s family fled Ukraine during World War II. When the devastating war began this past February, he thought of his father and all the people of Ukraine. And as a vet, he thought of the animals. 

Teaming up with IFAW’s responders, Andrew provided much-needed vet care to cats, dogs and other animals crossing into Poland with their owners. As Andrew explains, “We’re helping people through animals. That’s what we’re doing.”

See more of Andrew’s story below.

Our time at the so-called “blue tent” came to an end on Sunday 15 May. For two months, we’ve had the honor of helping thousands of animals, and their people, who crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a steady decline in the number of people and animals crossing the border, and we already see some people returning to Ukraine.  

IFAW continues to send food and supplies to relief workers and other organizations going into Ukraine, and to grant emergency funds to support animals in need. Our two IFAW-supported Ukrainian veterinarians also continue to assist refugees and their pets entering Poland via the Przemyśl train station. Moreover, we have outlined a multi-year project plan focused on our continued support of current and ongoing emergency needs, as well as recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

We are able to do all this thanks to the enormous generosity we received during the Ukraine crisis. To learn more about how many animals we have been able to help to date, how we distribute funds raised, and our next steps, please read this FAQ about our work.

IFAW’s Shannon Walajtys recently appeared on CNN International’s “First Move with Julia Chatterley” to discuss IFAW’s work helping refugees and animals impacted by the war in Ukraine.  

At several border crossing points along the Ukrainian-Polish border, refugee welcome centers have been set up. Every day, thousands of refugees come in who need a place to stay overnight, before continuing their journey into Poland and from there other neighboring countries. Our team has visited several of these border crossings, supporting the local veterinary teams and distributing water, pet food, harnesses and carriers to refugees who have fled Ukraine with their pets. Here are some of their stories. 

In Korczowa, we meet Iuliia as she sits on a cot in the refugee center. She tells us that she escaped the bombing in Kyiv and is hoping to bring her eight-year-old Pomeranian, Hugo Boss to the United States, where she has family. IFAW emergency responders Jennifer and Shannon help advise her on the process for getting Hugo Boss the correct vaccinations and paperwork for an “owned dog” importation permit. 

At the border crossing in Medyka, our team finds Tania sitting outside in the cold. Tania left the war-torn Kyiv region with her 10-year-old daughter and one-and-a-half-year-old Pomeranian, Mikaela, who she calls her “best friend.” While talking to us, Tania is overcome with emotion trying to explain why she had to leave Ukraine. We stay with her for a while, give her some dog food for Mikaela and wish her well on her way to Germany. 

At another location, we meet a family with a little dog called Lala, sporting a small ponytail and sitting wrapped in a pink blanket. The family is at the border crossing trying to figure out how to get to a pet-friendly shelter. Apart from Lala, they have two other dogs with them and at least three cats. Part of the family has stayed with the animals, while the others are looking for a place to stay for the night. 

And then there was Bono, who our team met while taking the train from Przemyśl to Kraków. Bono’s owner is from Kyiv and on her way to Kraków to stay with family. She left her home because of the war, and her husband stayed behind to fight. She is understandably very sad and luckily has Bono with her to provide some comfort. The team sees that she doesn’t want to put him down on the seat beside her because Bono is a bit dirty from the travel, and she explains that someone else might want to sit down. One of our team members gives her an old black t-shirt so that Bono has a little bed for the duration of the train ride. He falls asleep soon after, while his owner tells us that he’s been very nervous from all the bombs going off and hasn’t been sleeping well. We feel that this train is probably the first quiet place they’ve gotten to in quite some time.  

There are many, many more stories like these. All people and families trying to get to a safe place, together with their loved ones—including of the furry kind. We are so thankful to be able to make even the slightest difference for some of these animals and people in their time of need. 

Both of our partner shelters in Ukraine confirmed that they have received initial emergency funds from us. This first grant will cover pet food, veterinary supplies and wages for daily care staff. They are still able to purchase supplies locally, but we know that will not last. We continue to collaborate with our partners in an effort to source supplies within the country and from neighboring countries. 

A message from our shelter partner: “Our dogs are very scared. Many do not leave [their dog houses]. [Indoor] dogs do not go outside. We are without rest and breaks at the shelter. It's very difficult for us right now. We are grateful to everyone. We really want peace. We are extremely tired mentally and physically. You are there and we feel it. THANKS! 10,000 times THANK YOU to everyone!” 

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your generosity and concern. Thank you for your support and encouragement as we continue to help where we are needed most during this crisis.