Helping Animals and Pet Owners in Ukraine
On Tuesday, March 15, OHS Chief Operating Officer Brian August attended a meeting with animal welfare leaders from around the country to get an update from Humane Society International on efforts to provide assistance to animals and pet owners in Ukraine. The session was hosted by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.
Brian’s report on the meeting is below:
Sadly, the situation is as bad or worse than what we’ve all seen in news reporting over the past several weeks. The situation for the population is dire, and the animal population is similarly impacted – whether it is zoos, wildlife or rescues that sometimes have more than 1,000 animals at a site. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of direct aid that can be provided. Ukrainian organizations are still able to access funds, but without a reliable banking system it is unclear how long they’ll be able to access these.
HSI is working in the region with several other partners, including the Romanian Red Cross. One positive development is that 13 EU member states have lifted or modified their import restrictions on companion animals which is making it a bit easier to evacuate with animals.
I wish I had better news to share, this is weighing heavy on all of us and is frustrating – as an organization we (OHS) pride ourselves on being able to jump in and help and there aren’t a lot of options for action. We will keep monitoring the situation and help in any way we can.
Here are links to organizations that are providing support to the region:
Humane Society International
Greater Good Charities
Two OHS staff members who have family in Eastern Europe also researched these organizations helping pets and people from Ukraine.
Akcja Viva!:
https://viva.org.uk/appeals/viva-poland-ukraine-animal-rescue/
Dolnoslaski Inspektorat Ochrony Zwierzat
https://networkforanimals.org/appeal/ukraine-emergency-update-march-15-1/
Ratujemy zwierzaki
