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Crisis in Ukraine: How animals are affected by war

From Zoo Animals to Domesticated Cats, Russia’s War On Ukraine Are Just As Affected as People.

By Jenna DeedyPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Crisis in Ukraine: How animals are affected by war
Photo by Wilkins Morales on Unsplash

All across war-torn Ukraine, thousands of animals are enduring a scale of tragedy that remains unfolding. As people continue to make hard decisions about what to take with them across the border, animals are often caught in these heart-wrenching situations. As a rise in shortage of resources increases, many people will have a difficult time caring for their animals to the point of leaving them behind.

The Pets

At two animal shelters owned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, over 11,000 dogs under their care are currently being cared for with food and other supplies while the devastation continues to affect them. One shelter has already been shelled by a Russian attack and local supplies are already running out.

Because of European Union laws requiring fur-parents to have their pets vaccinated, micro-chipped and have rabies tests, many fur babies are being left behind at the border. In response to these sad circumstances, many countries have eased their restrictions and allow refugees to bring their pets with them. It’s already estimated around 1.4 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since the start of the Russian invasion and many families are being forced to only carry whatever is essential to them. This includes their pets.

In Romania and other neighboring countries, local animal rescue groups are working to rescue abandoned animals with hopes of either reuniting them with their families, or getting them adopted out if they can’t be found. In addition, they’re also helping local shelters care for these parentless pets by supplying shelters with pet food, blankets, and vaccines.

The Kyiv Zoo

Domesticated animals aren’t the only ones being affected by the war; for exotic animals are just as affected by it as pets are.

As one of eighteen zoos and aquariums in Ukraine, the Kyiv Zoo, home to over 4,000 animals, is closed to the public amid the ongoing conflict. The zoo currently has 50 zookeepers staying behind in the city to provide comfort and care for their animals. Although the zoo has taken no direct hits, the animals can hear the loud explosives from the insides of their enclosures, causing them to become frightened by the loud sounds.

In response, veterinarians are monitoring the health of their animals while keepers have moved the animals to underground galleries to help minimize stress. The zoo also has electricity, heat, and thankfully, enough food to continue caring for the animals, which includes elephants, giraffes, and a gorilla.

While it’s ideal to move the animals to another facility across the border, zoo officials have stated that it’s almost impossible to do so. Instead, the focus is on raising funds to help maintain food and other supplies to help the keepers and veterinarians who stayed behind to continue caring for the animals.

Other zoos, such as Save Wild Animal Sanctuary, have evacuated their animals to a zoo in Poland where they are currently being cared for.

How to Help?

While flying to Ukraine might be almost impossible for the time being, there are other ways you can help provide care to animals affected by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine:

  • Donate to Four Paws, a rescue organization that helps homeless pets in Ukraine. They also operate a facility for troubled bears.
  • Donate to the World of Owls’ Ukrainian Zoo Crisis fundraiser page.
  • Donate to the Poznan Zoo, the facility that’s currently caring for zoo animals that were evacuated.

Do Not

  • Donate to PETA
  • Donate to Humane Society of the United States

Both groups have anti-zoo agendas that oppose the keeping of animals in human care. The Humane Society of the United States is not associated with local animal shelters of the same name and spends money on advertising what they claim to do and on lobbyists in Washington.

PETA is known for spending its money on NSW-themed advertisements that feature porn stars and other paid celebrity spokespersons, insane publicity stunts, and on the legal fees of extremists charged with animal rights-related crimes. They also have a history of killing most animals under its care. In 2020, PETA killed 66.2 percent of all pets under its care.

Conclusion

With the war on Ukraine continuing, the focus should be on helping refugees, their families, and, of course, helping the animals they love more than anything. While we might not travel to Ukraine to help them, we can send money to ensure people continue to survive and provide care for their beloved animals during this brutal conflict.

wild animals
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About the Creator

Jenna Deedy

Zoo and Aquarium Professional, Educator, Cosplayer, Writer and B.A. in Psychology whose got a lot to share when it comes to animals, zoos, aquariums, conservation, and more.

Instagram: @jennacostadeedy

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