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HOPEFULL PAWS
We support some amazing Ukrainians who care for thousands of abandoned animals (mainly dogs) when those fleeing had to leave the family pet behind. The shelters also take in animals injured and traumatised by the hostilities and those cruelly mistreated or hit bypassing vehicles.
We are specifically aiding three shelters – two near the front lines in Nikopol and Kherson/Mykolaiv oblast, and one outside Lviv – by providing food, financial aid, neutering medical services. Those courageous local teams who run these shelters have dedicated themselves to caring for abandoned dogs and cats at huge personal risk to themselves (both the Nikopol and Kherson/Mykolaiv shelters are within artillery range of the Front Line and are often shelled). Our commitment is rooted in supporting animals directly within Ukraine, honouring these local teams, and understanding that this approach is now the most practical and effective solution (supporting animals in Ukraine is much more cost effective than trying to seek adoption homes for them in the UK).
Increasingly we are also connecting with veteran rehabilitation programmes and providing the opportunity to leverage the proven therapeutic benefits of being with and caring for an animal. Animals, particularly dogs, can be a powerful gateway for Ukrainian service personnel, medics, and their families to rebuild their shattered lives, address mental health challenges, and rediscover their potential as contributors to a thriving post-war Ukraine. The Kherson/Mykolaiv shelter is already pioneering this approach by building a small accommodation facility for injured service personnel to engage directly with animals, fostering healing and potential adoption.
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LVIV SHELTER
This shelter 15kms west of Lviv houses over 400 dogs – in a dilapidated and very poorly equipped building. With most of the dogs living outside in home made kennels, the conditions are far from ideal. Just keeping the dogs fed adequately is our highest priority.
NIKOPOL SHELTER
On the banks of the Kakhovka reservoir (now empty following the Russians destroying the dam in 2023), this shelter is particularly vulnerable as it can be seen from the Russian lines. Almost every day the area is under artillery attack and some of the poor dogs are extremely traumatised. Again, housing nearly 400 dogs, this old cement factory is poorly equipped but wonderfully staffed by a very small, dedicated team. We need to do all we can do to support them.
MYKOLAIV / KHERSON SHELTER
Run by a terrific woman with a huge heart and a great love of cats & dogs – this smaller shelter (70 dogs & 40 cats) is much better equipped with some recently refurbished buildings and improved facilities with a small medical room and new accommodation for the animals. It also provides a specific building that should be completed at end Summer 2026 that will provide accommodation for up to 12 injured service personnel & their families who are keen to improve their mental health by working alongside the animals with a view to adopting a dog or cat subsequently. A hugely exciting project which we will keep you updated on.
Dnipro Shelter
Maryna’s shelter is 15 kms outside Dnipro – and close to the Front line on the Western bank of the Dnipro River. She and her small team accommodate up to 900 dogs, 3 donkeys and some other assorted animals – in a very run down facility (much of the accommodation is built with old pallets & tarpaulins). Despite these cramped & poor conditions, the team provide huge love & support to their animals and do all they can to provide for them as their (limited) resources allow. Within the walls of the shelter, they also provide separate housing for over a dozen dogs with spinal injuries i.e. no movement in their rear legs so they either drag themselves around on their front feet or are fitted with small, wheeled trollies at their back end. Martyna also runs a successful programme for rehoming dogs abroad with contacts across Europe – but inevitably the management of these transfers are bureaucratic & expensive to expedite. So, any financial support you can provide will be hugely welcomed and put to immediate good use to improve the lives of these abandoned animals.
Odesa Shelters
Ludmilla provides support for 2 x shelters – one in Odesa itself and the other 35 km South of the city. The small compound in the city is essentially the (very small) front garden of a decrepit Soviet style bungalow – and 30 dogs (and a few cats) live alongside the old woman who has rescued them from the streets. They all exist together in her cramped living quarters and in the tiny outside space. The neighbours are constantly harassing her and make her life even more difficult, but she persists and loves (and cares for) the animals as best she can. Ideally, we need to find her another house/facility to ease her burden and provide her with funds to feed the animals.
The second shelter is an hour drive south of the city and is the probably the poorest served dog facility that the Charity supports. Again, it is essentially the rear garden of a semi-detached house, which has been divided into several small compounds. Currently it accommodates around 130 dogs and is run by an old gentleman, well into his 70s and his completely bedridden wife (suffering from terminal cancer, we think?). The man is given offal from the local abattoir which he mixes with some kind of cereal in an old bathtub, which he then heats with a Calor gas stove. These rations are then ‘slopped’ out into a series of bowls, and the dogs have no other option but to eat communally. So, the weaker dogs invariably miss out. This shelter’s needs are on top of our priority list to support – please check out the photos & video to get an idea of the deprivation that the animals suffer here (but better than being on the street – but probably only just).
