Some of the people who left Kyiv due to Putin’s war had to leave their pets behind. Dmitry Revnyuk chose to remain. A neighbor who had fled asked him to rescue their cat.
He busted down the door, and the cat was so happy it climbed up him and hugged him. He and his wife decided to create an organization to save the pets left behind.
Now there are many groups of volunteers, as well as a Google form that people can fill out to get help for their pets.
There are three rescue options; the owner gets to choose. (Computer translation.)
With the first option, volunteers drill a small hole in the door or wall. Food and water are poured through a tube to the animal.
The second option is a pet-sized hole. It is made either in the door itself or in the wall nearby. This option is much better, because the animal can leave the apartment. Then it is passed on to neighbors, relatives or friends.
The third way, which occurs only with a video feed for the owner of the apartment, is to break the door or the lock itself.
"We go into the apartment, take the animal's belongings: a carrier, litter box, food. Then we close the apartment so that no one else gets in there," Maria said.
Some owners have also mailed them their house keys.
They have an Instagram where there are videos offering tips on topics such as how to remove a peephole and pour food and water through it, how to make an opening large enough for the animal to come through, and how to do this without scaring a cat so much it won’t come out.
Article here, with lots of photos. (There’s a photo of a bird they were too late to rescue at the very end. Don’t scroll all the way down if you want to avoid seeing it.)
They have saved hundreds of dogs and cats so far.
Friday, Mar 25, 2022 · 6:25:00 PM +00:00 · randym77
Zoo Patrol doesn’t seem to be asking for donations, at least from people outside of Kyiv, but here are some organizations that are helping animals in Ukraine, and are accepting donations. Courtesy of EmmaJill in the comments:
there is also a web site with merchandise for sale which donates food for rescue animals with each purchase, and on which you can make direct donations to charitable causes, including helping those in ukraine:
DailyKos’ Ukraine ActBlue also includes an animal charity.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a worldwide leader in animal rescue and emergency care. IFAW partnered with animal shelters in Ukraine following the 2014 Russian invasion and is providing emergency aid while the shelter’s staff have remained in place to care for their animals.
According to their website, they are in desperate need of help. They are not allowed to cook food for the dogs, because it might draw shelling, so they need to buy dry dog food.