Animal welfare organisation reports on "exhausted and concussed" pets evacuated from Oleshky
Animal rights organisation UAnimals currently cares for 87 animals evacuated from temporarily occupied Oleshky. Among them are exhausted cats and dogs, including those with concussions and suspected tumours.
Source: UAnimals, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda
Details: Veterinarians are waiting for examination results before prescribing treatment.
They said the animals had endured a long and difficult journey. In the Ukrainian-controlled territory, the team met them at night, transferred them to special transport and delivered them to veterinary clinics. Some cats and dogs arrived frightened, exhausted and dirty.
Quote from UAnimals: "We ensured that immediately upon arrival at the clinics, the animals were placed in warm, dry rooms under the supervision of veterinarians. They were given food and water."
Details: Some of the evacuated people travelled in buses with their pets, so they headed to hospitals together. However, the animals also needed check-ups, so on 1 and 2 November, the UAnimals team collected almost all the cats and dogs and took them to veterinary clinics.
In the hospitals, organisation representatives spoke with people who did not yet know if their pets had made it and in what condition they were.
Quote from Anastasiia Heichuk, head of the rescue department at UAnimals: "When I entered the wards, the first thing people asked was where their animals were. They didn't yet know if they had arrived, if they were alive, or what condition they were in. For some, I was the first person they could talk to about their animals after arriving.
There were people who left with almost no belongings but took their pets with them. And even in the hospital, when they themselves needed help, their first priority was to find out what had happened to their pets."
Details: The rescued animals are currently in six veterinary clinics. Among them are weakened cats and dogs, as well as animals with concussions. Some need dental treatment, while others have been scheduled for further examinations due to suspected tumours or hernias. One animal will likely require surgery.
Veterinarians are waiting for test results to confirm diagnoses and determine the further course of treatment.
Quote from UAnimals: "Most of the animals have families and will be able to return to them. Others will go to shelters."
Details: The organisation covers the costs of the animals' care and treatment. It has not launched a separate fundraiser for this mission. Meanwhile, those wishing to support its work can do so with a donation or by subscribing to the Animal Rescuers Club.
Background:
- The mission to evacuate residents of Oleshky ended on 31 October. People were taken out of the occupied city by bus and then flown to Belarus. From there, the Ukrainians reached Ukrainian-controlled territory by crossing the border in Chernihiv Oblast.
- According to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, people brought their pets with them, including dogs, cats, a parrot, and even a raccoon. Special transport with cages was organised for the animals.
Read also: Ukraine's human rights chief provides details about people evacuated from Oleshky: oldest is 94
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