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'Animals are traumatised too': Pet rescuers under fire in Ukraine
The article follows Ukrainian pet-rescue groups operating near front lines under threat from Russian attacks. It describes a February drone strike on a Zaporizhzhia shelter, ongoing evacuations and care for animals, and the risks faced by volunteers and frontline workers.
Why It Matters
It shows how war affects animals and the people who help them, highlighting civilian humanitarian efforts and the moral toll of conflict.
Timeline
6 Events
Hachiko Foundation operations and frontline risks
April 25, 2026
Nate Mook says rescuers have had to use drone detectors and anti-drone netting, relocate where dangerous, and that the Hachiko Foundation runs about 150 feeding stations along the front line.
Sumy region farmer evacuated with 11 goats
April 25, 2026
A special police unit helped a farmer in the Sumy region under bombardment to leave with his 11 goats, illustrating support for animal-keepers amid shelling.
Ongoing pet evacuations and welfare work across Ukraine
April 25, 2026
The piece describes pet evacuations to shelters or adoptive homes, neutering programs to control stray populations, and evacuations that also help owners who cannot travel with their pets.
February 2026: Drone attack on Zaporizhzhia shelter
February 2026
A Russian drone struck the Give a Paw, Friend shelter in Zaporizhzhia during a February morning, killing more than a dozen animals sheltered there. The shelter’s steel entrance door likely saved lives, and a local energy company installed a new steel door after the attack.
Drones unit dog companion for more than two years (Kupyansk area)
2023
The driver of a drone unit outside Kupyansk has been accompanied by a maltipoo dog for more than two years, illustrating long-term civilian-dog presence alongside frontline operations.
No-go zones for rescue work that began in 2022
2022
The article notes that some areas where pet-rescue work began in 2022 are now no-go zones, restricting humanitarian operations.