- DTCare in Ukraine | Animal Welfare -
Aid for Animals in Ukraine
Providing Aid to Pets and Animals in Need Amid the Ongoing Conflict
The Ukraine war has inflicted immense damage on the environment, essential infrastructure, and biodiversity, leaving a lasting impact on the country. The conflict has led to the destruction of key infrastructures, including roads, bridges, and the catastrophic collapse of the Kakhovka Dam. As a result, toxic pollutants have been released into the air, soil, and water, causing widespread flooding and destruction of farmlands.
The shelling and explosions have resulted in the loss or displacement of many species. Additionally, the displacement of millions of people and thousands of animals has created a high demand for resources like food, water, and medical care, which could further strain the environment in the future. It will take time to comprehend the consequences of this conflict fully, its detrimental effects on the country and its inhabitants are already visible.
DTCare and Local Manufacturer Partner to Feed Shelter Animals in Ukraine
DTCare joined forces with a small-scale dog food manufacturer in Ukraine. Our collaboration aims to not only support the growth of this manufacturer but also establish local production of critically needed dog food for stray and abandoned pets in Ukraine. We procured the existing 520kg supply of high-quality dog food courtesy of DTGruelle as a start and delivered 80kg of dog food to a longstanding partner. "Heart of a Friend" (Серце друга) animal shelter was established in 2014 and has been tirelessly caring for stray and injured animals, especially with the recent influx caused by the full-scale invasion in 2022. Driven by dedicated volunteers, this shelter operates on limited resources to ensure the well-being of animals in their care. The shelter faces several challenges, including a need for proper infrastructure and limited resources. Despite receiving support from organizations such as the Red Cross and "Happy Paws," there is an ongoing need for assistance and resources to keep this shelter running smoothly.
One of the shelter's biggest challenges is the overpopulation of animals on the streets. To address this issue, the shelter focuses on sterilization projects and has received a grant of 100,000 hryvnias from local authorities to enable them to implement this crucial project. As a result, the shelter has partnered with "Happy Paws" and the local hospital to perform monthly mass sterilization and individual procedures to help stray pets in the region and curb overpopulation. The Heart of a Friend shelter currently cares for approximately 70 dogs and 30 cats, with an additional 120 animals in the area being looked after by ten community members. With so many animals relying on them, the shelter needs about 400kg of dry pet food monthly. This can be a daunting task without major donors continually supporting the cause. The shelter relies heavily on individual donations and the continued support of organizations like "Happy Paws" to stay operational. DTCare is passionate about animals and their welfare. We are proud to support the Heart of a Friend shelter, which is doing an incredible job of providing care and shelter to injured and stray animals.
Not Just A War on Humanity
With the war in Ukraine still raging with no clear end in sight, not only is it showing consequences of damage that will take decades to heal, but has produced a significant impact on the environment. While the conflict has resulted in the devastating destruction of infrastructure, including power plants, factories, and transportation methods such as roads and bridges, including the example of the disastrous Kakhovka Dam break, which led to the release of harmful chemicals and pollutants into the air, soil, and water, catastrophic flooding, and fatal doubts to miles of farmlands, it has put nature out of its home with no place to go.
The fighting has caused much of the country's destruction with the constant shelling, missiles, and bombs deteriorating the land and forcing out or killing Ukraine's biodiversity. In addition, it has disrupted the management and maintenance of environmental protections, leading to increased deforestation, and environmental neglect, and caused the displacement of millions of people, leading to increased pressure on resources such as food, water, and land, which can further degrade the environment and affect generations to come. The long-term effects of the war in Ukraine are yet to be fully understood, but it is clear that the conflict has taken a toll on the country's ecosystems and natural resources.
The Effects of the Conflict
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), over 20% of Ukraine’s protected areas, 600 animal species, and 750 species of plants have been affected since the start of the war. All animals have either been killed or thrown out of their natural habit. Céline Sissler-Bienvenu, IFAW Program Director for disaster response in Europe states, “It is very difficult to quantify the environmental damage caused by the war at this time, especially since the fighting is still going on and several regions are still occupied. We know from the Ministry reports that already over 300 million m2 of Ukrainian land has been polluted, which has a very significant impact on animals and people, also long after the war is over.”
Since February 24th, 2022, more than 1,000 forest fires have burned, generating more than 33 million tons of CO2, all of which is flowing right into the earth’s atmosphere. Along with the 12.8 million people that have been displaced since the start of the war, more than 3.7 million of them have fled the country with their family pets. Many more pets and residential animals had to be abandoned and now do not have the necessary resources for food and shelter. While our team knows there is an overwhelming amount of support that needs to be provided, DTCare is working to expand our current efforts to help this cause by partnering with local Ukrainian nonprofits to further our positive impact.
Top Animal Needs
One of the biggest growing problems is the need for sterilizations. What is happening is, as civilians are fleeing their homes and having to abandon their pets because they know they cannot care for them on the road, the animals are roaming free and procreating, which dramatically increases the number of animals needing food and care. Sterilization, which before the war was not a widely normalized practice in Ukraine, is the safest, and most humane way to manage overpopulation control during war and recovery efforts.
DTCare’s long-term NGO partner, The Sunflower Project, has been providing critical aid in hard-to-reach towns and eastern cities, transporting thousands of pounds worth of pet food, supplies, and pet medicine. Their focus is on connecting nonprofits that donate humanitarian goods to the people and places that need them the most by being the transportation for those goods. While the stray population is growing all over Ukraine and all of the shelters that they support are over capacity, the biggest need becomes food.
DTCare has partnered with Pittsburgh’s Hollyfeed PetPeople to launch an ongoing fundraising campaign to help these animals in need. Customers who shop at PetPeople in McCandless, PA, will be able to donate a portion of their purchase sales to our cause of helping the pets of Ukraine. All money that has been raised goes directly to The Sunflower Project to be directly distributed to animals in smaller towns that do not have access to food and proper pet care. To be a part of the solution, consider donating to DTCare directly, indicating that it is for pet welfare in Ukraine.
Food
Veterinary Care
Sterilizations
The Looming Environmental Crisis Resulting from the Kakhovka Dam Collapse
The massive devastation wreaked by the Ukrainian Kakhovka Dam Disaster in June 2023 will have lasting effects for generations to come. With the dam wall exploding, it unleashed tremendous flooding across the region that displaced over 42,000 people, destroyed homes, businesses, electricity sources, and other vital infrastructure such as the riverbeds, banks, harbors, docks, and bridges, with the full extent of the destruction yet to be estimated. Aside from the destruction, the dam collapse polluted the water system in the affected regions, with over 150 tons of machine oil running into the Black Sea, endangering the populations still living in the area and those that use the sea as a vital water resource, furthering negative environmental and economic impact. These short-term threats do not even begin to illustrate the long-term damage this flooding will cause environmentally. Hundreds of fields freshly planted and ready for growth will have their irrigation channels drained, while an estimated 24,000 acres of farmland are already underwater in areas around Kherson. Thousands of fish and other wildlife animals and their natural habitats are displaced, killed, or destroyed. The southern region of Ukraine is now decimated due to the effects of this disaster. Rivers and creaks, once flowing, are now demolished to muddy basins.
Ihor Medunov, a local Ukrainian hunter and fisher who lives a little upstream of the dam disaster, told Los Angles Times reporters, "The water is leaving before our eyes. Everything that was in my house, what we worked for all our lives, it’s all gone. First, it drowned; then, when the water left, it rotted.”
Recovery efforts are underway, however, it will be a long road to recuperating the economic and environmental damages from this disaster. DTCare is working with our long-time partner, The Sunflower Project, to provide mobilized emergency medical supplies, food aid, and evacuation assistance in the growing emergency response in our Rapid Rescue Mission campaign. DTCare is fully committed to providing as much aid as possible to help all affected by this disaster. To help DTCare in our Rapid Rescue Mission, please click here to donate or spread the word by sharing and tagging us on social media.
